IDG’s Computerworld Honors Program today announces S-NET Communications as a 2011 Laureate. The annual award program honors visionary applications of information technology promoting positive social, economic and educational change.
“The number and quality of nominations this year were very inspiring and demonstrate how valuable IT is to community change,” said John Amato, Publisher, Computerworld. “Computerworld is very proud to name the 2011 class of Laureates and showcase their initiatives benefiting society through innovative uses of IT.”
According to Alex Fayn, President of S-NET Communications, “The significance of being selected as a Laureate in the Computerworld Honors Program for our organization is tremendous. It represents peer recognition of the efforts we have made in the development of our product family and the contribution it can make to this country!”.
S-NET Communications has deployed the S-NET Q Box powered by ViBE to guarantee voice quality and reliability on its Silver Networks Hosted Virtual Pbx platform. It allows businesses to use less expensive bandwidth to carry their voice traffic. A simple low cost ADSL line (under $20 in most markets) can handle up to 28 simultaneous calls with guaranteed business grade quality of service and failover. This allows business locations that were previously either under-served or un-economical to service due to poor infrastructure, the ability to have reliable and economical connectivity. Bridging the digital divide remains one of the crucial factors in economic recovery and the deployment of the S-NET Q Box powered by ViBE along with S-NET Communication’s Silver Networks cloud communications services is a significant leap forward in reaching this goal.
The Computerworld Honors awards will be presented at the Annual Laureates Medal Ceremony & Gala Awards on June 20, 2011 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
About Computerworld Honors Program
Founded by International Data Group (IDG) in 1988, The Computerworld Honors Program is governed by the not-for-profit Computerworld Information Technology Awards Foundation. Computerworld Honors is the longest running global program to honor individuals and organizations that use information technology to promote positive social, economic and educational change. Additional information about the program and a Global Archive of past Laureate case studies and oral histories of Leadership Award recipients can be found at the Computerworld Honors website (http://events.computerworld.com/Honors2011).
Founded in 2004, S-NET Communications is a Chicago based cloud communications provider of hosted IP Telephony Services. S-NET provides managed voice over IP services to businesses and organizations throughout the United States from its redundant data centers. These products include a robust hosted call center, virtual PBX and MPLS through dedicated circuits. Through S-NET Communications Silver Networks portal, this same robust set of products is delivered via their clients own connectivity- in a completely bandwidth neutral environment- whether cable, sDSL, aDSL or other carrier’s circuits.
About Computerworld
Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide, providing peer perspective, IT leadership and business results. Computerworld’s award-winning Web site (http://www.computerworld.com),bi-weekly publication, focused conference series and custom research forms the hub of the world’s largest (40+ edition) global IT media network. In the past five years alone, Computerworld has won more than 100 awards, including Magazine of the Year by American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) awards in 2010, the 2009 Best Blog from the Neal awards, and 2006 Best Overall Web Publication from ASBPE. Computerworld leads the industry with an online audience of over 3.5 million unique, monthly visitors (comScore Media Metrix, August 2010). Computerworld is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world’s leading media, events, and research company. Company information is available at www.idgenterprise.com.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
I want my ____ at work!
I want my ____ at work!
Fill in the blank with my: iPad, my Android phone, or my Galaxy Tab…
Every morning, when my kids lived here, I would call them downstairs for breakfast. My youngest (a.k.a. Mr. Charming) would try his luck daily. “But, Dad, I NEED COCOA PUFFS”. “No, son”, the prematurely curmudgeon (a.k.a me), “you need breakfast”. It seems like the same thing is happening today in the workplace. Everyone – and based on the lines outside the Apple stores recently, that can’t be much of an exaggeration- wants to bring their iPad (or iPad2) to work, use their iPhone or Droid instead of the company issued phones, not to mention a Mac. The Motorola Xoom is a hybrid that maybe even defies categorization – and I am sure that if you own one, you want to bring it to work. This creates a number of headaches. I would strongly suggest you consider the following issues:
1. Data security- when an employee can access data from your company, is that data going to be secure on his device? Can someone else breach his security on that device and access your data?
