As an increasing number of high-profile data security incidents hit the headlines, small businesses are facing more pressure to maintain high standards in this area - however, this process does not have to prove difficult. Speaking to SmallBusinessComputing.com, John Clay, product marketing manager at Trend Micro, gave some advice to companies about where to begin with data security. First, he recommended that smaller firms should first make sure their security applications - such as antivirus and firewall software - are up-to-date and that licenses are current. Additionally, applications should be aimed at businesses and not at consumers, he said, as those that are meant for organizations will let managers control settings for all of their employees, minimizing the risk of threats slipping through. Employees should also be trained on responsible internet use, Mr Clay suggested, explaining that the majority of threats originate from spam and compromised websites. Finally, he advised entrepreneurs that they should look at implementing an e-discovery solution to help protect their business in a situation involving legal liability, such as data loss. Such a solution enables the quick identification and retrieval of email messages. The Better Business Bureau also runs an initiative called Security and Privacy Made Simpler, which is aimed at educating small firms about data security issues.  |