Londoners Leave Thousands of USB Drives With the Dry Cleaners

I’ve found a lot of things clinking around in my laundry before, including forgotten $20 bills and cylinders of  mushy chapstick, but nothing as bad as what a recent study conducted in London turned up. According to data security-company Credent Technologies, about 9,000 forgotten USB thumb drives ended up at the dry cleaners last year. Apparently it’s not just absent-minded Brits. We’re all doing a bad job of keeping a close enough eye on the data we port from computer to computer these days. In another study, this one conducted in September in London and New York, Credant found that for every six month period, more than 12,500 laptops, iPods, and thumbs drives were forgotten in the back of taxis. Though Credant would love for you to panic at this news, rush to their site, and purchase the enterprise level backup-and-encryption software they sell, there are some other alternatives that can keep you from whipping out the company credit card. 1. Use Mozy.com to Backup the Important Stuff Stop running the risk of files falling into the wrong hands or being destroyed by eliminating the middle device. Use free online backup like Mozy.com to store important files online and access them from anywhere with any machine that has a web connection.  Signing up at the site gets you 2GB of data for free and unlimited storage is just $4.95 a month. 2. GBridge: Backup, Remote Access, and Sharing for Multiple PCs GBridge, another free program, works with your Gmail Talk/Email account to create a Virtual Private Network that connects whichever desktop you use the most for your 9-5 to any other PC. You can use “the bridge” to backup any files you choose on any schedule you select, or simply log into your desktop remotely, access the necessary data from what ever machine you’re using or setup the software’s AutoSync feature which lets you transfer files of any size between multiple machines. Because GBrigde is an extension of your Google Talk connection, you can use its SecureShare feature to grant co-workers and friends direct access to important folders,  files, or your entire computer without needing to upload or download a thing. 3. Get Tough with the Corsair Flash Survivor Thumb Drive If you’re heading home for some off-the-grid work then physical data transport is probably your only option. Try buying a thumb drive that can stand up to a bit of pressure. At just 40 bucks on Amazon.com, the 8GB Corsair Flash Survivor is an ugly little device but you won’t mind its bad looks when you pull it intact from your dryer machine. You can thanks its aluminum, water-resistant,  and shook-proof hull  for saving you from work-place shame. Plus, if anyone nabs the device, it comes with 256-bit AES SW encryption so your files will be safe no matter who gets into the cab after you.