By: Blake McConnell
For most people, Valentine’s Day conjures up thoughts of candy, flowers and secret admirers. Well, here at Symantec, it makes us think about information.
Yes, information. It may not be the most romantic notion, but the amount of “love” you give your data can have a significant impact on the success of your company. Your information – from company plans to customer financial information – is the backbone of your business, so today make a commitment to giving it a little extra care and attention.
In a recent Symantec survey, 74 per cent of SMB respondents said they were afraid of losing electronic information.
The same survey revealed that 65 per cent of SMBs have actually lost laptops, smartphones or iPads in the last year, many of which had no password protection and couldn’t be wiped remotely to protect the information on them. In addition, 73 per cent of SMBs surveyed were victims of cyberattacks – resulting in the loss of proprietary business and customer data.
As you see, SMBs rely on their information, yet they are not confident that it is secure. Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity for SMBs to reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that the information that keeps their businesses going is taken care of and secure.
As referenced in my previous posts, there are easy steps you can take to protect your data. Of course, implementing a security product that protects your information completely from malware, spam and other threats is an essential first step. Password protection and encryption are also important.
Remember, it isn’t about protecting the device (i.e. laptops, smartphones) – It is about protecting and loving the information on those devices.
Backing up that data is important, too. Our SMB Disaster Preparedness Survey found that most SMBs are still not backing up their precious information. If an SMB isn’t prepared, an unexpected IT outage could result in downtime and/or customers taking their business elsewhere. In short, lost data equals lost revenue.
So this Valentine’s Day, give your information the gift of protection. Your information may not directly thank you, but your customers and your employees will.
Blake McConnell runs product management for Symantec’s SMB Security Solutions, which span endpoint security, mail and web security, as well as Symantec’s Protection suites.
