ID: IRCNE2013041821
Date: 2013-04-20
According to "computerworld", cybercriminals are increasingly targeting small businesses due to their less sophisticated defenses, according to a new report from Symantec.
Companies with 250 employees or less absorbed 18% of targeted cyberattacks in 2011, but the figure jumped to 31% in 2012, Symantec said in its Internet Security Threat Report 2013, released on Tuesday.
"While it can be argued that the rewards of attacking a small business are less than what can be gained from a large enterprise, this is more than compensated by the fact that many small companies are typically less careful in their cyberdefenses," the report said.
Organizations between 251 employees to 2,500 were targeted 19% of the time, with companies with more than 2,500 employees making up the remaining 50%, Symantec said. The company said it detected a 42% increase overall in cyberattacks in 2012 compared to 2011.
The most attacked industry in 2012 was manufacturing, at 24%. It was followed by finance, insurance and real estate companies at 19% and by non-traditional services at 17%, Symantec said.
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