Web 2.0 Security Recommendations for Small to Mid-Sized Businesses

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SMBs and mid-sized companies are often short-staffed when it comes to IT and security—though they face similar security threats and in many ways are more vulnerable than the enterprise. A recent study commissioned by Websense found that small and medium-sized businesses fail to take adequate steps to reduce the risk of data loss from Web-based security threats. The 2007 SMB State of Security (SOS) survey of 450 IT managers and employees within the United States shows that while 46 percent of SMB IT managers say they have software to protect company confidential data, 81 percent do not use software to block the use of peer-to-peer applications, block USB devices (80 percent), control the use of instant messaging (76 percent), or stop spyware from sending out information to external sources (47 percent)—all growing vectors of confidential data loss. “We think that SMBs need to protect themselves,” says Mike Wood, senior product manager for Websense, Inc. “But the security solutions have to be within their budget and easy to deploy, yet effective. We recently launched a new product for the SMB market called Websense Express to meet what we believe is a vastly underserved market. The goal with Websense Express was to provide a powerful Web filtering and Web security solution that anyone could use and manage.”

Additional Survey Findings

Despite the risk of data loss, 20 percent of SMBs do not use Internet security software other than firewall and anti-virus products, as they mistakenly feel these are sufficient. Additionally, 12 percent of IT managers admit, while they have an Internet usage policy, they have no way of enforcing it.

The study also found that business-owned computers are left vulnerable to security threats for more than 21 days, on average, despite the daily updates promoted and offered by operating system and anti-virus vendors. In fact, only 4 percent of SMB employees have daily security updates on their work PC, while 11 percent of employees say the security software on their work PC has never been updated.

On the bright side, 94 percent of SMBs claim to have an Internet use policy in place, and 67 percent say that all companies should have equal levels of protection from Internet security threats, irrespective of their size.

Source: Websense