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Cybercrime targets small businesses

You may think that you will never be a target of computer criminals if you are a small business. Well, think again. There's growing evidence that hackers are finding a new place to hunt and it's at small and midsize businesses that cannot afford the kind of bullet-proof security systems that large firms have been putting in place, reports DarkReading.

"As the security becomes better at large companies, the small business begins to look more and more enticing to computer criminals," said Charles Matthews, president of the International Council for Small Business. "It's the path of least resistance."

Matthews spoke at the annual Visa Security Summit in Washington, D.C.  And he noted the range of vulnerabilities that hackers may prey on, in an article from DarkReading:

  • One-fifth of small businesses don't use antivirus software.
  • 60 percent don't use encryption on wireless links.
  • 66 percent of small businesses don't have a security plan in place.

Keeping these numbers in mind, it's no surprise that hackers see small businesses as ripe for the picking.

For more on how to get small businesses up to speed on security:
- check out this DarkReading.com article

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