"A 2006 study by Deloitte shows a 50 per cent rise in leaks of confidential information and that is primarily attributed to the increasing numbers of removable devices. Staff can walk out with massive amounts of confidential information of their organisations," said Stagg.

A way forward is awareness training, he recommended. Have it as part of the induction programme for newcomers in a company, get them to sign that they have understood acceptable use policies, and reinforce the message through a series of e-mail, short seminars and screensavers, listed out Stagg.

Technology plays its part

During a fraud investigation, computer forensics is a component that should not be left out, recommended Ramesh Moosa, director, forensic technology solutions, PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Computers are filing cabinets with audit trails and these are cold hard facts," he explained. This evidence can be used to prove for or against claims made by people.

Highlighting the case of a local pharmaceutical company where it was suspected of conducting illegal business at the side by its major shareholders in the US, computer forensics experts were able track down evidence of the local shareholder's doings in e-mail and deleted files. With the proof, the offender was forced to relinquish his shares in the company and the company did not have to undergo the unwanted attention of a public lawsuit.