Crafting a Technology-Security Plan

This article was written by Peter Alexander of Entrepreneur.com

Most small-business owners understand that complete, end-to-end network security is something they should have -- but it's something they probably don't. And how can they? With security threats coming from a multitude of sources and no end in sight to the new attacks that are frequently launched on both networks and PCs, keeping up with all these threats and figuring out just what to do about them is challenging enough for big companies with dedicated IT staffs. For small businesses, it can be completely overwhelming.

The risks of not adequately securing your business network and PCs are huge, however. Remember: It's not just your data that's at risk from attacks from viruses, spyware, hackers and others. Any customer data stored on your computers -- including Social Security numbers, bank account information and confidential data, such as key sales and marketing data -- is at risk as well.

Here are the facts, according to consumer product research organization Consumer Reports:

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