Security and the SME: Protect essential data04 May 2006
Anyone who uses a computer on a regular basis is aware that there are certain security risks and measures that must be taken into account and it could be argued that this is especially true of small businesses.
As broadband becomes increasingly important to the operations of businesses of all sizes in the UK, so the data and information stored within a company IT network becomes more essential to its success.
Should the network fall victim to a security breach, the potential loss to the firm in terms of intellectual property, hardware and custom could be vast. Despite the possible dangers of leaving IT networks inadequately secured, a new survey has revealed that 19 per cent of companies leave it a week before they fix vulnerabilities in their software.
The poll, conducted by McAfee, found that 27 per cent delayed by two days before repairing security gaps - which means a considerable proportion of small to medium sized businesses are unnecessarily leaving themselves open to attack from hackers, viruses and other malicious security problems.
According to the research, almost half of all companies admitted that they are never totally protected against IT attack. The sheer number of security flaws in business software, added to the legal implications when it comes to the installation of some patches, means that small businesses in particular cannot act to plug security holes fast enough.
Protection
There are a number of ways in which small businesses can protect themselves and their data. It is important that companies stay abreast of software problems via manufacturer websites, which is also where downloadable fixes will be made available.
The authors of the McAfee survey recommend:
- Identifying which areas of the company need to be protected the most and apply the patch, to reduce the overall implementation time.
- Considering investment in intrusion prevention systems, which act like a more effective firewall to block security exploitation.
It is a good idea for any small business looking to protect data from any kind of malicious security attack to invest in a few basic security measures.
- Firewall - this acts the first line of defence against security breaches and is an economical and effective way to help protect IT networks.
- Virus scan - installing software that will scan incoming mail for viruses and block it is invaluable in minimising the time spent 'cleaning' a network once infected.
- BT's Internet Security Pack combines these measures and also offers automatic updates, to keep protection current and effective, as well as a 24-hour help desk service so that any security problems can be resolved quickly.
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