The Confident SMB

Mobile Malware: Do Your Employees Know What to Look for?

Kevin Haley | 17 Oct 2011 | 0 comments

The number of smartphones connecting to the Internet now rivals the number of PCs doing the same. Smartphones within SMB environments are no exception. Employees use these devices to surf the Web, check emails, access business critical applications and to overall be more productive. It’s really no surprise that a lost or stolen device is the top mobile security concern for SMBs, according to Symantec research. But, in the spirit of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, let’s delve deeper into SMBs’ number two concern—mobile malware.

Though the amount of malware designed to target mobile devices still pales in comparison to that targeting traditional computing devices, there has been a marked increase in mobile malware this year. Most are what we call ‘Trojanized applications.’ These are legitimate apps that malware authors have altered to include malicious code...

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Dal Gemmell | 12 Oct 2011 | 0 comments

It’s fairly easy for SMBs to tune out the seemingly daily headlines of massive data breaches—many SMBs simply think that a data breach is not a small business problem. But, it’s not just large corporations on the receiving end of targeted attacks aimed at stealing valuable business information; SMBs are the unfortunate victims of their fair share of data breaches too. And it’s costing them to the tune of $214 per lost record.

If even the big guys are falling victim, what’s an SMB, with limited budgets and fewer IT resources, to do to protect against such costly attacks? SMBs, it’s time for action. As the age-old sports mantra goes, ‘the best defense is a good offense.’ And, National Cyber Security Awareness month is the time to make sure your offensive line is in shape.

Symantec recommends the following to get you playing at a championship level:

...

Kicking off National Cyber Security Awareness Month

Kevin Haley | 05 Oct 2011 | 0 comments

This month is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the seventh-annual public awareness campaign that encourages individuals and businesses to take action towards protecting their information and the computers where it resides. According to a new survey of U.S. small business owners sponsored by National Cyber Security Alliance and Symantec, and conducted by Zogby International, that will be released later this month, seven in ten (69 percent) of small businesses report that Internet security is critical to their business' success.

National Cyber Security Awareness month gives SMB owners and IT professionals a good opportunity to open up a dialogue and establish policies for employees to help mitigate security threats – whether they are spam, malware, phishing, or any combination. It is important to keep employees educated on the latest threats and what they can do individually to combat...

Tuesday Security Updates

Blake M | 16 Sep 2011 | 0 comments

The second Tuesday of every month is marked on just about every IT professional’s calendar. Those in the tech world know why this is – but do you understand its importance, and how to take advantage of the information that is shared on that day? For those who are not up to speed on the concept of Patch Tuesday, we want to provide all the background information you need.

Your small business’ computers need to be kept secure. You have data that is sensitive and you need to ensure that it’s protected. All of the software you’re using is made to be as secure as possible, but new security threats are discovered all the time, leaving vulnerabilities that could very well impact your business. If an organization is using an old version of their software that has not been updated to protect against a new threat, then they are putting their network and data at risk.

The software vendors you’re trusting with all of your IT understand this, and...

Under Attack: Three SMBs Discuss the Fight against Malware

Kevin Haley | 31 Aug 2011 | 0 comments

Ten years ago, a malware attack may have been annoying for SMBs, but it likely would not have affected their customer service. Today’s attacks, however, are far more likely to hit SMBs’ bottom line. Why? Customers don’t care what the problem is; if the network is down they will go to a competitor rather than wait for the problem to be resolved. This is the hard reality that should be prompting SMBs to make network security a bigger priority.

That was the resounding sentiment in a recent virtual Symantec-hosted roundtable discussion of SMBs and cyber attacks. During the roundtable, three small businesses shared the challenges they face in defending against malware. I sat in on this discussion and heard firsthand just how common security incidents are for SMBs.

Symantec customers, including Richard Johnson from Seattle-based Coddington Construction...

CompTIA Study Shows Cloud and Mobility Top Priorities for SMBs

Steve Cullen | 16 Aug 2011 | 0 comments

Small businesses need to make every dollar count. According to a recent study from CompTIA, SMBs are willing to spend on technologies that will improve their customer interactions online and in mobile environments. In addition, small businesses are quickly learning that they’ve become a new favorite target of cyber criminals and security risks are coming from every direction.

In the CompTIA study, 85 percent of SMBs said their employees use personal tech devices such as laptops, smartphones or even tablets for work—this finding is on par with what end users have reported in Symantec research. However, 82 percent of SMB IT professionals surveyed by CompTIA said they were concerned about the use of personal devices and their top concerns were security related.

End users are less concerned about the use...

40% of Targeted Attacks Aimed at SMBs

Steve Cullen | 27 Jul 2011 | 0 comments

If you still think you’re too small for hackers to direct their malware your way, think again. We are continually discovering proof that this is not the case.

In a recent blog post about targeted attacks aimed at SMBs, some very startling stats and findings from Symantec.cloud’s Skeptic malware detection system were uncovered. Before I delve into the top points from the data, let’s first define targeted attacks.

These are sophisticated pieces of malware written with a specific purpose in mind. Instead of sending malicious e-mails to many recipients by the thousands, attackers send a single malicious e-mail to a single identified individual that has been researched by the attacker and is known to have access to the data or systems that the attackers wish to access. Though rare in nature (Skeptic detects approximately...

24 Small Businesses running SEP 12 within 24 hours

CJ Desai | 15 Jul 2011 | 0 comments

You’ve probably heard that Symantec Endpoint Protection 12 Small Business Edition is now available. Small businesses like you are already seeing just how easy it is to deploy SEP SBE. In fact, 24 small business customers fully deployed the new version of SEP SBE within 24 hours of general availability! Our SMB-focused partners worked with these customers, including travel agencies, restaurants, law firms, health care providers and banks around the globe, to have SEP SBE running smoothly within a day of the announcement.

This provides further proof that SEP SBE can be easily deployed by small businesses everywhere. Our customers are consistently sharing positive feedback on the product’s quality, ease of use, speed and effectiveness. Don’t put it off any longer – Check out...

Small Businesses: Symantec Endpoint Protection 12 Small Business Edition Is Now Available!

Blake M | 22 Mar 2012 | 0 comments

After a successful beta period, we are thrilled to share that Symantec Endpoint Protection 12 Small Business Edition is now available! The feedback we have received from our partners and customers on the beta test has been extremely positive. Participants installed the beta on more than 14,000 endpoints and provided Symantec with input on everything from minor bug fixes to requests for new features and function changes.

Small businesses have become very appealing to cybercriminals, and it is more important than ever to deploy a technology like Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition . These days, businesses are not just confined to four walls. Employees are often in the field or traveling for their...

Don’t Let a Malware Attack Destroy Your Dream

Steve Cullen | 05 Jul 2011 | 0 comments

Having been an entrepreneur myself, I understand how small business owners put their blood, sweat and perhaps a few tears into building their businesses. For many of us, we’re living our dream, which comes with sacrifices and triumphs. But how many have stopped to think about some of the more frightening realities of small business ownership? I’m guessing that few have considered how one security attack could easily take it all away. Recently, the FBI issued a warning (PDF) to small businesses about online scams in which stolen banking credentials were used to siphon $11 million from U.S. small- and mid-sized businesses to companies in China.

The threats are real and ignoring them could cost you your business. So how do you protect yourself? Here are six tips to help you avoid the malware and cyber scams that are increasingly...

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