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McAfee Research Reveals Many SMBs in Denial About Security
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
McAfee's 'Does Size Matter?' Research Highlights Impact of Cyber Attacks
SANTA CLARA, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- McAfee, Inc.
(NYSE: MFE) today announced the release of startling research that reveals the
true cost of cyber attacks on small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). A key
misconception revealed by the survey is that many SMBs feel they are too small
to be targets for cybercriminals. The report can be downloaded at
http://www.mcafee.com/doessizematter.
After sampling 500 IT decision-makers from companies with 1,000 - 2,000
employees, the report reveals that a third (32 percent) of small and medium
businesses in the United States and Canada have been attacked more than four
times by cybercriminals in the last three years. The research concludes that a
quarter of those attacked (26 percent) took at least a week to recover, a
devastating length of time to be offline for small businesses who conduct
business and sales via the Web. Recovery time in Canada was even greater, with
a third (36 percent) taking a week or more to fully restore their systems.
The report highlights the gap between the perceptions of SMBs towards
security issues and the realities of cyber attacks.
Key statistics from the research include:
-- Too small to matter: 44 percent think cybercrime is only an issue for
larger organizations and believe it does not affect them
-- Not all in a name: 52 percent of businesses believe that because they
are not well-known so cybercriminals will not specifically target them
-- Undervaluing can be costly: Almost half (45 percent) do not think they
are a 'valuable target' for cybercriminals
-- Monetary misconceptions: 46 percent do not think they can be a source
of profit for cybercriminals
"For businesses of all sizes, viruses, hacker intrusions, spyware and spam
can lead to lost or stolen data, computer downtime, decreased productivity,
compliance issues, lost sales and even loss of reputation," said Darrell
Rodenbaugh, senior vice president of the mid-market segment at McAfee. "Just
because a business is small does not mean it is immune to security threats."
Sixty Minutes or Less
SMBs are allowing themselves to be vulnerable to IT attacks by failing to
allocate an appropriate amount of time and resources to security. Almost half
of SMBs (42 percent) dedicate just one hour a week to proactive IT security
management, despite the fact that almost one in five (21 percent) acknowledged
that an attack could put them out of business.
"Since many of the SMBs surveyed have just one hour per week to spend on
IT security, our advice is to find a trusted partner that can help them assess
their risk," said Rodenbaugh. "Choosing a managed solution and outsourcing
security helps SMBs free up their time to focus on other priorities and feel
confident that their IT security needs are being covered by an expert. It can
also mean security technologies that are otherwise out of their price range
will be available to them."
A False Sense of Security
SMBs may not be as safe from security attacks as they think. Eighty-eight
percent of respondents believed they were 'adequately protected,' yet 43
percent of them admitted that they simply accept the default settings on their
IT equipment, settings which are often not in line with their specific
business needs.
The research, conducted by MSI, questioned 500 IT decision makers in
organizations in the United States and Canada. Detailed breakdowns are
available on request.
About McAfee, Inc.
McAfee, Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is the world's
largest dedicated security technology company. It delivers proactive and
proven solutions and services that secure systems and networks around the
world, allowing users to browse and shop the Web securely. With its unmatched
security expertise and commitment to innovation, McAfee empowers home users,
businesses, the public sector and service providers by enabling them to comply
with regulations, protect data, prevent disruptions, identify vulnerabilities
and continuously monitor and improve their security. http://www.mcafee.com.
McAfee is a registered trademark of McAfee, Inc., and/or its affiliates in
the US and/or other countries. McAfee Red in connection with security is
distinctive of McAfee brand products. Any other non-McAfee related products,
registered and/or unregistered trademarks contained herein is only by
reference and are the sole property of their respective owners. (C) 2008
McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.
SOURCE McAfee, Inc.
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