Negligence is a factor in many corporate data breaches in the US, many organizations believe.
According to research by the Ponemon Institute and Symantec, more than one-third of those polled said negligence was behind recent information security incidents.
Meanwhile, malicious attacks were also found to be a big problem that is having an increasing financial impact on organizations.
The Ponemon Institute and Symantec have therefore called on businesses to improve their technical infrastructure and data management processes so sensitive information can be more secure.
Francis deSouza, spokesman for Symantec, commented: "It is essential for companies to put the proper information protection policies and procedures in place."
He warned that the growing use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets is proving to be a "serious threat" to data security at the moment.
This, he said, is because members of staff are now able to view sensitive company information at all times and in any location.
Posted by Paul Newton