Usually, when a company puts down a product that it manufacturers, it’s to play up another. This is the case with SanDisk, who is warning the world about the dangers of unsecured flash drives. The company claims that the huge numbers of workers, particularly IT workers, who use memory sticks at work for storing or transferring files, are putting themselves and their employers at risk. Following a survey that SanDisk conducted, they found that the majority of USB flash drives in use are unsecured and unencrypted, rendering them easy prey to those who would seek to steal sensitive data.

It’s also incredibly easy to lose such a small device, and so in part their concerns are justified. Of course, SanDisk’s reason for the survey was for more than just information. They also are playing up their latest version of the Central Management and Control software they produce, which they pair with their Cruzer Enterprise series of flash drives. Certainly, encrypting any sensitive data is something that should be considered, especially with the increasing amount of identity theft that happens as a result of stolen information.