Computer networks should be monitored carefully in order to protect agaisnt data loss, it has been suggested.

According to data expert Jonathan Wheatley, managing director of MC Ware and HD Forensics, firms should be constantly looking for flaws in their systems.

"Good housekeeping is where it starts," he told nebusiness.co.uk.

"Are your computers secure and protected? How secure are your passwords? How often are they changed? How often have staff left and yet they are still on the system as a user? Do you even have a security policy? These are some of the questions you should be asking."

Outsourcing data storage to others sites was highlighted by Mr Wheatley as one measure that could prove effective, as leaving all documents or data records in one office makes a business very vulnerable if they suffer an office fire.

"Once a week at the very least you need to take a tape home with you," he advised.

A recent University of Texas study put more emphasis on good data stroage procedueres, as it found that only six per cent of companies survive a catastrophic data loss, with 43 per cent never reopening and 51 per cent closing within two years.