Study: 76% of IT decision-makers said that their devices had been stolen in the last two years This article explores lost stolen devices. . 46% of people who had their devices stolen or left unsecured had their data stolen as a direct result.

One-third of these events led to legal or regulatory action because of the compromised information. Chris Hagan says that instead of leaving old gadgets with unused software licenses and management costs, they should be recycled for new hires or retired and given away. Hagan says that one forgotten device can make many things less secure. He says that the difference between the endpoints clients say they want and the ones that are actually onboarded is especially clear when implementing managed detection and response services.

Hagan, a consultant for Salesforce and a member of the Security Council of the United States, says, "When auditors ask about 'where all your endpoints are' and you can't give them answers, it is a serious finding." To make sure that lost or stolen devices are dealt with quickly and with as little damage as possible, businesses need to set up detailed emergency response plans. Find and mark devices that haven't been used in more than 45 days.

As soon as a device looks like it's not being used, start an investigation and ask for it back. Your SOC needs a playbook just for these situations, and all of its devices must be able to be wiped remotely. The irony is that companies spend a lot of money on zero-trust architectures but have trouble managing hundreds of endpoints.

The problem with the endpoint that people are ignoring isn't hard; it just needs simple checks and updates, not new attacks or vulnerabilities. Most businesses don't deal with it by doing simple things like quarterly audits, writing scripts, or changing policies. These steps can easily stop this common threat from happening.

But you should know that these stalled projects and lost laptops are not your fault. They are yours. The device fades into the background.