2. Are you paying for needless surfing? With the new AT&T pricing plan for Internet access, using the iPhone or Droid can cost you a premium if you exceed the total amount of data usage on your plan. If your employee wants to use a smart phone and you are paying for the mobile plans, make sure your plan matches the increased usage that comes with a smart phone – before you agree!
3. Is that Droid safe? Can it compromise your network? There have been malware cases reported by users whose smart phones use the Droid operating system. If you let the phone on your office network- is your network secure?
4. Are the new toys/devices going to increase productivity or increase distraction? Last year the mantra was reducing costs. Now, the new mantra is improving productivity.
5. If one of your top people- C level – brings their device to work, are you going to have the infrastructure in place to meet their expectations? Do you have enough wireless access points? Enough bandwidth?
6. Continuation of above. If one of your top people brings their device to work, are you (and your staff) going to have to contort your systems to enable the device(s) to work on it and meet their expectations? Case in point- if they get a smart phone, does your voice messaging client work with their device? Are there apps for that device that require additional (unplanned) expense?
7. Are the devices that are coming to work going to be (today’s) influencers in your upcoming (tomorrow’s) IT decisions? If “John” in sales brings his iPad and the VP of marketing decides that everyone needs one, will your budget get blindsided?
8. If you are using SaaS applications – do you have enough licenses?
9. Is your staff going to have to support devices that they are unfamiliar with- and be made to look “less than”?
I don’t have answers for you – but I think that there is no “one size fits all” solution. However, you should consider these nine issues before the barrage of devices hits you!
Fill in the blank with my: iPad, my Android phone, or my Galaxy Tab…
Every morning, when my kids lived here, I would call them downstairs for breakfast. My youngest (a.k.a. Mr. Charming) would try his luck daily. “But, Dad, I NEED COCOA PUFFS”. “No, son”, the prematurely curmudgeon (a.k.a me), “you need breakfast”. It seems like the same thing is happening today in the workplace. Everyone – and based on the lines outside the Apple stores recently, that can’t be much of an exaggeration- wants to bring their iPad (or iPad2) to work, use their iPhone or Droid instead of the company issued phones, not to mention a Mac. The Motorola Xoom is a hybrid that maybe even defies categorization – and I am sure that if you own one, you want to bring it to work. This creates a number of headaches. I would strongly suggest you consider the following issues:
1. Data security- when an employee can access data from your company, is that data going to be secure on his device? Can someone else breach his security on that device and access your data?
2. Are you paying for needless surfing? With the new AT&T pricing plan for Internet access, using the iPhone or Droid can cost you a premium if you exceed the total amount of data usage on your plan. If your employee wants to use a smart phone and you are paying for the mobile plans, make sure your plan matches the increased usage that comes with a smart phone – before you agree!
3. Is that Droid safe? Can it compromise your network? There have been malware cases reported by users whose smart phones use the Droid operating system. If you let the phone on your office network- is your network secure?
4. Are the new toys/devices going to increase productivity or increase distraction? Last year the mantra was reducing costs. Now, the new mantra is improving productivity.
5. If one of your top people- C level – brings their device to work, are you going to have the infrastructure in place to meet their expectations? Do you have enough wireless access points? Enough bandwidth?
6. Continuation of above. If one of your top people brings their device to work, are you (and your staff) going to have to contort your systems to enable the device(s) to work on it and meet their expectations? Case in point- if they get a smart phone, does your voice messaging client work with their device? Are there apps for that device that require additional (unplanned) expense?
7. Are the devices that are coming to work going to be (today’s) influencers in your upcoming (tomorrow’s) IT decisions? If “John” in sales brings his iPad and the VP of marketing decides that everyone needs one, will your budget get blindsided?
8. If you are using SaaS applications – do you have enough licenses?
9. Is your staff going to have to support devices that they are unfamiliar with- and be made to look “less than”?
I don’t have answers for you – but I think that there is no “one size fits all” solution. However, you should consider these nine issues before the barrage of devices hits you!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Everyone is talking about the cloud....
