IT security in the UK must be improved in the future if companies and government departments are to retain the public's trust, according to Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Speaking at a Commons committee meeting focusing on the government's IT plans, such as ID cards, the PM said the UK has "a long way to go" on IT security.

However, he added: "I don't think we are alone."

Other countries around the world are suffering similar difficulties with their IT security processes due to the increased computerisation of data, Mr Brown said.

Weaknesses in the UK's data security checks were recently highlighted by the loss of 25 million private child benefit records by Her Majesty's Revenues and Customs.

Mr Brown pointed to this case as an example of how importantly organisations should take the "care and security" of personal information.

The PM called for "better systems" to address the challenges of the "proper organisation of data", while an independent review is underway to investigate how best to use personal information safely and whether the Data Protection Act provides enough security.