Businesses should take steps to ensure their employees are aware of online security issues and threats when using broadband services, an expert has claimed.

Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online, advised companies that training and guidelines should be issued to help alert workers to the potential risks involved in internet use.

According to the Federation of Small Businesses, online crime costs firms up to £800 a year on average, while more than half of UK companies reported having fallen victim to fraudsters in 2008.

Training staff in the issue of security is therefore "a big thing" for businesses, particularly in light of the current financial hardship, Mr Neate said.

He claimed it "doesn't matter" whether the guidelines are issued to everyone at the company or just to a single member of staff, as long as there is always someone on hand to offer advice.

While policies do not need to be overly complex, they should be clear in setting out which websites and resources are appropriate for use in the workplace and which are not.

"It can just be a checklist of things you can and cannot do such as how you expect them to use the internet and what sort of devices they can use on company machines - just simple things like that," Mr Neate added.

Research by IT security firm Finjan would suggest that an increasing number of businesses are now becoming aware of the importance of online security, with 34 per cent of companies surveyed saying they would up their IT security budget in 2009.

Categories: Broadband, Internet Security

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