Smartphones are seen as a more of a security risk than laptops and mobile storage devices, according to new research.

Some 94 percent of senior IT staff fear PDAs present a security risk, just above the 88 percent who highlighted mobile storage devices as a worry.

Nearly eight in 10 said laptops were an issue. Only four in 10 had encrypted data on their laptops, and the remainder said the information was "not worth" protecting.

The results come from a survey of 300 senior IT staff conducted by endpoint data protection supplier Credant Technologies.

A key danger with PDAs was that over half of IT executives surveyed were "not bothering" to enter a password when they used their phone.

Nine in 10 of the smartphones were being given access to company networks without extra security, even though the phones were individually owned by users. There were no access restrictions being applied to 81 percent of the phones.

Credant Technologies said smartphones had become "easy pickings" for any opportunists trying to steal them and access information.

Peter Mitteregger, European vice president at the company, said: "Companies need to regain control of these devices and the data that they are carrying, or risk finding their investment in securing the enterprise misplaced and woefully inadequate."

Computerworld UK is an InfoWorld affiliate.