According to new data published by the Freedom of Information (FOI), over 2,000 mobile devices used by UK government employees have gone missing over the past year. The organization also claimed that a significant number of the devices were unencrypted. Between the period of June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019, a total of 2004 devices were reported as lost or stolen by UK government officials.
The vast majority of the lost or stolen devices were reported by the Ministry of Defense (767), followed by the HMRC (288). 1,824 of the missing smartphones and laptops, external storage devices and tablets were reported as encrypted, however, 65 were not and the status of the remainder is unknown. Viasat’s UK director stated that mobile security needs to become a top priority for the UK government before consequences ensue, stating that they must do more to ensure data is protected at all times.
Read More: Over 2000 UK Government Devices Go Missing in a Year