| The risk of monetary loss in the event of a computer | | | | you are at high risk and we'd like to see you move to |
| security breach is frighteningly high. These days, an | | | | a low risk category. |
| unprotected computer is likely to be infected with a | | | | |
| pest within 20 minutes of being connected to the | | | | 1. For the first response, that Internet security is not |
| Internet. The average computer is checked for | | | | achievable: Ninety-nine percent of all reported intrusions |
| weaknesses by unknown parties 17 times a day. | | | | occur because of known vulnerabilities or configuration |
| If you are one of the 70% of users who has | | | | errors. This means that 99% of intrusions are |
| experienced an Internet-based attack that you were | | | | preventable right now, today. Internet security is very |
| aware of, you probably shudder as you recall the time, | | | | achievable. |
| money and aggravation it cost you to clean up your | | | | 2. For the second response, that Internet security is too |
| computer or reinstall your operating system. The costs | | | | complicated: Computers certainly can be complicated. |
| are high enough to cause a business to fail. In fact, the | | | | However, the right kind of information and support can |
| majority of businesses that experience data loss or | | | | turn any fearful, confused computer user into a |
| total system failure do fail, usually immediately. | | | | confident, capable one. As the computer industry has |
| In our work with small businesses and home users, we | | | | matured, computer experts have become better at |
| have observed that people are generally aware of the | | | | communicating to end users in clear language. The |
| dangers, but at the same time, up to 90% do not have | | | | "complexity gap" is shrinking. |
| adequate protections in place. This is a cause for deep | | | | 3. Woe betides the person who persists in the third |
| concern because of the enormous negative impact | | | | attitude, that recovering from a security breach is |
| these attacks have on individuals and organizations. | | | | easy. Recovering from a security incident is always |
| It is also cause for curiosity. It's as if 90% of the homes | | | | costly. It can take up to several days or weeks to |
| and businesses in a bad neighborhood weren't locked | | | | recover (if at all). During that time you can expect to |
| up at night: Very risky. It made us wonder why. | | | | pay heavily in system support, business downtime, and |
| So, we started asking. Here is an overview of the | | | | serious aggravation. |
| responses we got: | | | | 4. The fourth response, that "it won't happen to me," is |
| - Response #1: Internet security isn't achievable | | | | a sort of irrational optimism that humans often use as |
| because new threats are coming out all the time, so | | | | a way to manage fear in a risky world. Unfortunately, |
| why bother. | | | | it's a terrible strategy for the online world, because you |
| - Response #2: Internet security is too complicated to | | | | can be virtually 100% certain it WILL happen to you. |
| do anything about. | | | | We urge and encourage you to take the steps you |
| - Response #3: It's easy to recover from an attack. If | | | | need to take to protect and secure your data, your |
| something happened to me, I would just deal with it. | | | | computers and laptops, and all your wireless devices. |
| - Response #4: It won't happen to me. | | | | Being confident is about being prepared. You need |
| As computer professionals, we'd like to weigh in with | | | | computer Internet security and data protection |
| our opinion about these responses because if your | | | | solutions that give you high confidence. |
| system is not adequately protected on the Internet, | | | | |