While companies are making workers redundant, a new survey shows that most of them are leaving the company with more than just stationary, a plant and spare blank DVDs.

A survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute shows that more than 60 per cent are walking out of the company with confidential company data, including customer contact lists and other data that could potentially end up in the hands of a competitor.

Larry Ponemon, founder of the Ponemon Institute said employees feel they have a right to the information because they created it or it is useful to them and not useful to the employer.

More than 60 percent of those who stole confidential data thought their company was a bunch of tossers. Only 20 per cent asked permission before they half inched it. Just over half the data takers downloaded the information onto a CD or DVD, while 42 percent put it on a USB drive and 38 percent sent it as attachments via e-mail.