Security Threats

According to research firm AMI-Partners, nearly half of all small and medium sized businesses have not implemented even the most basic security precautions like installing anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.

There is a general misconception that large companies are more likely to be victims of network security attacks.

This false sense of security leaves many small and medium sized business computer networks inadequately protected from spyware, viruses, worms, hacker attacks, customer data theft and other security threats.

For example the Mydoom worm (released Jan 2004) which affected one third of the small and medium sized businesses but only one out of six large enterprises, according to the Internet Security Alliance.

Why Your Business Is At Risk

The following are several reasons why now more than ever your computers, network and the data that resides on them may be at risk.

Breaching security at the enterprise level is much harder. In what seems like daily news reports of security breaches, stolen data, as well as the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other regulations, many corporations have begun to aggressively address network security, spending large amounts to employ the latest and greatest technology advances in security to bolster their network security. As a result the effort involved in hacking their systems has greatly increased almost forcing hackers to seek softer targets like small- and medium-sized business.
Finding an unprotected system has gotten easier. Software tools that constantly search the internet for unprotected networks and computers have gotten much more sophisticated allowing hackers an easier method to access a system, steal data or use the networks to launch attacks on other computers or networks.
Security threats have become more dangerous. Blended threats, which assume multiple forms and attack systems in many different ways are on the rise. It's easy to see that small- and medium-sized business that does not address security will potentially come under attack that could cause irreparable damage.
Internal threats. Many times breaches in security do not come from an outside source but originate within the company itself either intentionally or unintentionally. A good example of this is the employee who unknowingly downloads a spyware program while playing an online game or visiting a website. Because small-business often lack good internal security precautions they are often more vulnerable to this kind of employee tampering than larger enterprise.
The impact of a security is greater. Because small business often lack the financial resources that larger companies have to bounce back from a security breach, the resulting impact is usually much greater.

What You Can Do

The good news is you can protect your business from security threats.

Make security a fundamental element. Your business plan should contain a strategy for security. If you think in terms of what your business would lose if your system was shut down by a devastating virus or hacker attack then it should be easy to understand and justify the need for secure network or computer system.
Make an assessment of your needs. Do you know what you need compared to what you have to protect your data? Take the time to do an inventory of what you currently have or contact us to schedule a complete assessment of your current security status.
Put it in writing. A detailed, written security plan that includes policies and procedures as well as technology requirements is essential.
Prepare, prepare, prepare. A secure network yields benefits to business beyond protection from threats. Inherently, a secure network is a robust network, and a robust network is an excellent foundation which can support new technologies that can greatly increase productivity and reduce operating costs.