Do you ignore IT security threats?

The majority of small business owners and staff with IT responsibility are aware of the damage that IT viruses and hackers could do to their company but are too driven by the need to make money to do anything about it.

That‘s the conclusion of research by IDC, sponsored by MessageLabs and McAfee, which found that while 80% of IT decision-makers in small companies – often the owners themselves – were aware of the threat posed by a lack of IT security, only 8% saw this as a business priority.

The study claims this is because those with responsibility for IT in smaller companies tend to be involved in more day-to-day running of the business than colleagues at larger organisations, whose job is more restricted to technology developments.

Despite a clear understanding of the threat, small companies were mainly concerned with reactive, maintenance-focused activities such as keeping up-to-date with security solutions (39%), keeping up-to-date with new threats (38%) and keeping costs down (33%).

“Security has a direct impact on every critical part of a business including reputation, productivity and business continuity,” said Mark Sunner, chief security analyst at MessageLabs. “Although it appears small firms now have a better understanding of the risks, many are unable to prioritise or dedicate the resources to deal with security appropriately.

“Without a comprehensive security solution many small firms could be oblivious to the fact that they‘re being attacked, with the realisation only obvious once the damage has been done,” he added.

IDC claims more small companies will look at remotely managed security solutions as a way of ensuring they keep their business operations safe from attack without having to employ someone full-time in this capacity.

The research also suggested small companies were increasingly reliant on email and the internet to achieve business success, with 90% using the internet and 87% using email to further their business goals. At least 40% of the working day was spent accessing email and the internet, the survey added.