Small businesses are being warned of the dangers of not disposing of their sensitive data properly.

This week it is National Identity Fraud Prevention Week, and a survey commissioned by storage specialist Fellowes has revealed that 79 per cent of small businesses are risking corporate identity fraud by failing to destroy sensitive material before it is thrown away or recycled.

As well as hard copy material that puts firms at risk, SMEs should also watch data stored on PCs an mobile devices, the firm has warned, as a Symantec survey reveals that one in four SMEs have suffered a security breach, and 13 per cent of those have lost money as a result.

Ross Walker, head of small and medium business at Symantec UK and Ireland, said: “When you think of ID risk, people tend to think of the risk to themselves as individuals, but the fact is that it can impact businesses too, and SMEs are the most at risk.

“Negating this risk doesn’t have to be a daunting task, in many cases simply implementing good processes, such as regularly updating security software, firewalls and passwords is enough, and they don’t require a deep technical knowledge of dedicated IT staff.

“However, it’s imperative that these organisations understand and know how to take simple steps to protect themselves and limit any potential harm.”