24 April 2009 | Martha McKenzie-Minifie
Workers are becoming less loyal to their employers and many are willing to sell off company secrets if the price is right, according to a poll carried out on London commuters.
Researchers for Infosecurity Europe questioned 600 people at a London railway station last week and discovered 37 per cent would divulge sensitive company information.
But anyone wanting to buy the commercial secrets would need deep pockets, as the asking price for almost two-thirds of those willing to give information was £1 million.
"It's staggering that a third of people are open to bribery," said an Infosecurity Europe spokesman.
A third of those surveyed said they felt less loyal to their employers than a year ago - only 5 per cent said their loyalty had increased, as they felt they had job security.
The poll's findings reflect the trend towards the rise in procurement fraud in the UK. It is predicted to rise further during the downturn.
The value of procurement fraud in the UK increased 347 per cent during 2008, according to BDO Stoy Hayward (News, 5 February). KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Kroll and the Economic Intelligence Unit have also recorded increases.
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