SMEs hardest hit by hackers, new e-crime report shows

Small and medium enterprises have become the top target for cyber criminals who steal data, shows an Internet security report by Symantec Corporation.

The report covering security of institutions’ bank account information, customer data and intellectual property, ranks Kenya at number eight in Africa in terms of threat, a reflection of the wide usage of the Internet by companies.

The global Internet security report indicates that the number of attacks on SMEs grew three-fold in the year to December and represented a 31 per cent of the 69 million attacks in the 157 countries covered by the survey including Kenya.

This is a shift from the previous years where most attacks were on government websites with manufacturing sector being the hardest hit in the latest findings.

In Kenya, the report indicates that the country only improved slightly moving to 86 position globally from the previous 85 in terms of security threat level. It is ranked eight out of 30 in Africa.

Security threat

“It is nice to see where Kenya stands globally and for businesses and consumers in the country to be aware that there is security threat activity in the country. What we are seeing across the Africa region is that where there is Internet and broadband growth there will also be increased risks,” said Jacqueline Freer, Symantec principal public relations specialist, Middle East & Africa.

The firm said targeted attacks on businesses with fewer than 250 employees were increasing.

“Small businesses are now the target of 31 per cent of total attacks, a threefold increase from 2011,” said Sheldon Hand, manager, West and Central Africa, Symantec. “While small businesses may feel they are immune to targeted attacks, cyber criminals are enticed by these organisations’ bank account information, customer data, intellectual property.”

The report reveals lack of adequate security practices and infrastructure among the SMEs has provided a fertile ground for cyber criminals who are having a field day mining confidential data from the unsuspecting businesses.

Cyber criminals often target intellectual property that can be sold to competitors.