Modern technology has made it much easier for workers to steal information from their employers, a study has claimed.
Research into intellectual property theft by data forensic firm Ibas, found that almost 70% of people have stolen key information from work.
The most commonly pilfered items include email address books and customer databases, as well as presentations and proposals, revealed the study.
Office email was a popular method of getting stolen information off company premises, said the report, with the majority of those taking the information doing so when they were leaving the company for a new job.
According to the study, the majority of those questioned, 72%, had no ethical problems with stealing information to help them in a new post. Over half of those questioned, 58%, thought that, in moral terms, it was the equivalent to exaggerating insurance claims.
Ibas' Chris Watson said: "The surprising thing is the level to which people believe this is acceptable.
"The classic case is in sales environments where the contacts database is taken from one company to another even if it is not relevant to that business."
Watson said filtering tools on email servers could catch some of the information being stolen and identify thieves, but well-enforced policies that reminded employees of their obligations and responsibilities were just as important.
