For travelers, lost devices could lead to data breach

Travelers who fail to protect their mobile devices may be putting themselves in harm's way. According to a study from data security firm Credant Technologies, more than 8,000 mobile devices were lost in the seven largest airports in the United States in the past year, but the majority of people do not have security measures in place to guard their information.

The study shows that more than 3,500 laptop computers were left behind in the past 12 months, as well as an additional 3,444 smartphones and tablet computers. Nearly 1,000 USB drives also went missing in the airports.

In addition to the inconvenience that leaving one's smartphone in the restroom or at the security checkpoint causes, it could also present a data security threat. As Credant points out, many users fail to employ even basic security features, such as password protection and data encryption.

For consumers, this may be less of a problem, but it can be of particular concern for businesses that may face regulatory retribution for failing to protect information. Therefore, business users are advised to implement more advanced security features, such as remote data wiping and backup, to ensure information is safe should an unfortunate incident take place.