Technology & Internet
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Protect Your Business from Internet Threats

For small business owners increasingly reliant on technology, the threat of
disruptions from computer viruses has become increasingly important. Maybe
you haven’t had trouble yet with computer viruses. But the problem keeps
getting worse and more small businesses are feeling the effects.

The risk increases with each new technology device or service you link to your
system, such as wireless networks, instant messaging and other applications.
One technology firm that screens e-mails for spam and viruses on behalf of
small business customers says that 3.6 percent of messages contain a virus.

As a business owner, you must be prepared to protect your PCs. A virus can
damage data and disrupt your business. The first step is to educate everyone
at your business about the dangers and set policies for using the Internet and
opening email attachments. For example, don’t let employees use file sharing
Web sites and prohibit downloading applications from unknown sites.

You should install antivirus software and other security features on your
computers, networks and e-mail. Use a firewall to block incoming traffic that is
not needed for your business. And keep all operating systems, software and
security measures up to date. Older versions are more vulnerable to attack. If
you discover a PC is infected, take it off your network so that fixes can be
installed.

Symantec.com offers a full range of antivirus, anti-spam and computer
problem solving solutions for small business. The Small Business Center
portion of the firm’s Web site has dozens of articles on computer security and
maintenance.

To help startups and other small businesses better understand online security,
Symantec offers several free educational tools, including “Security Essentials
for Your Small Business,” a CD-ROM with an interactive guide to online
threats and help evaluating security options. You can order a free copy online
at www.symantec.com/sb_cd.  

For helpful articles on the latest Internet security trends, subscribe to
Symantec’s monthly small business newsletter at www.symantec.
com/sb_news, or download a copy of their book “IT Security for Small
Businesses” at www.symantec.com/sb_book.

To learn more about technology issues facing your small business, contact
SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business." SCORE is a nonprofit
organization of more than 10,500 volunteer business counselors who provide
free, confidential business counseling and training workshops to small
business owners. Go to www.scoredm.org on the web or call (515) 284-4760
between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. Monday through Friday.