This is according to Brett Casey, CEO of specialist IT security management and consulting company, Securicom.

'More and more companies are turning to expert consultants to manage their IT security. One of the main reasons for this is that companies simply cannot afford to retain the necessary skills and resources in-house.

'Over the last decade, the ways and means of attacking data have become more sophisticated, and they continue to evolve at an alarming rate. Staying ahead of these advancements is imperative in order to efficiently ward off attacks, and, unless there is a dedicated team focused on managing IT security in-house, companies are simply not equipped to protect themselves,' he says.