Public authorities are increasingly taking up the use of data encryption services and other security products, according to a recent survey by an industry specialist.

The study, carried out by BeCrypt, found that 50 per cent of police forces and local government services are now using the technology, up from only ten per cent 12 months ago.

"Changes in policy over the last 12 months have had a very real affect on attitudes and thinking across local authorities and police forces and we expect this to continue," said Bernard Parsons, chief executive officer.

However, the organisation added that a lot still had to be done before councils could safely meet proposals for the Government Connect Secure Extranet GCSx by the end of March, despite 90 per cent of them already being on track to meet requirements.

Problems with public sector security were again highlighted when primary care trust NHS Brent lost the details of patients after a pair of unencrypted laptops were stolen, having been left on desks against the organisation's policies.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent).