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Businesses 'not doing enough to counter malware threats'

Published On 3 April 2007 at 11:54:59

Many of the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are at serious risk from computer viruses and malware, a new report claims.

According to figures published by Webroot Software, 42 per cent of the companies it questioned said that their business had experienced disruption because of malware infection.

By using its Phileas automated spyware research system, Webroot discovered that 1.7 percent of the 250 million URLs around the world have a malware infection. This shows just how vigilant SMEs have to be in guarding their computer systems.

"Our research has shown that the methods of infection, which just a short time ago were considered incredibly advanced, are now commonplace, demonstrating how quickly today’s threats are evolving into a global security concern," said Peter Watkins, the chief executive of the company.

"Despite the growth and severity of malware, over 60 per cent of businesses don't have an information security plan. Businesses need to control this threat by adequately protecting themselves and their customers."

The report also highlighted the cost for SMEs of not being properly protected. According to the figures, 40 percent of the companies questioned said they had suffered a financial loss due to a computer virus.

Equally, a quarter (26 per cent) of companies, including SMEs, said that confidential information had been compromised because of malware.

 

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