The BYOD phenomenon exacerbates the problem, confirms a study by the University of Glasgow.

Companies significantly increase the risk of data leakage when employees with smartphones and tablets use storage services in cloud computing, shows a study at the University of Glasgow. In âmbiro work, were recovered files to Word and PDF applications services as the DrobBox, the Box and SugarSync, used on iOS devices and Android.

Cached, remained there until the storage limit has been reached, at which point they are overwritten by new data. In the case of iOS devices, the data were stored in memory, while with Android storage was done on a memory card.

It was also possible to collect metadata related to application. The study has some flaws: for example, the fact that researchers have used older versions of operativios systems, testing iOS on iPhone 3S 3 and Android 2.1 on HTC Desire.

While not all information kept on older phones are recoverable in recent iOS and Android, experts agreed that some data would still be accessible - for who stole the phone or through malware able to gain access to the "root" of the device.

"From a forensic perspective there is little that can be done on a device without leaving some kind of trail," says Paul Henry, forensic analyst Lumension. "With DropBox, you can usually decipher the database, and details about the activities of a user, and you can find copies of cached files".

Separation of data types is critical

The risk of data leakage intensified with the BYOD phenomenon. The biggest danger in this practice is employees using applications such as storage services to host business documents or work. This blend of personal data with the increases the chances of a security breach.

Grispos George, one of the leaders of academic research, said that the separation between these data types is critical in any mobility device. "Investments in cloud computing should be part of a larger framework of how to segregate the device," he said.