The Ponemon Institute recently completed a study that found companies are experiencing heavier financial damages from data loss issues.

According to the survey, the average cost of data loss incidents in 2010 was $7.2 million, an increase from $6.8 million in 2009. A similar rise in costs was noted on a per-file basis, as companies lost an average of $214 per compromised file in 2010. This statistic represents a 5 percent increase over 2009's data.

The study found the most expensive data loss cases occur from malware and other related cyber threats. These attacks cost an average of $318 for every customer file that is lost, a $151 increase compared to costs associated with files compromised through non-malicious means.

The most common cause of data loss, on the other hand, was negligence. The survey found 41 percent of data loss incidents stemmed from negligence, while 31 percent could be tracked to malicious software.

Speaking at the recent CeBit conference, BlockMaster warned that data loss issues often arise after workers inadvertently expose systems to malware by inserting unidentified USB drives into company computers. According to a BlockMaster study, approximately 76 percent of workers plug unknown USB drives into company machines.