“Everyone is talking about it. Most are doing it already. If you aren’t doing it, you’re really missing something.”
Cloud applications. What does it mean? What does it mean for your business? What can you do? Why should you consider it?
Cloud applications are a series of tasks and functions that your company previously would have had to devote your own hardware, software and technical support to implement. These include software applications like accounting, contact records management, e-mail hosting, storage, voice processing (phone service, voice messaging, call center, call accounting, call recording) and even your basic application suite of spreadsheets, databases and word processing. In the past, you would have needed servers, software licenses, technical staff, and hardware to design, use and maintain. Now, thanks to companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and a slew of others, you can securely have all this functionality without the associated capital investment and ongoing staff expenses.
These providers are essentially the platform that your company uses as its information technology infrastructure. Much the same way that you wouldn’t necessarily own your own power plant to provide your company’s electricity, you use these services on a license by license basis to provide you with the customizable program you need for a particular task. Google provides Google Apps- word processing, spreadsheet, presentation…and the list is updated regularly. Amazon provides space for you to run specialized applications you may have developed and can then virtualize to their servers. Salesforce.com provides a complete sales force automation platform. You don’t need to worry about having servers on site or administering them. You don’t have to worry about patches, updates or licensing. Both power and security are monitored on a comprehensive 24/7 basis.
Over the past few years, telecommunications has evolved from digital circuits to a standard packets based protocol. Instead of having dedicated phone circuits, the trend has moved to “virtual lines” based on this new protocol. These lines, or trunks, are referred to as “SIP” trunks. Much in the same way that the applications your computer networks have moved to the cloud, so too have your phones. Instead of investing in a system, communications services are now provided as hosted applications. Voice messaging, fax messaging and contact management now integrates seamlessly with your email and Microsoft Outlook – as well as your Blackberry, iPhone or Droid.
The ultimate of these applications is a hosted contact center that provides integration between hosted phone, automatic call distribution, customer database management, call recording, and accounting programs. Once requiring a considerable capital investment and dedication of vast resources, robust hosted call center applications are available for a minimal user investment of less than $100 per month. There are no significant hardware investments, no processor investments, no server investment and no expenses for patches, maintenance or upgrades.
Both from a human resources aspect and from a regulatory aspect, tele-commuting and geographically dispersed work groups are a fixture in the corporate landscape. Cloud applications make work groups function much more cohesively and with the same set of collaboration tools. Conference calling, white boarding, shared document collaboration and video conferencing are apps that can be accessed anytime and from anywhere.
Bandwidth quality and reliability are crucial to business continuity. Successful cloud applications require bandwidth that is secure and high quality. High quality bandwidth means that the measure of latency falls to an acceptable level for a particular application. Carriers must provide a guaranteed service level agreement that guarantees a response time for outages or service degradation. “Bandwidth diversification” means best practices ensure that Internet access will be provided across multiple providers using different delivery media (cable, DSL, dedicated circuits, fiber or wireless). Errant back hoe operators shouldn’t be able to shut down your operations!
The Cloud provides you with applications that do not require major capital expense and enable productivity. It means that your IT staff – whether in house or acquired externally- concentrates their efforts on process improvement instead of maintenance. It means that you are able to leverage enhanced features, functions, and infrastructure without having to build it for yourself. It means that you can focus on running your business.
Cloud applications. What does it mean? What does it mean for your business? What can you do? Why should you consider it?
Cloud applications are a series of tasks and functions that your company previously would have had to devote your own hardware, software and technical support to implement. These include software applications like accounting, contact records management, e-mail hosting, storage, voice processing (phone service, voice messaging, call center, call accounting, call recording) and even your basic application suite of spreadsheets, databases and word processing. In the past, you would have needed servers, software licenses, technical staff, and hardware to design, use and maintain. Now, thanks to companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and a slew of others, you can securely have all this functionality without the associated capital investment and ongoing staff expenses.
