Creating Value

There are many threats posed to your IT and e-commerce systems. This section looks at a few of the more common risks you may encounter, and why they can be so damaging to your business.

People from both inside and outside your business - employees and hackers - may try to gain unauthorised access to your applications and information. Once they have accessed your systems, they can compromise your data and applications, either unintentionally or maliciously. See our guide on application security.

One of the biggest causes of security breaches in the workplace is the mishandling of log-in details or passwords by employees. Typical instances of security breaches occur when passwords are:

• written down
• shared with other people
• not changed frequently enough

Other risks are computer viruses, which are programs that alter the way a computer operates, without the knowledge or consent of the user. Viruses are often contained in email attachments. These are often seen as '.exe' (an executable file) or '.scr' which is the file extension used for Windows screensavers. These files can contain viruses, worms or Trojans that can infect your computer.

These have to be opened in order for the virus to infect any computers, but may also be picked up when visiting malicious websites. Viruses can also be transferred between computers via infected USB flash drives and other external media such as infected CDs.

There are huge numbers of viruses in existence. Some are extremely malicious, with the ability to delete or damage files and programs. Others are less destructive, but can jam resources, causing systems to crash with a consequent loss of data.

Some viruses can be used by hackers to take remote control of computers, turning them into what are known as bots or zombie computers. Collectively, these groups of computers are known as botnets and they can be used for malicious activities, such as denial-of-service attacks, click fraud and identity theft. See our guide on keeping your systems and data secure.

Increasing numbers of frauds and illegal scams are directed at small businesses and individuals. This increase is largely due to the widespread use of the internet.

Another potential risk can come from the use of social networking websites. These have been targeted by hackers who add links in their posts that point to high-traffic current events or entertainment news websites. These links can then take you to phishing websites and have the potential to infect your computer with viruses, worms or Trojans. They can also contain keyloggers - software that records your keyboard strokes as you type. This way, your personal details can be stolen for malicious purposes. See our guide on avoiding scams.