Experts Predict 67,000 Phones Will Be Lost During Olympics

London has been planning the Olympics for years, preparing the city for the massive numbers of people expected to descend upon London for the games. However, while you can expect to see crowds of tourists, athletes and journalists around London over the next few weeks, you should also keep your eyes peeled for thieves, as a recent survey claims they'll be working overtime during the games.

According to a press release over on Telecom Reseller, security company Venafi warns that an estimated 67,000 mobile phones are likely to be lost or stolen during the Olympics. Venafi reports that during any two-week period in London, roughly 50,000 phones are lost or stolen. As a result of the Olympics, London's population is expected to grow by a third, with the tube carrying an extra one million passengers every single day. Considering this swell in population, Venafi expects there to be an extra 17,000 mobile devices misplaced (be they lost or stolen) during the two weeks London plays host to the games. This, combined with the usual 50,000, brings the total number of devices lost during the two weeks of Olympics to a massive 67,000.

As if this weren't enough, thanks to the advanced devices many of us now carry around in our pockets, this means we'll be losing more than just our phones. Venafi says an estimated 214.4 terabytes of potentially sensitive data is likely to be lost or stolen when these devices go missing. Ouch. Better make sure you have a remote wipe app installed. That, and be sure to take all your belongings with you when exiting public transport or leaving one location for another. Of course, you should also make sure you keep your wits about you when it comes to pick-pockets and other thieves.

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