The recent survey on the protection of intellectual property - or lack thereof - reveals why computer monitoring software could save American businesses millions a year.

According to the article on compliance and security at SC Magazine, it isn't that U.S. businesses aren't working hard to maintain security. It's just that the focus of that security isn't doing an adequate job of protecting the company itself.

Enterprises are supposedly devoting 40% of their information security budget to compliance efforts - mainly protecting the information of consumers and customers - and another 40% to protecting "sensitive intellectual property."

But the problem is that corporate secrets "much more valuable" to most companies than compliance related information.

The danger here is that intellectual property and sensitive trade secrets need more protection - they need top tier computer monitoring software.

Computer monitoring software today can offer employers and business owners tools such as keystroke recorders that capture every document typed, even those that are later deleted to hide intent.

They can take snapshots of every page visited on the computer in question. They can record clandestine instant messages, reveal information that has been downloaded, and much more.

And the cost of implementing this software is minuscule compared to the potential losses that could occur without it.

The real dangers to today's corporate entity are"insider theft and abuse by outsiders," which is why every manager should rely on computer monitoring that protects their company from the inside out.