SME security breaches double
May 04 2010
Businesses are losing billions of pounds due to information breaches.
Some 74 per cent of SMEs say they have been subject to malicious security attacks in the past year, compared with 35 per cent in 2008, according to professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC).
The main types of breaches reported were infection by viruses or malicious software, theft or fraud committed by staff and attacks from unauthorised outsiders breaking into the organisation's network.
Chris Potter, partner at PWC, says: ‘All types of breaches were on the increase and a conservative estimate is that the total cost to business in billions of pounds is now into double figures.’
Of the small businesses polled, 75 per cent say they now assess information security risks, compared to just 48 per cent who did so in 2008, with 43 per cent expecting more incidents next year.
Andrew Beard, director at PWC, says: ‘Part of the solution to ensure better security is encrypting data. There has been huge improvements in this area with regard to laptops, USB sticks and other removable media.’
Comment by Jemma Pennick
Tuesday 11th May 2010Did you know that 53% of malware is now delivered through internet download in comparison to just 12% by email? And half of the problem is 93% of businesses think they're protected yet over 50% are attacked. Many are oblivious to the threats that exist. Businesses need to really look at the software they are using. As a minimum they should have anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall. Not only that, many fall into the trap of assuming the anti-virus software that comes pre-installed on their systems is good enough. It generally works for a short time (although it is limited in its scope of protection), but it soon becomes dated. Software will only protect you against the newest threats if it’s up-to-date. Businesses need to make sure they regularly update or set their software to update automatically. Alternatively choose a good, reputable supplier who will do all the hard work for you and make sure you stay as protected as possible. I'd suggest Trend Micro 'Worry-Free' business solution.
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