How to support your business

The internet is a constant threat, but if you’re a growing small business then you might think you’re out of the firing line. Think again. As recently as July, Symantec reported that 40% of targeted cyber attacks since January 2010 have been aimed at businesses with fewer than 500 employees.

And the threat keeps getting worse. In 2010, cyber-criminals created over one-third of all malware in existence - a grand total of 20 million new strains. So-called “Targatacks” are swapping a scattergun approach for concerted, persistent attacks, while “spear phishers” use information gleaned from social networks and company websites to give their individual-specific schemes a ring of truth.

In short, the criminals are becoming more sophisticated, so if you’re still using the same old methods of defence then your company is vulnerable.

The rise of the smartphone, the personal laptop and the tablet has opened up new avenues of attack for hackers to exploit.

To make things worse, new technology trends mean hackers have never had it so good. The consumerisation of business IT - the rise of the smartphone, the personal laptop and the tablet - has opened up new avenues of attack (“vectors” to use the industry shorthand) for hackers to exploit.

Staff taking work home, or working from home, can leave data even more vulnerable, particularly if they ignore encryption. Remember that a single data breach can cause irreparable harm to a business’s reputation, and render it liable to fines of up to £500,000.   

All of this is a serious problem for small businesses. Many don’t have a full-time team of IT personnel, let-alone someone to focus full-time on security. So, what can you do?

Small business self-defence
Perhaps the simplest and most important step is to ensure you stay on top of your systems’ weakest points, by properly securing your networks and installing the latest patches as a matter of priority.

At the very time new patches are released, hackers will be analysing them to see which vulnerabilities have been addressed.

“It’s one of the dullest parts of the IT security industry, but also one of the most important parts” says Don Smith, VP Engineering and Technology for Dell SecureWorks. Smith explains that, at the very time new patches are released, hackers will be analysing them to see which vulnerabilities have been addressed. Within 24 hours they will then unleash attacks designed specifically to target these weaknesses. Here, small businesses are particularly open: “If you’re a bit slow in following the recommendations on patching, you immediately make yourself a target” Smith warns.

Secondly, small businesses need to understand that the very nature of a smaller company makes it vulnerable. In a company where everyone knows and trusts each other, there’s a tendency to prioritise convenience over security. “You need to protect your staff from themselves,” Don Smith explains, and education is the key.

Employees need to understand why it isn’t safe to email unencrypted business-critical files to one another, or copy sensitive data to a personal laptop or USB memory stick. They also need to take care when using personal email and social networking services in the workplace. These are increasingly a frontline for attack.

As a company, consider carefully about who has access to data, and why. Protect and prevent access to key information and minimise exposure, and you instantly reduce the risks.

Are employees bringing iPads into work? Are they using them to view documents in meetings or take notes?

Finally, keep aware of new IT trends, and understand how these might compromise security. Are employees bringing iPads into work? Are they using them to view documents in meetings or take notes? Then you need to think about whether that data is really secure, and how it’s being transferred to the tablet. Are members of your team viewing work documents on eBook readers or smartphones?

And you need to ask questions of them. The more lines blur between work-life and home-work, the more vectors open up. Someone can download a movie torrent on a company-owned laptop at home, activate malware, then bring that malware back to the office. “It’s very, very easy to persuade people to infect themselves,” Don Smith notes, “particularly when they’re on the fringes of what’s legal.”

Getting help
While these tips will help, IT security is a complex issue, and it never hurts to bring in outside expertise. Here Dell can help, through specific services designed to secure small businesses. The umbrella term for this is Dell ProSupport, a suite of professional support services designed to address the technology challenges you face today.

• Dell Data Protection | Encryption: Available pre-installed on Dell Latitude and Optiplex desktops, Dell Data Protection | Encryption helps you rapidly deploy encryption across an organisation, securing business-critical data on hard drives, USB drives, external storage devices and other media. Deliberately non-disruptive, it makes data protection simple.
• Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security: Hosted and maintained by the security experts at Trend Micro, this service can be pre-installed on Dell computers, protecting your systems via an easy web-based console with automatic updates that block new threats as they emerge. Meanwhile, customisable website filtering can keep employees clear of inappropriate or infected sites. Worry-Free Business Security is designed specifically for small businesses with limited IT staff, requiring no specialist expertise to use.
• Dell PowerConnect J-SRX services gateways: Providing firewall, VPN and a complete set of unified threat-management (UTM) services, these unobturisve boxes protect your network and contain attacks with minimal effect on performance. With prices from £313 exc VAT, they’re viable for even the smallest business.
• Physical security: Not all threats come via the internet. PCs and particularly laptops are easily stolen. Dell offers a number of solutions to protect your hardware, ranging from reinforced lock slots and cable systems to built-in fingerprint readers and custom-branded or asset-tagged laptops.
• Security services: As your company grows, Dell SecureWorks Information Security Services can help you protect your business. For example, its certified security experts can provide 24-hour, year-round protection of your networks via email security, managed intrusion detection and vulnerability management.

However big or small your business, security should be near the top of your agenda. To learn more, call Dell on 0844 444 3001.