Even though you are a small business, maybe even working at home, you are a target for hackers. Why are you a target? Because we all are!

Harness Power: denial of service (DoS) attacks involve many computers bombarding an Internet server to make it crash. Your computer could be hijacked for a DoS attack.
Alias: the biggest risk to you personally is identity theft. Depending on the hacker’s motives, you could either see an increase in credit card spending or see your identity used to slander clients or competitors.
Carelessness: this is not personal. Hackers operate like car thieves: they try every car door in the street. The one they steal is the one where the door is unlocked!
Kindergarten: there are hackers who practice on small, weak sites as part of their early education.
Now you know the risks, what can you do to protect yourself and not be the one with the ‘open door’?
· Firewall – preferably a hardware solution, especially for networked computers.
· A security policy - make staff aware of it.
· Anti-virus – keep it updated.
· Spam control – be careful with e-mails.
· Audit – check your systems. Get an outside consultancy to come and run checks for you.
· Be proactive - you know the risks and solutions, what excuse have you got?
Don’t let costs be a barrier. There are cost effective solutions, but more importantly: how much would it cost you if your business data was stolen or destroyed?

Keep safe!

Wayne