Security threats: A guide for small and medium businesses

A successful business works on the basis of revenue growth and loss prevention. Small and medium-sized businesses are particularly hit hard when either one or both of these business requirements suffer. Data leakage, down-time and reputation loss can easily turn away new and existing customers if such situations are not handled appropriately and quickly. This may, in turn, impact on the company’s bottom line and ultimately profit margins. A computer virus outbreak or a network breach can cost a business thousands of dollars. In some cases, it may even lead to legal liability and lawsuits.

The truth is that many organizations would like to have a secure IT environment but very often this need comes into conflict with other priorities. Firms often find the task of keeping the business functions aligned with the security process highly challenging. When economic circumstances look dire, it is easy to turn security into a checklist item that keeps being pushed back. However the reality is that, in such situations, security should be a primary issue. The likelihood of threats affecting your business will probably increase and the impact can be more detrimental if it tarnishes your reputation.

This paper aims to help small and medium-sized businesses focus on threats that are likely to have an impact on, and affect, the organization. These threats specifically target small and medium-sized business rather than enterprise companies or home users.

Download the paper in PDF format here.