Spyware: Trouble for Small Businesses

According to the news published on March 30, 2008 by eChannel Line, the CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) said that huge problems are being faced by small businesses due to spyware infections. But this problem of spyware infections can be proved beneficial for the channel partners as they will get an opportunity to provide managed services for tackling the issue.

According to the research, the businesses (especially having 10 to 200 computer users) have suffered due to the spyware attacks as the affected employees did not inform the concerned department about the trouble. Almost every computer user has reported that the spyware infection has affected their productivity during later part of 2007. Moreover, almost one-third computers are found infected with various spyware detections.

The Oakbrook Terrace, III-based CompTIA's Director of Corporate Communications, Steven Ostrowski, said that lack of adequate training leads to this problem, as reported by eChannel Line on March 30, 2008.

Ostrowski further added that many people are unaware about the safe ways of computing and e-mailing. They even do not have knowledge about certain e-mails attachments and Websites which should not be opened.

Steven Ostrowski also said that the IT departments should consider education as a business issue rather than a responsibility. But many companies are not interested in this concept of education and as a result, face computer security problems.

Often, the spyware problem increase as most of the people reported the concerned department after over 18 hours of observing the problem. Thus, productivity of users reduced to 21% at the initial stages and 32% when spyware was at its peak, estimated the survey.

The fixing of spyware problem caused more delay as computer-support professionals took almost an average of 2.8 labor hours in fixing each infected computer which is about 20 hours of decreased productivity of the user for each spyware issue in small business.

Despite of the use of effective anti-spyware technology by many companies, spyware problem is increasing at every step taken to reduce it. It seems that the spyware makers move ahead of the makers of anti-spyware technology, says Ostrowski.

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» SPAMfighter News - 4/9/2008