Many smartphone users lax on security

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ABINGDON, England, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Forty-two percent of mobile phones lost by British smartphone owners had no data-protection measures in place to protect sensitive information, a survey found.

The survey of British phone users ages 16 to 64 conducted by mobile security company Sophos found more than half of lost or forgotten phones were unprotected, creating the risk of information such as passwords, payment details or company secrets stored in email accounts being accessed by strangers.

While the study found men lose their devices more than women, 66 percent of men had security set up on their devices while only 49 percent of women did, TechNewsDaily reported Tuesday.

Young people are more likely to lose or misplace their phones, Sophos found, but they are better at securing them than their elders. Fifty-five percent of those ages 16 to 24 secure their mobile devices -- although they're four times more likely to lose them.