Technology makes it easier to target companies in many different ways
DEREK SANKEY
Sun
Security breaches and fraud are taking a big bite out of the profits of small businesses across Canada, and the increasing use of technology means companies are exposed to an even greater number and variety of attacks, security experts say.
“One of the shifts we’ve started to see in Canada is through a lot of the technology involved, small businesses are being targeted more frequently by things like phishing attacks,” says Bruce Cowper, security lead for Microsoft Canada.
“Companies are starting to realize they can use their security posture . . . as a competitive advantage,” says Cowper, adding there are many tools to help small businesses reduce the losses from all types of technologyrelated crimes.
It’s not just technology that today’s crooks are using, though. Tried and tested scams and frauds, break-ins and shoplifting continue to represent major losses for companies when looking at the big picture.
A report from market research firm The Nilson Report shows that all types of commercial frauds cost North American businesses more than $20 billion annually, while 66 per cent of small business in Canada experienced fraud in 2006, up from 52 per cent a year earlier.
The Retail Council of Canada, meanwhile, reports 87 per cent of Canada’s small and medium
retail business owners were victimized by retail crime last year. Shoplifting alone drained an estimated $1.28 billion from the Canadian retail sector.
Technology, however, is often at the core of fraud in today’s market. They include debit and credit card frauds, skimming devices and pinhole cameras to capture personal identification numbers, identity theft, false return-of-merchandise scams, phishing attacks via email, computer viruses, and hackers who compromise businesses’ websites.
Jay Park, vice-president of a 15-person real estate consulting practice in Calgary called Six Real Estate Consulting Ltd., says technology plays a big role in his mobile workforce.
“As more technology comes into play, the more important it is for all of that information to be very secure,” says Park. “We’re at a critical stage where we’ve grown substantially . . . so to keep it rolling you have to be cognizant of the fact that if we lose everything, you’re at a standstill.”
Alfred Huger, Symantec’s security response vice-president, says the increasing capabilities of today’s wireless devices, such as highly sophisticated cellphones, means companies need to pay greater attention to the security provided on those mobile systems.
“You’re walking around with a PC in your pocket,” he says. “It’s no different than a laptop.”
The good news is that more tools are flooding the market in response to the new technologies.
“The other big shift we’re seeing with smaller and medium businesses is to concentrate on investment in management technologies,” says Cowper. Instead of focusing solely on firewalls and virus software, new tools help owners manage their security by automatically monitoring for updates and security patches, as well as passwords and access settings.
It’s up to every business owner to conduct a thorough risk assessment of every vulnerability and to take proactive measures to reduce exposure. Experts say owners should train employees and make use of every resource at their disposal, whether it is technology or otherwise.
“An awful lot of this can be prevented through awareness,” says Cowper.
