Weak protections around sensitive data mean that 14 per cent of workers have accessed confidential information at work that they were not authorised to see in the last five years, according to new analysis.

A Consumer Intelligence survey of 1,000 people for DSA Connect, an IT asset and data disposal company, found that technology provided by employers had enabled seven per cent of respondents to see the salaries of their managers and colleagues.

A further five per cent have had unauthorised access to other people’s private photos via their employer’s technology, while six per cent have seen private correspondence between their employers and clients, four per cent have been able to view personal financial details of clients and/or colleagues, while three per cent have seen the health records of third parties.

The analysis warned that rising redundancies and job losses due to the Coronavirus pandemic has left employers particularly exposed to more fraud and data breaches, because there will be more staff leaving and many employees feeling increasingly angry towards their current or former employers.

Harry Benham, chairman of DSA Connect, said: “Our findings suggest many employers have serious lapses in their data security provision, leaving themselves open to various potential data breaches.

"The cost of these can run into tens of thousands of pounds in the form of fines and lost business, it can also cause huge damage to an organisation’s reputation and brand if news of a data breach becomes known.”

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