U.S. Offers Small Businesses Free Cyber Security Tool

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The U.S. government is making it easier for small businesses to beef up defenses against cyber criminals through a free, online tool.

The Small Biz Cyber Planner allows business owners to create customized cyber security plans by answering basic questions about their company and its online presence.

“Forty percent of all targeted attacks today are directed at companies with less than 500 employees,” said Cheri McGuire, vice president of global government affairs and cyber security policy at Symantec Corp.

The Obama administration has pushed for initiatives to protect businesses and consumers from data breaches, as lawmakers remain at odds over comprehensive cyber security legislation. The administration’s latest effort — a collaboration of government experts and private information technology and security companies, including the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Symantec, Visa Inc , Automatic Data Processing Inc , Bank of America Corp. and others — became available last November.

“Small businesses that don’t take protective measures are particularly vulnerable targets for cyber criminals,” the Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said.

A new survey by Symantec and the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) found that only 52 percent of small businesses had a basic cyber security strategy or plan.

The survey revealed a false sense of security among small business owners. Eighty-five percent of owners said their companies were safe from cyber threats; yet 77 percent had no formal written Internet security policy, and of those, 49 percent did not even have an informal policy.

“With larger companies increasing their protections, small businesses are now the low-hanging fruit for cyber criminals,” Genachowski said.

The average annual cost of cyber attacks last year was $188,242 for small- and medium-sized businesses, with down-time costing some small firms $12,500 per day.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff commended the partnership between federal agencies and industry, which included his risk management and security consulting firm Chertoff Group. He said the collaboration would more quickly bring cyber security tools and resources to small business.

“Not to consider cyber security is a little bit like leaving your money lying around on the table and thinking that that’s not going to be a problem,” he said.

Of particular concern for small business was the potential for theft of intellectual property, which Chertoff said is not only damaging to the business itself but to the United States’ national competitiveness.

The joint Symantec-NCSA survey found that a quarter of small businesses have their own intellectual property like patents and design documents. One-in-five handle the intellectual property of other companies.