Around half of all IT security breaches at UK companies actually come from inside the company, with USB memory sticks responsibility for an increasing amount of incidents, a technology study by Deloitte has found.

According to Deloitte, such devices are hard to monitor but have the potential to pass infected files onto a company's computer system.

More than four-fifths (83%) of firms surveyed expressed concern about employee misconduct involving information systems, while the study also found that increased reliance on IT in the technology, media and telecoms industries has left many businesses open to attack. 

Embarrassingly, half of all technology companies reported electronic security breaches in the past twelve months with roughly one third of all security breaches resulted in significant financial losses for the company concerned.

Gerry Fitzpatrick, a partner in Deloitte's enterprise risk services group said: ‘Companies are becoming more aware of the impact of technical security attacks because their businesses revolve increasingly around digital information and technology.

‘Everything from voice telephony to prime time television is now created and transmitted as a series of zeros and ones – making it vulnerable to infection, attack and theft. Protecting the confidentiality and integrity of data, as well as ensuring its available when required, is now an important aspect of effective operational management.’