One in 10 UK legal firms has suffered an IT security failure and one in 20 has lost a client because of it, a report claims.

Research by NOP, commissioned by security VAR Evolution Systems, also found worryingly high levels of IT insecurity among the 100 legal practitioners it surveyed.

Nearly one in three did not have a comprehensive digital security policy, it found.

Two thirds have colleagues open and check their email accounts for them and two in five have their emails read out to them over the phone or in person.

"Clients are the lifeblood of any professional services company and mitigating the risk of damage to company reputation should be the top priority of managing partners," said Ritchie Jeune, group chief executive of Evolution Systems.

"A significant proportion of the UK's 14,000 legal practices appear to be losing clients as a result of security breaches. Being secure requires informed policy making, continual education, and the right portfolio of security tools."

By far the most common type of IT problem hitting the legal profession is incorrect use of email, with 60 per cent reporting problems. Nearly 50 per cent had experienced trouble with viruses, while hackers had hit a third of those surveyed.