Government departments and security services need to be a little more sensible when it comes to USB devices, according to the makers of the drives, Kingston Technology. Jim Selby, European Product Marketing Manager said the recent case where top secret terrorist files were dumped outside a police station was totally avoidable.

Selby said that these slips were unavoidable and in most cases there was never any malice involved, it is simply a case of human error. “However, loosing a USB drive that is completely 'open' for such critical security content is unforgivable,” he said.

Given that fully encrypted USB drives only cost £40 even governments on an austerity drive can afford them. Encrypted drives such as those from Kingston Technology would have ensured that even if the finder placed the drive in their computer they would have less than 10 attempts at the password before all data was permanently erased from the device.

“With such simplistic, and low cost secure USB solutions available it never ceases to amaze us just how these situations are ever allowed to happen, Selby told us.