According to ProofPoint's mid-2009 annual study, 50% more organisations are checking their outbound email for IT security problems than around this time last year.

The report from the data loss prevention company - which is based on data from 220 organisations in a variety of market sectors - shows that, in the current recessionary environment, firms are checking all forms of outbound communications in their quest to stem the tide of data losses.

The study found that 51.2% of all companies have been monitoring outbound SMTP emails, whilst 46.2% have also been inspecting employee forums and blog postings.

ProofPoint's research also found that 45.1% of all companies have been following staff social network profiles, while 44.1% have also been monitoring text messages.

Interestingly, firms seem to have `caught up' with the technology of the internet, monitoring peer-2-peer networks, FTP transfers and event web-based email services in their monitoring.

32% of the firms studies also said they had a designated person whose main responsibility was to monitor outbound data.

Despite these precautions, data losses are still slipping through the net, as researchers found that one in three firms surveyed have experienced a data loss or leak resulting from insecure IT resources.

50.5% of those affected by the problem attribute the issue to budget cuts in IT security, whilst 47.3% blamed employees being laid off or leaving and their positions not being replaced.