Firms Warned about hackers

Published in the Ilford Recorder, article by Urmi Acharaya

MORE than 70 per cent of small businesses in Redbridge are vulnerable to attack by hackers because of inadequate IT security measures.

A survey carried out by the Gants Hill based network IT consultancy Netstar, in Sevenways Parade, reveals that companies are not using appropriate protective systems to prevent cyber crime.

If the correct provisions are not in place, attacks to business systems can include viruses, identify theft, unauthorised access and misuse of IT systems.

Netstar managing director Mit Patel, said “ In today’s global IT climate, people are heavily relying on storing information on databases and if these are not correctly protected it is easy for hackers to get in.

“As technology advances at a rapid rate, it is more and more easy for information to be lost or stolen if businesses do not move with the times.

“There have been incidents from client poaching to financial fraud that can be easily carried out if firms are not careful.”

Installing measures to prevent viruses, spam emails and firewalls to prevent hackers ensures companies do not lose money in the long term.

The computer networking firm’s study focused on 150 small businesses throughout the borough.

Earlier this year, a survey by PriceWaterHouse Coopers (PWC) polled 1,000 companies in the UK and found that 74 per cent suffered from a serious security scare last year – costing on average of £10,000 to each business.

Larger firms were found to have incurred an average cost of £12,000, as 94 per cent of big business fell foul to computer security in 2003. seven per cent of tested enterprises admitted they have no controls in place at all.

A department of Trade and Industry report found that only 32 per cent of organisations opt for back-ups to their database while 20 per cent of companies have a recovery plan.

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