Which of the following would be the MOST important factor to be considered in the loss of mobile equipment with unencrypted data? 

Answer options:

A. Disclosure of personal information
B. Sufficient coverage of the insurance policy for accidental losses
C. Intrinsic value of the data stored on the equipment
D. Replacement cost of the equipment

C

When mobile equipment is lost or stolen, the information contained on the equipment matters most in determining the impact of the loss. The more sensitive the information, the greater the liability. If staff carries mobile equipment for business purposes, an organization must develop a clear policy as to what information should be kept on the equipment and for what purpose. Personal information is not defined in the question as the data that were lost. Insurance may be a relatively smaller issue as compared with information theft or opportunity loss, although insurance is also an important factor for a successful business. Cost of equipment would be a less important issue as compared with other choices.