05/01/2009
Data value rising faster than hardware prices are falling, says Kensington
The value of laptops is set to rise in 2009 due to the data they contain, despite the plummeting costs of hardware – according to a warning from security specialist Kensington.
As overheads are cut to cope with the credit crunch, Kensington also predicts a significant rise in the number of freelance workers based from home. This could endanger data even further, as more and more employees use their laptops to work outside of the office.
Kensington’s own research has shown that 90 per cent of organisations have experienced some form of data loss, in the form of lost or stolen laptops. Moreover, a leaked letter from the UK’s Home Office letter has suggested that such incidents could rise even further as business budgets are slashed.
“High-profile data breaches have illustrated the real-life cost of digital information – but as resources are limited, security is in danger of being ignored,” explained George Foot, Vice President Kensington Europe. “As the recession deepens, the true price of company data will become apparent. Organisations simply can’t afford to take liberties with such a valuable asset.”
When an unsecured Nationwide Building Society laptop was stolen from an employee’s home, the company was fined £980,000 by the FSA.
“Companies can’t prevent human error – there will always be someone who leaves their laptop on a train or at the airport,” Foot continued. “Away from the fortress of the office, without colleagues or security guards, data is much more vulnerable.”
“In the current economic climate it’s more important than ever to safeguard a company’s most valuable commodity. That’s not the hardware itself, regardless of how good your laptops are. In 2009, it’s the actual data that will become priceless – so securing the devices is fundamentally important. Taking steps to protect your organisations credibility also protects your own,” he concluded.
Notes to editors
About Kensington
Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice™.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.