IT professionals are concerned that they do not have the appropriate security practices in place, according to research by Positive Networks.

The security services provider said that this concern is well founded as 20 per cent of respondents to a survey admitted to a breach that involved loss of sensitive data or access to restricted resources.

Some 70 per cent of respondents also suggested that their current authentication practices were not secure.

Positive Networks interviewed over 300 IT professionals from across the UK on issues relating to security, authentication and other network concerns.

Security fears blurred the lines between protecting company assets and personal assets, and suggested even greater fears related to identity theft and privacy.

Nearly all respondents indicated serious concerns about company security relating to data protection and network security. Only three per cent indicated that IT security was not a priority for 2008.

Some 84 per cent of IT professionals rated authenticating and restricting access to appropriate users as a 'serious' or 'high level' concern.

Nearly half of respondents indicated that their current focus on IT security is higher than in previous years.

Nearly one in five said that their company's network or data had been compromised, and an overwhelming 70 per cent of respondents did not believe that usernames and passwords provide an adequate level of security.

IT professionals recognise the need for improved authentication standards, but struggle with the complexity and cost of previous two-factor offerings.

Respondents support the idea that a mobile or landline phone could be used as the second factor in two-factor authentication.