Fewer UK firms plan to increase their spending on protecting corporate information than their global rivals, research by a consultancy firm says.

Some 31% of UK firms plan to spend more, compared with 52% globally.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) also suggested that less than a third had installed technology which monitors employees’ use of social networking.

This is half the number internationally and could mean UK employees are more at risk of identity theft, PwC said.

Exposure

Security spending can include a wide range of measures – including using experts to advise on what the company should do to keep their information secure, and encoding technology which protects a company’s data.

It also includes the use of specialist technology which monitors employees’ activities on Facebook and other social networking sites – technology which PwC says 32% of UK organisations has installed, compared with 60% of companies globally.

“Lack of focus on social networking can expose organisations to a variety of risks, including loss or leakage of information, damage to a company’s reputation, illegal downloading of printed material, and identity theft,” William Beer, a director at PwC, said.

The survey also suggested that just under a third of UK companies planed to increase security spending over the next year.

That was despite the fact that 60% of respondents said that economic conditions meant their companies are more likely to be exposed to risk.

Source: BBC