| Your IT network is at the heart of your business yet too many smaller companies ignore the need to protect it. Prevention is always better than a cure so here’s what you should do to stop your business from grinding to a halt. The recent Blaster and Sobig-F outbreaks have once again highlighted that companies are not always protected against the latest viruses or patched against vulnerabilities in computer operating systems. Leaving any hole in your IT network is an invitation for a security breach, and with the advent of the Data Protection Act, virus infections and hack attacks are no longer just costly inconveniences, they could leave company directors facing litigation for allowing private data to be accessed illegally. Unfortunately, all companies relying on technology are vulnerable to security breaches. Viruses are not fussy about who they infect - once a virus is in the wild, there is little control over how it spreads. Hacking is much more targeted, but smaller companies shouldn't feel exempt from the attention of hackers. Smaller networks are often used as training grounds for would-be hackers or as shortcuts into the networks of larger organisations. This is particularly a problem for growing businesses which are faced with the challenge of few dedicated IT resources but the same threat as larger organisations. A greater reliance on remote working makes a watertight security policy even more difficult to enforce. However, there are some simple steps that any business can implement to dramatically reduce the chance of falling victim to a breach. | 
