European businesses are losing billions of pounds each
year as a result of internet viruses, but many are still failing to
take basic measures to ward off attacks, such as keeping anti-virus
software up to date, according to a survey by McAfee
security.
UK and French companies were particularly bad at keeping their
anti-virus software up to date, with only 39% in the UK and 40% in
France claiming they had updated in the past week, followed by
Italy, with 46% and Spain with 73%.
In Germany, on the other hand, only one in ten of firms said
they operated with no anti-virus protection at all. In Britain and
Spain, only 1% said they were not protected. Spain, unique in
Europe, has laws requiring businesses to have security systems and
keep them up to date.
McAfee Security commissioned the survey of 500 small to
medium-sized businesses in the UK, Italy, Spain, France,
Netherlands, and Germany from Taylor Nelson Sofres.
While only smaller firms were directly represented in the study,
poor security by companies and consumers affects any
internet-connected business, because worms use infected computers
to generate more infected junk e-mail messages and attacks,
security experts said.
Anti-virus company Sophos estimated that one third of all spam
is now relayed by consumers and businesses unaware that their PCs
are infected with remote-access Trojans (Rats). But businesses were
largely unaware of such dangers, with only 20% not knowing that
viruses could send e-mail messages to recipients listed in their
PC's address book, and 48% not knowing viruses could secretly
store pornographic content on their computer.
"Any unprotected user, whether corporate, small business or
end-user, becomes part of the problem," said McAfee European
product manager Jack Clark. "We need to encourage people to use
what virus protection they have."
Two-thirds of French respondents, and more than half in Germany
admitted they could have unknowingly forwarded an infected e-mail
to colleagues and other businesses.
Firms are not neglecting to protect themselves out of a false
sense of security - more than a third said they felt more at risk
from viruses than a year ago. And companies are well aware of the
consequences of virus outbreaks, which can be particularly
hard-hitting for smaller companies: firms said on average each
attack cost them £3,000 in lost business time.
In France, half of businesses had to shut up shop for the
duration of a virus attack, the largest percentage in Europe.
Companies reported other ill effects as well, including what
McAfee calls "cyber-rage".
One-in-four Spanish respondents admitted to shouting at their
colleagues as a result of receiving large amounts of spam, while
15% of Germans swore at their computer screen. The difficulties of
modern computing induced "feelings of disgust" in 15% of the Dutch,
the survey revealed.
In Spain and the Netherlands, more than half of companies said
they had been affected by a virus in the past 12 months, compared
with 21% in Germany.
Concern has not necessarily translated into action, however,
with 45% of UK companies and 54% in the Netherlands listing
security as a "low" priority.
In the long term, Clark agreed that internet messaging systems
such as e-mail will need to be redesigned with authentication, but
will not be araound for at least a decade.
Matthew Broersma writes for Techworld.com