A recent social experiment commissioned by CompTIA found that a USB flash drive left lying around in public will likely result in a stranger picking it up and using it, inviting a breach of security.

As part of an effort to learn more what personal habits contribute to cybersecurity risks, CompTIA left 200 unmarked flash drives in high-traffic, public places in Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The drives were loaded with software that reported back to those running the experiment when the devices were activated.

One in five drives picked up were plugged into a computer, according to the association. The users then proceeded to engage in behaviors that put the information on their computers at risk of compromise, such as opening text files, clicking on unfamiliar websites or sending a personal email message to an address on the drive.

"These actions may seem innocuous, but each has the potential to open the door to the very real threat of becoming the victim of a hacker or a cybercriminal," CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux said.

CompTIA also commissioned a survey to complement the experiment. The survey found that 94 percent of respondents regularly connect their devices to public Wi-Fi networks, with 69 percent doing work-related business while connected.

Thirty-six percent of employees use their work email address for personal accounts. Thirty-eight percent use work passwords for personal accounts.

Who is more likely to pick up USB drives left in public? 40 percent of millennials said they were likely to, compared to 22 percent of Gen X and 9 percent of Baby Boomers. http://bit.ly/1LGqm1w

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