Over a third of BlackBerry devices are sold without being wiped of sensitive personal and corporate data, according to new research released today by BT.

The study of over 160 second-hand handheld devices found that they still contained details of bank accounts and board meetings, along with financial data.

Nearly a quarter of BlackBerrys contained information which could allow the previous owner and employer to be identified, while 43 per cent contained information which could pose a significant risk to organisations if exposed.

"Given the level of exposure that the subject of security and identity theft has recently received, and the availability of suitable tools to ensure the safe disposal of information, it is difficult to understand why organisations are not taking the necessary precautions when disposing of handheld devices," said Andy Jones, head of information security research at BT, in a statement supporting the study.

"These everyday items now contain sophisticated digital memory capable of storing huge amounts of sensitive data. Organisations must ensure that adequate procedures are in place to destroy any data and to check that these procedures are effective."

In many instances, BlackBerry devices were left with the in-built security features such as encryption switched off, according to BT.