UK Small Businesses and Internet Security

We live in times which are greatly influenced by technology, whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is for you to decide but, the fact is that we must learn to live with it and make it work to our advantage. Small business everywhere are trying to incorporate their products and services on small business websites due to the fact that the Web is a huge gateway which offers the potential to tap into thousands upon thousands of potential customers.

Realizing the potential of the Web is a first step towards a successful online operation, the second step which is often overlooked is security. Securing your business computers as well as the server which is on 365 days a year allowing your customers to purchase your products or services is of the utmost importance.

It has been estimated that well over 60% of all businesses would face serious problems and most likely will come to a halt if their computers work malfunction because of technical problems or because of cyber crime. In the UK alone, it has been estimated that online businesses have lost an average of 19% in revenues due to server downtimes and problems related to their computers.

Lets take a look at some of the precautions you can take in order to keep your computers working in optimal condition:

-- When you purchase a computer for business-related activities it is important to also acquire a backup system which will you to restore all of your important information just in case something were to happen.

-- Installing antivirus software is also a great way to protect your data however, this is not the only software necessary when it comes to data protection, you will also need to use an anti-spyware application which will cover you against other threats. Having a physical firewall in your routers as well as a firewall software will decrease the chances of getting your data stolen or your computers hacked.

-- When you create your company's website it is important for you to understand the security settings that are applied to individual folders which hold critical information for instance, the folder within your Web server which holds the admin scripts need to be password protected with an .htaccess file and folder itself needs to have a CHMOD setting of 664, other folders may have a setting of 755. Never set the permissions to 777 unless it is extremely necessary.

Learning a little bit about technology and securing your data will help you avoid revenue losses and headaches.