Masquerading as the FBI

Loss from online scams more than doubled in 2009

The Internet Crime Complaint Center, established in 2000 as a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center, recently issued a report on the level of Internet crime during 2009. Reported losses from online fraud more than doubled, from $265 million in 2008 to nearly $560 million in 2009. In 2009, the IC3 received about 336,655 complaints, a 22.3 percent increase from 2008.

Ironically, among the largest sources of complaints (16.6 percent) were email scams that fraudulently used the FBI’s name to gain information from the recipient. The median dollar loss was $575, while the highest median losses were associated with investment fraud ($3,200), overpayment fraud ($2,500), and advanced-fee fraud ($1,500).

Since its inception, IC3 has received complaints across a wide spectrum of cybercrime, including online fraud, intellectual property rights, computer intrusions, economic espionage, child pornography, international money laundering, identity theft, and a growing list of additional criminal and civil matters.

Protecting the 2010 Census

Beware of email scams trying to hijack the 2010 census

With the 2010 census underway, cybercrooks have been disguising themselves as emissaries of the United States Census Bureau to steal personal information. But protecting employees against such fraud is not that difficult. No part of the census form is currently available to be filled out online. So, be wary of online communications—including emails and social networking messages—purporting to be from the Census Bureau, especially any that ask you to click on a link or URL, open an attachment, or respond with personal information, because these could very likely be scams. Even clicking on a link to see if it takes you to a legitimate site can be dangerous, triggering a drive-by download attack. Knowing what types of questions will be asked will also help distinguish between legitimate communications regarding the census and attempts by criminals to steal sensitive information.

Because of the nature of the census, people are already willing to share personal information. This makes it especially appealing to target PC users. Not only that, but with the 2010 Census such a major event, scammers and spammers will use this prime opportunity to fool users.

To learn more, click here.

Prioritizing Security

SMBs seek the superior protection offered by managed security services to address growing concerns over network and data

A recent report by Forrester, The State Of SMB IT Security And Emerging Trends: 2009 To 2010, reveals that security spending for SMBs has been faring relatively well through the economic downturn and budgets appear to be strengthening, most notably for new product purchases. An interesting characteristic is that SMBs of all sizes prefer client security suites over point products by 6 to 10 percentage points.

The survey shows that although data security is as much a priority for SMBs as it is for enterprises, SMBs are not as aggressive at deploying desktop data protection technologies. Only 20 percent of SMBs have implemented full disk encryption, and another nine percent stated that they planned to implement this in the next 12 months. Similarly, only 15 percent of SMBs have implemented data loss prevention on the desktop, although another eight percent plan to do so within a year.

SMB IT Security Trends across North America and Europe

37% of SMBs expect spending on new security technology to significantly increase (greater than a 5% increase in budget) while only 6% expect it to significantly decrease

56% of SMBs look to their VARs or systems integrators to purchase security technologies or hosted services

51% of SMBs purchase directly from security vendors

86% of SMBs cite quality of data security as a critical or top priority

75% of SMBs reveal that other organizational priorities take precedence over security initiatives

40% of SMBs are more concerned about smartphones than any other technology, higher even than concerns over cloud computing (32%) or data center virtualization (30%)

66% of organizations cited quality of protection as an important factor in their decision to adopt managed security; 48% cite cost reduction as a factor

For the complete report click here.

Risky Cyber Cities

Which cities are most vulnerable to cybercrime?

Cybercrime, which affects one in five online shoppers and in 2009 cost Americans $560 million in online fraud, may hit closer to home than many realize. Norton from Symantec teamed up with independent research firm Sperling’s BestPlaces to identify the nation’s top 10 cities most vulnerable to cybercrime. The rankings were determined through a combination of Symantec Security Response’s data on cyberattacks and potential malware infections, as well as third-party data about online behavior, such as accessing wifi hotspots and online shopping.

Of the 50 U.S. cities examined, Seattle topped the list as the riskiest online city while Detroit came in as the least risky. Interestingly, many of the riskiest cities are also considered among the most tech-savvy cities in the nation, with a far greater degree of online activity. But being tech-savvy doesn’t always guarantee safe online behavior. The Motor City’s residents were less likely to participate in risky online behavior compared to other cities in the study, but it also ranked low in access to the Internet, expenditures on computer equipment, and wireless Internet access.

To learn more, click here.

