Dev-exit for misplaced government mobile devices

Loss of mobile devices and laptops belonging to government employees presents a security risk

UK government staff
lost 508 mobile and laptop devices between January and April this
year, according to the results of a freedom-of-information (FOI)
request from mobile security firm MobileIron.

The request was submitted to nine government departments, eight of which responded with data. The only department not to respond was the Home Office.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office was the department with the most mobile devices lost in the time period, with 126 lost and only four returned.

The FOI request also found that only 10 per cent of devices lost by public sector employees are ever recovered.

MobileIron’s UK and
Ireland regional director David Critchley said that in light of the
feedback, public sector organisations need to be mindful of their
mobile devices’ security measures.

“As the amount of
business data that flows across devices, apps, networks and cloud
services continues to increase, it is essential that they have the
right security protocols in place to minimise risk and prevent
unauthorised access to sensitive data if a device is lost or stolen.”