10,000 handhelds lost in taxis every month

 

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By Matthew Sparkes

Posted on 18 Sep 2008 at 11:48

Londoners lose more than 10,000 handheld devices a month in the back of black cabs, according to a new report.

In the last six months more than 55,000 mobile phones have been left behind in taxis, as well as 6,000 laptops and handheld computers, showing that data security is as much of an issue for individuals as it is for companies and governments.

With the increasing complexity and advanced features of mobile phones, and ever expanding storage capacities, the loss of a handset has more serious implications than it did just a few years ago.

"If it gets into the wrong hands of a criminal, hacker or opportunist, losing your mobile device can have serious implications, so our advice is always encrypt it and password protect it to stop it ever being accessed by anyone other than yourself," says chief marketing officer Michael Callahan, speaking to the BBC.