Business owners 'take risks' with information

Date: 4th April 2008

Businesspeople are taking serious risks by discussing sensitive information in public, a senior consultant at Vodafone UK has suggested.

Samantha Botting says business owners should be wary of discussing issues such as finances and office politics in public.

Ms Botting points out that 70 per cent of people discuss business issues on their mobile phones leaving them susceptible to other entrepreneurs stealing their ideas.

"You wouldn't sit in your office and tell a stranger personal details that you wouldn't want them to know, so there's no reason to do that while you're on the mobile. A lot of people think they're in their own little bubble when they're on the mobile, but they should still take the same precautions," she explains.

She adds that business owners should take steps to educate their employees about confidentiality matters and help them to "take precautions".

According to Vodafone research, around one in five workers have discussed their boss in public - unaware of who is listening.