IT departments have been urged to reinforce security policies for mobile workers as research reveals many visit inappropriate websites on company laptops.

Mobile operator Vodafone UK quizzed 1,116 UK mobile workers on their internet habits. The study found that about seven per cent of mobile workers have visited adult sites on a company device while out of the office. This compares to 3.8 per cent who have done so in the office. 19 per cent have downloaded music outside of work, 10 per cent have visited gambling sites and about 15 per cent have downloaded software without company authorisation.

Vodafone warns that this behaviour can leave firms at risk from viruses or malware and counsels that unauthorised downloading of software could lead to higher support costs. The mobile operator also claims that even seemingly innocuous sites, such as iTunes or BBC iPlayer, could hit companies in the pocket if accessed via hotel WiFi.

Vodafone UK's head of enterprise mobility solutions, Curt Hopkins, claimed that IT departments were generally successful in ensuring appropriate employee behaviour in the workplace. But he indicated businesses needed a less laissez-fair approach to ensuring such behaviour continued once workers leave the office environs.

"Connectivity and mobility are key to staying ahead of the competition but all devices need to be appropriately secured and managed before a company can reap the many associated benefits," he said.

"Employees are not always aware of the risks associated with accessing certain content whether it is for legitimate reasons or not. The safest approach is for the IT department to centralise security and management of the network to prevent any potential data leaks or network intrusions."