SMBs getting serious about security.

• Position: DATA SECURITY

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Small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are just as vulnerable to security threats as large enterprises-frighteningly so, according to a recent survey--but they may be more concerned now than they were just 15 months ago.

The "Symantec 2010 SMB Information Protection Survey Global Data" study, conducted by Applied Research, reveals that 42% of the 2,152 companies surveyed in 28 countries have lost data, and three-quarters were hit by cyberattacks in the past year.

In the study of 2,500 executives with responsibility for IT security--half from companies of fewer than 100 employees, and half from companies in the 100-to-499 employee range--researchers found that while the dangers are greater, so is the awareness by SMBs.

"Last year, when we conducted this survey, a lot of SMBs were very confident in their security posture, but they weren't always clear on the threat," said Monica Girolami, senior product marketing manager at Symantec, who worked with Applied Research on the study. "This year they realize that they have gaps in their security stance, and they're getting more serious--in fact, they rated data loss and cyberattacks as their top risks, even above natural disasters."

The study also shows that IT security executives...