Fourteen per cent of high-income earners (over £25,000 pa) in the UK have been victims of data theft, according to a survey for vendor Secerno.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos MORI, also reveals that the level of awareness and concern with regards to data theft amongst the British public is increasing.

Some 95 per cent of all respondents are concerned about some aspect of the security of their personal data, and 83 per cent specified the security of their bank and credit card details as being their primary concern.

'This survey provides the UK business community with a clear and valuable insight as to the British public’s response to the recent rise in cases of data theft or accidental loss,' said Paul Davie, chief executive of Secerno.'

The survey suggests there is clearly a requirement for the issue of high-profile data breaches to be addressed on a political level as 58 per cent of respondents want to see both government bodies, alongside banks and building societies, taking greater responsibility for the protection of personal data.

'Consumers have a right to be told immediately whenever their personal information may have been compromised, yet those companies holding personal data know that they are likely be punished when a breach becomes known, and this is a disincentive,' said Davie.

For those companies which disregard the importance of the immediate communication of security incidents to their affected customers, they can expect to see their customers firstly, abstaining from using their services (53 per cent) before secondly, opting to cancel their credit cards (48 per cent) and thirdly, reporting them to the police (20 per cent) or national consumer bodies (17 per cent).