SMB Beat

Zeus Trojan Hits SMBs Hardest

Zeus Trojan, the global hacking malware that was first identified in 2007, appears to be especially hard on SMBs. According to a report by RSA FraudAction, as many as 88 percent of FORTUNE 500 companies have been affected by the Zeus Trojan virus, but SMBs have a higher percentage of infected employees. While this implies that smaller companies are less adept at systems and data security than large corporations, the study revealed that home computers with access to corporate networks are at especially high risk. Estimated to affect 3.6 million PCs in the U.S. alone, the Trojan uses keystroke logging to steal banking information, mostly attacking PCs with Windows XP, though Vista and Windows 7 variations are available as well. To read more about this issue, click here.

Symantec CEO Salem Talks Integration and Services Shift

Symantec’s product integration strategy, as well as the company’s decision to transfer large parts of its consulting services to its partners were the focus of an interview with CEO Enrique Salem at the Vision 2010 Conference in Las Vegas in April. Interviewed by Channelweb.com, Salem recapped his first year at the helm of Symantec, citing “huge progress” in the increased quality and integration of the company’s products. “I’m really pleased with the improvements we’ve seen in what we call the net promoter scores,” Salem told Channelweb. com security editor, Stefanie Hoffman. “Our portfolio has gotten to a point where people understand... instead of having to worry about selling backup and archiving and having them be separate, it’s now integrated,” To read the full interview, click here.

Changing Lives with Kiva.org

A mere $400 may not seem near enough for starting a business, but for the more than 339,000 entrepreneurs in 196 countries around the world who have received micro-loans through Kiva.org, that seemingly meager amount has changed lives. Founded in 2005 in San Francisco, Kiva Microfunds allows people to loan money via the Internet to small business entrepreneurs in developing countries, as well as the U.S. The funds are sent to microfinance institutions in those countries, which administer the loans. One such company is Aqroinvest Credit Union in Azerbaijan that recently lent $1,125 to Ruslan Bagirov to expand his produce shop. Total loans made through Kiva stand at more than $133,136,000—82.22 percent to women entrepreneurs—with an average loan size of $393. And while Kiva lenders receive 0 percent on their loan, repayment rates are currently 98.57 percent. For more information, click here.

Norton Releases New Products

The 2011 beta versions of Norton AntiVirus and Norton Internet Security were released in late April, with downloads available via the Norton beta website. The company also introduced a beta security application for Facebook, as well as two standalone security tools to combat the rise of fake antivirus programs and other malware. Developed to maintain or improve installation times, memory usage, and scan times, the betas will come with System Insight 2.0, which sends alerts to users when an application is substantially affecting system resources. Users will also have Download Insight 2.0, which will increase the breadth of protection by covering nearly every download no matter the client, protecting users from harmful downloads. Norton 2011 reports on the “trustworthiness” of a system’s files to show how a user’s download activity rates in riskiness, comparing it against data from Norton Community Watch’s 53 million members. For more information, click here.

Helping Low Income Women Entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley

On April 6, Symantec participated with volunteers from area companies in a Women’s Initiative for Self Employment Connect event hosted by NetApp. More than 100 low income women graduates of Women’s Initiative programs, all starting their own businesses in Silicon Valley, networked with the volunteers. The evening began with a panel discussion on effectively accessing new markets and increasing sales, followed by small group discussions among women entrepreneurs and volunteers to answer questions and offer advice on the issues women face in starting their businesses.

Women’s Initiative is the nation’s largest microenterprise training and financial services organization providing low-income women with training, funding, and ongoing support to start and grow their own businesses. Within a year of graduation, clients’ personal income jumps an average of 75 percent. Seventy percent of graduates stay in business and have consistent sales five years later. In 2008 alone, 2.25 new jobs were created every day by graduates. Symantec is excited to have the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to increasing women’s participation in business in our community by supporting Women’s Initiative. For more information on Symantec employee initiatives, click here.

