Security breaches from computer viruses, spyware, hacker attacks, and equipment theft are costing British business billions of pounds a year, according to a survey released Tuesday. The estimated loss of $18 billion (10 billion pounds) is <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6064668.html?tag=zdnn.alert">50 percent higher</A> than the level calculated two years ago, according to the survey that consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted for the U.K. Department of Trade and Industry. The rise comes despite the fact that companies are increasing their spending on information security controls to an average 4 percent or 5 percent of their IT budget, compared with 3 percent in 2004.