Ill-equipped and under-funded IT security systems at many small businesses are helping hackers break into the more closely guarded servers of the larger corporate clients with whom smaller firms interact, new research finds.
Out of date or lack of protection from spam, key logging and phishing attacks, e-mail attempts at identity theft, are providing hackers with easier ways of breaking through more sophisticated corporate e-mail security programs.
Checkbridge, an e-mail filtering managed service provider, in a survey of residential and small to medium business owners concluded that many consumers are woefully unprotected but that the issue will not resolve until it becomes commercially worthwhile for someone to provide protection to these smaller firms.
“It is in banks’ and retailers’ interests to get consumer protection right – whether it is by approaching government, endorsing those ISPs that offer sufficient protection or by paying for secure telecommunication infrastructure for their client base,” said John Turley, managing director of Checkbridge.
The survey found that while 62% of small businesses recognise that multiple scanners and anti-spam filtering are now required, financial and technical limitations inhibit them from arming their computers with the same corporate-level protection as their big-business partners.
Although 82% of respondents were using anti-virus protection for their computers, these were predominantly single-scanner solutions that don’t offer enough protection for PCs housing sensitive business data.
The problem, however, isn’t ignorance. Ninety-one per cent surveyed agreed that the threats posed by spam and viruses are not hype, and most said they would be willing to pay 20% to 50% more for the right service.
Checkbridge is calling for the government or internet service providers to act as intermediaries to help resolve the problem.
