The loss or theft of a laptop can have devastating implications for data and IT security, as recent scandals regarding the loss of government data has shown.
Many organisations simply would not know exactly how dangerous such a loss might be, because they lack any kind of tracking arrangements that would allow them to know precisely what data is stored on portable equipment.
"In the case where a laptop has been stolen, do you know what information was on it? Do you know where users are storing data across your systems and networks?" Butler Group senior research analyst Andy Kellett said to IT Week.
Mr Kellett added that many organisations do not give proper consideration to the benefits of encryption, believing it to be expensive, difficult to implement and even inappropriate to their fields of activity.
Not only can data loss be damaging for businesses, but carelessness and negligence can put an organisation in breach of data protection and other laws.
Mr Kellett warned: "Many more regulations have come into force recently that say if you keep certain types of data, you need to take steps to protect it."
Nevertheless, the high-profile scandals are having an impact on IT professionals' consciousness.
A recent survey by Forrester Research found that 46 per cent of respondents were considering or had definite plans to adopt encryption software in the next 12 months.
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