SMBs sacrifice themselves to computer crime

Beverley Head
Wednesday, 27 April 2011 11:16

Computer security company AVG has launched an Australian and New Zealand version of its online quiz aimed at getting small and medium businesses to at least start thinking about their online security rather than continue to blithely offer themselves as sacrifices on the altar of computer crime.

Described rather grandly as a security audit, the quiz steps users through 11 relatively simple questions, which are intended to identify the level of exposure an SMB might face, and also any steps already taken to tackle the issue. The company's local spokesman and security evangelist, Lloyd Borrett, said companies which participated would then get a response from AVG advising them how to go about filling in the gaps in their security profiles.

Mr Borrett said AVG believed small and medium businesses were potentially at greater risk of online abuse than either large business, which often had specialist security personnel and well defined policies, and home users who often took steps to protect their own identity and family members' security.

'SMBs try to DIY (security) or rely on their resellers. Most of them are pretty complacent - but they are bearing the brunt of the problem,' said Mr Borrett.

He cited a UK report which had been released in February that found computer security breaches were costing the economy £27 billion - £22 billion of which was borne by businesses. 'It's not big business that bears the brunt,' warned Mr Borrett.

He said as more SMBs moved their buying, selling and financial transactions online they were becoming a more interesting target for cybercriminals.

Certainly computer security is a growing problem. Symantec today released its April MessageLabs Intelligence report which revealed that 85 different targetted attacks were being launched each day.  These targeted attacks are frequently delivered by email and designed to breach a specific target for the purpose of industrial espionage.

How many emails are dodgy? Read on