These providers are essentially the platform that your company uses as its information technology infrastructure. Much the same way that you wouldn’t necessarily own your own power plant to provide your company’s electricity, you use these services on a license by license basis to provide you with the customizable program you need for a particular task. Google provides Google Apps- word processing, spreadsheet, presentation…and the list is updated regularly. Amazon provides space for you to run specialized applications you may have developed and can then virtualize to their servers. Salesforce.com provides a complete sales force automation platform. You don’t need to worry about having servers on site or administering them. You don’t have to worry about patches, updates or licensing. Both power and security are monitored on a comprehensive 24/7 basis.
Over the past few years, telecommunications has evolved from digital circuits to a standard packets based protocol. Instead of having dedicated phone circuits, the trend has moved to “virtual lines” based on this new protocol. These lines, or trunks, are referred to as “SIP” trunks. Much in the same way that the applications your computer networks have moved to the cloud, so too have your phones. Instead of investing in a system, communications services are now provided as hosted applications. Voice messaging, fax messaging and contact management now integrates seamlessly with your email and Microsoft Outlook – as well as your Blackberry, iPhone or Droid.
The ultimate of these applications is a hosted contact center that provides integration between hosted phone, automatic call distribution, customer database management, call recording, and accounting programs. Once requiring a considerable capital investment and dedication of vast resources, robust hosted call center applications are available for a minimal user investment of less than $100 per month. There are no significant hardware investments, no processor investments, no server investment and no expenses for patches, maintenance or upgrades.
Both from a human resources aspect and from a regulatory aspect, tele-commuting and geographically dispersed work groups are a fixture in the corporate landscape. Cloud applications make work groups function much more cohesively and with the same set of collaboration tools. Conference calling, white boarding, shared document collaboration and video conferencing are apps that can be accessed anytime and from anywhere.
Bandwidth quality and reliability are crucial to business continuity. Successful cloud applications require bandwidth that is secure and high quality. High quality bandwidth means that the measure of latency falls to an acceptable level for a particular application. Carriers must provide a guaranteed service level agreement that guarantees a response time for outages or service degradation. “Bandwidth diversification” means best practices ensure that Internet access will be provided across multiple providers using different delivery media (cable, DSL, dedicated circuits, fiber or wireless). Errant back hoe operators shouldn’t be able to shut down your operations!
The Cloud provides you with applications that do not require major capital expense and enable productivity. It means that your IT staff – whether in house or acquired externally- concentrates their efforts on process improvement instead of maintenance. It means that you are able to leverage enhanced features, functions, and infrastructure without having to build it for yourself. It means that you can focus on running your business.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
SNET Communications Debuts Hosted IP Telephony Solutions for Insurance Agencies
Des Plaines, Illinois - 30/11/2010 - SNET Communications introduced its suite of Hosted Phone System Services for a major group of over 200 Northeastern Illinois insurance agents gathered at their year end conference in Schaumburg, Illinois. The robust package of products shown by SNET (http://www.snetconnect.com) was designed in conjunction with highly successful insurance agencies and veteran agents.
When Ken Smith received word that his corporate home office was no longer providing phone and internet to their individual owned branches, he needed a fix. Ken had four locations that had previously operated independently from a communications standpoint. His agencies worked like separate businesses just because they were in different physical locations. Ken Smith said."I haven't stopped talking about the solution SNET provided me with for my agencies with other colleagues. It has been like productivity on steroids for us!".
The SNET offering specifically addressed Ken Smith's insurance agency's specific needs of productivity, mobility and cost efficiency. SNET teams worked with him to design off premise outbound telemarketing solutions and mobile applications, as well as solutions that integrated his multiple offices allowing them to work together. These solutions allowed Ken to expand his agencies and increase their output. Ken's colleagues at other agencies learned of his success- which SNET replicated in their agencies. SNET, working with their agent Steve Bahlmann from Broadband Options,decided to introduce the concept to the owners and producers of the larger Northern Illinois territory. Steve Bahlmann said, "In this current economic environment, agencies have to be more productive and SNET has the tools to make them optimize their communications resources!".
