Recruitment companies could be at risk from employees copying confidential candidate information onto portable media devices such as iPods, MP3 players or USB sticks, a software firm has warned.

Centennial Software estimates that almost 90% of firms have yet to put measures in place to protect their networks against these devices.

“External risks are well known, but firms must now consider internal threats, which are potentially even more damaging,” said Andy Burton, chief executive of Centennial.

The dangers don’t stop at the threat of sensitive information being downloaded, he explained. Other risks of allowing employees to use these devices at work include introducing viruses into a company network and a build-up of unwanted media content as staff download music onto work machines.