IT contractors may be required to help firms to correctly configure their computer networks, following the publication of a new survey.

According to research from security firm Tufin, 76 per cent of the hacking experts at the Defcon 18 convention in Las Vegas felt that badly-configured networks are the best IT resource to exploit.

Most of these problem networks are down to IT staff who do not know what they are doing with their figurations, and the result is that more than three-quarters of company networks are being left vulnerable.

"The really big question coming out of the survey is how to manage the risk that organisations run dealing with the complexity that is part and parcel of any medium to large-sized company's security operations," said Reuven Harrison, chief technology officer at Tufin.

Trend Micro warned IT contractors earlier this week that security threats specific to Apple technology is on the increase.