Every day, thousands of valuable portable items
are inadvertently left behind in airports, taxicabs, coffee
shops, and other public venues. Dealing with the loss of
sensitive data is often more agonizing than the time and money
required to purchase and reprogram a replacement device. The
smaller the device, the easier it is to leave behind.
Lost and found departments are bursting with smart/cell
phones, PDAs, laptops, jump drives, digital cameras, eyewear
and countless other items. Most finders would prefer to return
the item to its rightful owner, but without proper
identification and a convenient return service, the vast
majority of items never make it home safely.
Some interesting facts:
1,200 cell phones, 1,500 sets of keys and over 300 PDAs and
laptops are turned into the Las Vegas International lost and
found department annually.
- McCarran Int'l Airport Security,
July 2003
140,000 items are found annually on Southwest Airlines
flights, 50,000 items at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and 20 a day
at some Avis Rent-A-Car locations. Despite best efforts, fewer
than 1% are returned.
- The Wall Street Journal, November 2003
99% of cell phone owners do not back up the data on their
phones. When your cell phone is lost or stolen, that precious
information is gone.
- The Wall Street Journal, May 2003.
Recovery rates are less than 5%. Studies have indicated that
up to 75% of security tagged items are returned
to their rightful owners.
