SMEs should make sure all their software is up-to-date in order to maintain the highest possible level of IT security, one expert has warned.

David Emm, senior technology consultant for Kaspersky, said that doing so would not even require a large amount of effort.

He explained that the vast majority of software packages could be configured to automatically download the latest updates, meaning the owners of SMEs or their staff did not have to find time to do it themselves.

Mr Emm said: "It means you've got that comfort of knowing that, every month, the latest security patches are going to be applied to your system. It does minimise the window of opportunity for the bad guys."

People also need to be fully aware about the kinds of IT security threats that face them and ensure that that they have installed programs to protect against threats such as viruses, worms and Trojans.

At the start of February, the BBC reported that IT security company Panda Software claims to receives more than 3,000 novel samples of malware every day.

A recent Connect survey found that the two major concerns about outsourcing services like IT support were 'loss of control' (56 per cent) and 'budget over-runs' (43 per cent).