SNET Communications' suite of products for insurance agencies is a robust, reliable and easy to implement hosted telephone system package. The ability to connect multiple offices, empower agent mobility and enhance agency productivity have made it a welcome additional to the best practices of independently owned insurance agencies.
SNET Communications solutions cover hosted voice over IP phone services. Agencies can either use their own bandwidth, such as inexpensive cable or DSL, and supercharge it with SNET applications. Phones are inexpensive, managed from SNET's 24/7 network operations center and constantly updated with improved functionality. Since 2003, SNET Communications has provided innovative and reliable telecommunications service to companies throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
When Ken Smith received word that his corporate home office was no longer providing phone and internet to their individual owned branches, he needed a fix. Ken had four locations that had previously operated independently from a communications standpoint. His agencies worked like separate businesses just because they were in different physical locations. Ken Smith said."I haven't stopped talking about the solution SNET provided me with for my agencies with other colleagues. It has been like productivity on steroids for us!".
The SNET offering specifically addressed Ken Smith's insurance agency's specific needs of productivity, mobility and cost efficiency. SNET teams worked with him to design off premise outbound telemarketing solutions and mobile applications, as well as solutions that integrated his multiple offices allowing them to work together. These solutions allowed Ken to expand his agencies and increase their output. Ken's colleagues at other agencies learned of his success- which SNET replicated in their agencies. SNET, working with their agent Steve Bahlmann from Broadband Options,decided to introduce the concept to the owners and producers of the larger Northern Illinois territory. Steve Bahlmann said, "In this current economic environment, agencies have to be more productive and SNET has the tools to make them optimize their communications resources!".
SNET Communications' suite of products for insurance agencies is a robust, reliable and easy to implement hosted telephone system package. The ability to connect multiple offices, empower agent mobility and enhance agency productivity have made it a welcome additional to the best practices of independently owned insurance agencies.
SNET Communications solutions cover hosted voice over IP phone services. Agencies can either use their own bandwidth, such as inexpensive cable or DSL, and supercharge it with SNET applications. Phones are inexpensive, managed from SNET's 24/7 network operations center and constantly updated with improved functionality. Since 2003, SNET Communications has provided innovative and reliable telecommunications service to companies throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Communication - My Manifesto
We are put on this earth to live. We live with other people. Communication is a necessity. Like breathing. Technology is a means to this end. Somewhere, we got lost.
I can probably trace the watershed moment of our attention span to when Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video came out. It became the gold standard for how long the general public could maintain concentration.
Faxes became the next attention grabber. How quickly could you scan a page became the determining factor for attention. E mail was soon to follow. People stopped writing. If I want to really display an emotion today, I will write you a letter or note by hand. Otherwise, it's an email. Writing is reserved for special occasions. Somehow, we all became "king baby". "I want your attention RIGHT NOW!". Email isn't good enough. Now we have texting and instant messaging. We don't care what you are doing- you will pay us attention right now. As I write these words, I have gotten three texts and one instant message. Where is my train of thought going? Are these really important? Is it highly critical?
As a wired society, we have developed ourselves into a societal attention deficit disorder. I should say, an attention deficit by disorder. What is this doing to our civility? I can text something abrupt easier than I would barge into someone's space. I can write coarsely- or post abusively because the consequences are just out in the Ether and it doesn't require a lot of courage.
Now we have "cyber bullying" - where the consequences are profound. Lives are ruined when private information is posted. What happened to slander and libel? Go to any news site and read comments to almost any article. Conjecture is presented as fact. News is a matter of opinion.
Our workplaces are permeated by "king babies". "I want what I want when I want it NOW!!!. I will send you a text, I will interrupt you, I will reach across the network and grab your attention!."
Communication is our interaction with each other. It defines our relationships - at work, at play and as a society. Civility is our way to regulate these interactions. Communication without civility is disorder. Disorder spoils the development of our thoughts. Our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our character, our character becomes our destiny.
