Small firms 'shun' PC security

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3029955.stm

15 May, 2003

Britain's small businesses are taking risks with the security of their 
computer networks, say experts. 

A survey has found that although most are protecting themselves 
against viruses, far fewer use software to stop other increasingly 
popular attacks. 

Without extra protection small firms could find that malicious hackers 
can penetrate their networks to delete or steal data or use them to 
carry out attacks on others. 

The survey also found that small firms are taking too long to apply 
the latest updates to software leaving loopholes open for others to 
exploit. 

Wholly holey 

A survey carried out for security company Symantec has found that 97% 
of British small firms are using anti-virus software to protect 
themselves. 

The firms questioned were confident that this meant that they were 
adequately protected with 96% saying they felt sure key data was 
secure. 

But Symantec said that other findings of the survey showed that this 
confidence could be misplaced. 

The survey found that 30% of firms had no firewall and 63% did nothing 
to monitor their networks to see if malicious hackers had compromised 
them. 

"Modern blended threats, such as Nimda and Code Red, are designed to 
contain characteristics of many different types of cyber threat so 
they can probe security defences until they find a way in," said Kevin 
Chapman, spokesman for Symantec, "anti-virus alone will not stop 
them." 

High-speed persistent net connections are a favourite target of 
computer criminals who regularly send out software probes to seek out 
networks that are not doing enough to protect themselves. 

Many of the probes search for key weaknesses and holes in software 
that remain unpatched. 

The survey found that small firms struggle to keep up with the number 
of patches that software makers issue to close loopholes. 

Only 26% of the small businesses questioned install patches as soon as 
they became available and many said applying these patches was not a 
priority for them. 

"No-one wants to be wise after the fact," said Mr Chapman. 



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