Apricorn USB Data Protection Survey: Majority of Enterprise USB Security Is Outdated, Inadequate

POWAY, Calif., Dec. 12, 2017 -- Apricorn, the leading manufacturer of software-free, hardware-encrypted USB drives, today announced results of its survey, “The Current State of USB Data Protection,” reveals that encryption is the most critical means of data protection, even more than all regulatory-compliance solutions. The report examines the benefits, policies and business drivers of USB usage across the education, finance, government, healthcare, legal, manufacturing and retail market segments.

Revelations from the survey underscore that, while USB drives are ubiquitous for employees across all industries, security policies for these devices are often severely outdated or grossly inadequate for protecting critical enterprise data. Also, by failing to effectively monitor USB usage, organizations are leaving themselves vulnerable to data breaches, as well as putting their clients’ and employees’ personal information at risk.

One of the most significant findings is that while nine out of 10 employees rely on USB devices today; only 20 percent of them are utilizing encryption on those devices. Eight out of 10 employees use non-encrypted USBs, such as those received for free at conferences, trade events or business meetings.

“With the increasing volume and complexity of data within today’s organizations, it is critical to provide employees with the tools to securely process this data,” said Mike McCandless, VP of Sales and Marketing at Apricorn. “At the core of every security policy should be a foolproof, enforceable means of whitelisting any and all USB devices to ensure that only approved encrypted drives can be used when handling sensitive data. This greatly diminishes the vulnerability of employee non-compliance.”

The study also found that roughly 70 percent of employees surveyed maintained that USB drives improve the efficiency of their organizations’ IT operations and increase their productivity.

Other Key Findings:

• 69 percent of respondents agree that the use of USB drives increases productivity in the workplace
• Only 15 percent ask permission to use a USB drive
• 50 percent are required to seek permission to use external USB drives, while the other half are not
• 58 percent of organizations have adequate governance and policies to manage the use of USB drives in the workplace

For more on the findings of “The Current State of USB Data Protection,” or to receive the full report, please email [email protected].

METHODOLOGY:
Apricorn surveyed more than 400 employees ages 18 to 65-plus from industries including education, finance, government, healthcare, legal, manufacturing, retail and manufacturing in September 2017. This survey was completed online, and responses were random, voluntary and completely anonymous.

ABOUT APRICORN:
Headquartered in Poway, California, Apricorn provides secure storage innovations to the most prominent companies in the categories of finance, healthcare, education, and government throughout North America, Canada and EMEA. Apricorn products have become the trusted standard for a myriad of data security strategies worldwide. Founded in 1983, numerous award-winning products have been developed under the Apricorn brand and for a number of leading computer manufacturers on an OEM basis. 

Contact Information:
Sarah Thorson
10Fold Communications
[email protected]
609-234-8531