Six in ten use personal emails at work

The research, carried out be online polling firm YouGov found that most users were unaware of the risk posed by their behaviour with 90 per cent of those surveyed believing that their work computer is either fairly or very secure.

Two-thirds trusted their IT department to have taken necessary measures to secure their device against threats. And another 28 per cent used instant messaging applications at least once a week. The report suggested that users have a limited sense of responsibility for IT security.

Major events, such as this year's World Cup, influenced people's behaviour with 34 per cent of respondents opening up personal email attachments at work during the tournament. 28 per cent of the employees shared files with family and friends and 25 per cent allowed others to go online using their work laptop, effectively ceding control over what is being used on or downloaded to their devices. Just under half said that they connect devices to their computers such as cameras, music players, mobile phone and PDA.

Nick Lowe, regional director of Check Point, the company who sponsored the survey, said user behaviour is likely to become more problematic for organisations in the future.

"It demonstrates just how much of a challenge the IT department has in setting the perimeters for access and educating users," he said. "Companies are already struggling to control what users access or connect to their PCs and laptops, and as the application and device landscape continues to evolve and user targeted threats increase, the minefield will only intensify."

Others said that many organisations remain unaware of how much time users spend on non-work related internet activities that put their networks at risk of infection or data leakage.

"The majority of businesses invest in security technology in order to prevent malicious attacks, but this investment can be worthless if employees fail to realise that they have a role to play in safeguarding company networks," said Alyn Hockey director of research at Clearswift. "Education must be the first step - employers need to educate their employees on the threats posed by insecure websites and irresponsible emails."

He added that employers need to ensure their staff realise their responsibilities and develop a best practice policy for email and internet use that the employees fully comprehend.

"Only then can these policies be fully enforced using the appropriate technology," added Hockey.

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