Eighty-one percent of companies surveyed reported the loss of one or more laptops containing sensitive information during the past 12 months, according to the survey, which queried nearly 500 information security professionals.

One of the main reasons corporate data security breaches occur is because companies don't know where their sensitive or confidential business information resides within the network or enterprise systems, Larry Ponemon, chairman of the Ponemon Institute, said in a statement.

"This lack of knowledge, coupled with insufficient controls over data stores, can pose a serious threat for both business and governmental organizations," Ponemon said. "Moreover, the danger doesn't stop at the network, but includes employees' and contractors' laptop computers and other portable storage devices."

Ponemon, whose research firm is based in Elk Rapids, Mich., is also a columnist for Computerworld.

Other findings of the study include the following: