Employees are one of the biggest security threats to UK business, research shows.

50 per cent of managers blame staff for exposing company networks to virus attacks and believe virus protection is no longer sufficient protection, says the report from security firm McAfee and the Institute of Directors.

Downloading non-work related applications, opening infected emails and switching off security software are the main threats posed by the workforce, according to bosses.

The survey of 1,240 managers in small to medium sized UK businesses also shows that 57 per cent of companies have recently suffered damage from virus attacks.

'After years of education, human vulnerability is still one of the major causes of network downtime following a virus outbreak,' said Sal Viveros, SMB director at McAfee.

'All too often businesses are preoccupied with patching holes, updating anti-virus and configuring firewalls without looking at the dangers posed by their employees.'

The survey also revealed that 75 per cent of businesses had no policies in place to prevent non-business related applications, with less than a quarter taking a proactive approach to adopting security solutions.

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