I can probably trace the watershed moment of our attention span to when Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video came out. It became the gold standard for how long the general public could maintain concentration.
Faxes became the next attention grabber. How quickly could you scan a page became the determining factor for attention. E mail was soon to follow. People stopped writing. If I want to really display an emotion today, I will write you a letter or note by hand. Otherwise, it's an email. Writing is reserved for special occasions. Somehow, we all became "king baby". "I want your attention RIGHT NOW!". Email isn't good enough. Now we have texting and instant messaging. We don't care what you are doing- you will pay us attention right now. As I write these words, I have gotten three texts and one instant message. Where is my train of thought going? Are these really important? Is it highly critical?
As a wired society, we have developed ourselves into a societal attention deficit disorder. I should say, an attention deficit by disorder. What is this doing to our civility? I can text something abrupt easier than I would barge into someone's space. I can write coarsely- or post abusively because the consequences are just out in the Ether and it doesn't require a lot of courage.
Now we have "cyber bullying" - where the consequences are profound. Lives are ruined when private information is posted. What happened to slander and libel? Go to any news site and read comments to almost any article. Conjecture is presented as fact. News is a matter of opinion.
Our workplaces are permeated by "king babies". "I want what I want when I want it NOW!!!. I will send you a text, I will interrupt you, I will reach across the network and grab your attention!."
Communication is our interaction with each other. It defines our relationships - at work, at play and as a society. Civility is our way to regulate these interactions. Communication without civility is disorder. Disorder spoils the development of our thoughts. Our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our character, our character becomes our destiny.
Monday, November 8, 2010
How to choose a phone system for your business
Overview
No matter what the nature of your business, communication is a key to your success. As a business owner you have many different choices for business communication, including traditional land line service, voice over IP service and cell phone service. To get the most for your money, you need to evaluate your needs, seek out quality service providers and consider each plan carefully.
Step 1
Determine your company's needs, including how many phone lines you will need and how many employees your business expects to have. Quantifying the scope of the project will make it easier to get quotes on the business phone system your company needs.
Step 2
Find out which companies serve business customers in your area. You can find this information in your local telephone directory and in local business journals, newspapers and periodicals as well.
Step 3
Compare traditional land line service and voice over IP services. In many cases, VoIP can provide lower rates than traditional services, but it is still best to compare both kinds of phone service.
Step 4
Compare the total costs of each plan, including the basic cost of service and any add-ons you might be required to pay. Choosing a business telephone service with a set monthly fee makes budgeting and business planning easier.
Step 5
Get a list of the standard services that come with each plan. Plans that include popular services, such as voicemail, call forwarding and caller ID, can make your business telephone service more useful and versatile.
Step 6
Compare the warranty plans for each business telephone system. A lengthy warranty plan can be very valuable as it can save the company money down the line.
No matter what the nature of your business, communication is a key to your success. As a business owner you have many different choices for business communication, including traditional land line service, voice over IP service and cell phone service. To get the most for your money, you need to evaluate your needs, seek out quality service providers and consider each plan carefully.
Step 1
Determine your company's needs, including how many phone lines you will need and how many employees your business expects to have. Quantifying the scope of the project will make it easier to get quotes on the business phone system your company needs.
Step 2
Find out which companies serve business customers in your area. You can find this information in your local telephone directory and in local business journals, newspapers and periodicals as well.
Step 3
Compare traditional land line service and voice over IP services. In many cases, VoIP can provide lower rates than traditional services, but it is still best to compare both kinds of phone service.
Step 4
Compare the total costs of each plan, including the basic cost of service and any add-ons you might be required to pay. Choosing a business telephone service with a set monthly fee makes budgeting and business planning easier.
Step 5
Get a list of the standard services that come with each plan. Plans that include popular services, such as voicemail, call forwarding and caller ID, can make your business telephone service more useful and versatile.
Step 6
Compare the warranty plans for each business telephone system. A lengthy warranty plan can be very valuable as it can save the company money down the line.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
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.
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.
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