SMB Concern: Viruses, Trojans and Malware! Lions, tigers and bears!

I came across the following article by Mathew J. Schwartz in Information week today. I was truly impressed and alarmed. The "boogeyman" is out there for small businesses- and it takes the form of malicious hackers who can pose a catastrophic failure of information infrastructure for small businesses. I highly encourage every business owner to have a network security plan in place - and make sure it is reviewed and updated. Please read the article- and


By Mathew J. Schwartz , InformationWeek
November 4, 2010 11:40 AM


When it comes to information security concerns, small businesses still fear the virus. Indeed, according to a new survey of 1,600 end users in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and United States, conducted by antivirus vendor Trend Micro, viruses are the leading concern for 63% of small businesses.


Small business respondents' other top concerns were Trojan applications (60%), malware designed by criminals expressly to steal data (59%), data leaks (56%), spyware (55%), and fake AV (52%). Spam and phishing threats ranked lowest.

Most of today's antivirus software suites protect against many viruses and worms. But when it comes to data-stealing malware, 21% of small U.S. business respondents said that their IT department could do a better job of protecting end users. Notably, only 47% of small businesses install security software to help stop such malware, 30% offer related security policies, and 28% provide relevant education or guidance.


Another interesting finding is that, compared with midsize or large organizations, the typical small business in the United States tends to be less worried about data loss. While 74% of respondents at large U.S. enterprises ranked data loss as a top threat, only 49% of small U.S. businesses said the same. Also 22% of respondents at large organizations in the United States think their employees have actually leaked data, versus 10% at small organizations.

In general, of course, small businesses have fewer security controls or policies in place, owing to a paucity of investment in information security technology, awareness, or talent. That may explain small businesses' approach to data-leak prevention. While small businesses are worried about data leaks -- more than spyware -- only 44% of them have data-leak security policies in place, compared with 61% of large enterprises.

Interestingly, however, the odds of actually being trained on a data-leak policy -- if it exists -- were about the same, with 70% of respondents at large organizations, compared with 61% at small ones, saying they received such training.

A VoIP Primer for Small and Medium Businesses (SMB)

VoIP technology primer for SMBs

There are four basic models of VoIP to choose from

Hosted: SMBs access the call processing server, also known as Internet Protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX), through a Web-based interface. The hosted PBX is off site, is managed by a service provider and offers the same functions as a PBX, for a contracted fee, without the sizable upfront costs of buying, installing and maintaining the equipment on premises. The downside is the SMB gives up control.

Managed: The IP PBX resides at the company but is managed remotely by a service provider, again avoiding upfront capital investment and maintenance costs. But the on-site IP PBX is subject to power outages or natural disasters.

Do-it-yourself: The SMB takes complete control, buying the VoIP system itself, or through resellers, and managing the system. Cost and no disaster recovery backup are the potential drawbacks.

Broadband VoIP: SMB takes the consumer approach, using an analog telephone adapter to access VoIP through a broadband Internet connection. A small business could reap significant savings. The big worry? Call quality and quality of service.

Who should ring in VoIP? SMBs with branch or satellite offices stand the best chance of realizing cost savings by reducing the cost of moving, adding, changing or removing phone lines for employees and long-distance charges between offices and to clients. SMBs with a mobile salesforce or a large number of teleworkers are good candidates for VoIP.