Success in Action

Axon Computer Systems
Windows 7 booted up seamlessly

J.A. Kennedy Real Estate
Staff hours reclaimed improving productivity

Bertelkamp Automation
Spam blocked at email gateway

Rutherford & Chekene
IT risk minimized for 100% payback

Offers

Norton Internet Security and Antivirus

2011 Betas Now Available

Symantec Protection Suite Small Business Edition

Save 40% on security and backup solutions

Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition

Save 22% on enterprise-level endpoint protection

Word to Wise

BBB: Data Security Made Simple

Symantec Internet Security Threat Report XV

Addressing the Root Cause of Inefficiency Data Protection

A Guide to Selecting Your Hosted Security Provider

How to Guarantee Security, Speed and Confidence in Email

How to Ensure 360 Degree Border Protection

Reality Check Tech Briefs

Tips on how to Avoid Security Threats

How Free Antivirus Software Can End Up Costing You

What is a Cybermule and how do you avoid it

Streaming

Watch: Intel vPro Technology: A Well-Managed Client is a Secure Client

This video demonstrates how a virus can be cleaned outside the client operating system using Symantec Client Management Suite, Intel vPro Technology, and Remote Drive Share ISO.

Watch: Meeting the Challenges of Today’s Targeted Attacks

Symantec’s security intelligence provides a unique vantage point, offering unparalleled insight and understanding into what’s happening globally in the world of IT security.

Watch: Is Social Networking Foiling Your Security Practice?

Learn how the latest developments in Symantec’s Data Loss Prevention solution tackles social networking and helps you achieve measurable risk reduction.

Knowledge Sharing

Calling all IT professionals!

The Confident SMB is looking for IT professionals to share their expertise on how they’re using Symantec technology to address small and midsize business challenges today and into the future. Submit your thoughts and analysis on lessons learned, tips and tricks, and best practices!

Send in your contributed article submissions to theconfidentsmb_editor@symantec.com for a chance to be featured in the next issue of The Confident SMB. To view the contributed article submission guidelines, click here.

Building Connections

Symantec Connect is your peer-to-peer technical community of more than 180,000 registered users to ask questions, get answers, and access articles, videos, and blogs to learn about upcoming product releases, tips on best practices, and more. It’s your perfect first line of support.

Feature Highlights:

How do Symantec small business solutions stack up?

Did you know Symantec has products specifically designed for small business that focus on ease of use and ease of management?

Get answers with Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition FAQs

What features are available in 12.0 and what is the fastest migration path.

Best practices for integrating PCAnywhere into NS6 and Helpdesk 6

Using PCAnywhere, integrate NS6 so that you can provide a workable remote control solution to your Helpdesk and NS 6 user.

Free training modules for Backup Exec 2010

Get free training modules on Backup Exec 2010—from archiving to migrating Enterprise Vault data.

Save time and storage costs with Backup Exec 2010

What is deduplication and how does it work?

Make your life easier with automatic asset expiration emails

Asset Management Suite, version 7 comes with three pre-defined automation policies.

Learn about managing your Symantec Endpoint Protection servers

Forum discusses how to manage multiple servers.

Events

Microsoft Tech·Ed 2010

June 7-10, 2010, New Orleans, LA

eBay Developers Conference

June 8-10, 2010, San Jose, CA

Social Security Administration Small Business Procurement Conference

June 10, 2010, Baltimore, MD

How to Sell

June 11, 2010, Seattle, WA

Click here for more event information.

Resources

Visit us online at Small Business Solutions and Midsize Business Solutions and take advantage of a world of resources to help you have confidence in your connected world.

Find a Reseller

Find the perfect partner to help you manage your IT needs

Trialware Downloads

Trial version of Symantec products are available for download

Symantec eLibrary: A Subscription for Success

One-year subscription gives you access to hundreds of Symantec training modules

Chat with a Sales Specialist Now

Security made simple. Chat directly with a specialist now

License Renewal Center

Get continued protection for your product today

Podcasts

For people on the go, podcasts deliver news, product information, and strategies you can use

Customer Success

See how other SMBs succeed with the help of Symantec

Hosted Services

Secure and manage your information using the power of cloud computing

Education Services

Maximize your IT investment with a skilled, educated workforce

Symantec Connect

A technical community to help your IT team keep your systems up and running

Social Media

The Confident SMB Blog

Get insights and highlights of new content, and interact with The Confident SMB team.

Symantec Facebook Page

Readers with Facebook accounts can connect and share ideas with Symantec while also receiving notification of each new issue. Become a fan today.

Twitter

Tweeting on everything from new The Confident SMB articles, research reports, podcasts, webcasts, customer successes, and more, the Symantec Publishing Twitter account keeps Symantec customers and partners up to date. Start following the tweets today.

Linkedln

Exchange tips and strategies with peers by joining The Confident SMB group on LinkedIn.com.