'Complacent' companies slammed for poor security policies

More than half of UK firms admit they are not doing enough to combat cybercrime - even though one third have been hacked, according to a survey from Learning Tree International.

The survey, carried out among IT security managers and administrators, found that 54 per cent believe their organisation is not doing enough to combat the threats, despite 34 per cent of the respondents saying their companies had experienced cybercrime

Fifty-three per cent of firms never discuss cybercrime at board level.

Sally Low, director of policy and external affairs at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: "The BCC is very concerned by the proliferation of cybercrime, especially the huge numbers of virus attacks affecting the vast majority of businesses. It's vital that firms take this matter seriously to ensure their own survival in the marketplace."

Kevin Cardwell, IT security consultant to the US Navy and instructor for Learning Tree International, added: "These figures illustrate the 'can't-happen-to-us' attitude so many corporations have adopted, despite the 'target-rich' environment which exists for hackers. Such complacency is leaving companies wide open to attack."