Billions lost due to missing laptops
By Deborah Bates
20/04/2011
Europe as a whole has lost billions thanks to thousands of missing laptops, according to Online Computers Blog.
The site confirmed that companies had lost out on billions due to some 72,789 laptops going missing from April 2010 to April 2011.
This means each organisation who reported laptops missing had lost some 4.7 million euros as a result - equating to £4.1 million.
Situations like these will likely have made companies relived they invested in remote IT support software, as it could help potentially disable the functions of the laptops - rendering the laptops useless to thieves. This is particularly pertinent as only 34 per cent of the laptops were encrypted.
Furthermore, only 26 per cent had been backed up - leaving companies without high volumes of secure or potentially even confidential data missing.
A spokesperson from Intel, Glenn Le Vernois, spoke to IT Pro about the news, claiming companies had to take into account the "huge" figure - and do something about ensuring it doesn't grow.
He confirmed: "If companies or individuals don't know how to actually get their hands around the problem and how to devise a strategy of attack, [laptop] loss will continue to be an issue."
"Understand what you are carrying around, put a dollar amount on it and understand the economic impact on the business."
