Prepare for risks to IT

Computer experts are urging businesses in Swindon to do more to protect their computer systems.

They say the biggest problem in IT security is that business owners struggle to believe that it can affect them.

But the truth is that bad things do happen more often than businesses might think.

Mike Goldsworthy, the technical director of IT firm GHS UK, in Devizes Road, Old Town, said: "No company should think they are too small to be targeted.

"Many business owners make the fatal mistake of thinking that their organisation is secure, or that it won't matter because they think they are too small for someone to be targeted.

"In reality, however, these so called "non important" businesses often end up as part of a larger attack from virus outbreaks and credit card detail harvesting and fraud."

Mr Goldsworthy also pointed out that because larger businesses were now increasingly getting their act together on IT security and becoming more difficult to attack, attention has been turned to the smaller businesses.

He also urged caution not to assume that this is only an external threat.

In a recent case, a small company suspected fraud by one of its former employees.

To resolve the problems, engineers used detailed computer forensics and server/system repair and replacement and found that the ex-employee had also been the firm's IT expert.

Mr Goldsworthy said: "What if you lost all your data on all the computers, or possibly worst of all if your principal competitor obtained copies of all your customer details?

"It seems no more than common sense to protect and insure against this.

"You don't leave your front door unlocked when you go home at night, and the same should apply to information security.

"A few simple and sometimes inexpensive precautions can make it a lot less vulnerable."

This article originally appeared in Swindon Advertiser and Swindon Chamber News on the 27 February 2006

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