According to a report by CompTia, 28% of businesses view security as a significantly higher priority today compared to two years ago, and an even greater percentage of businesses expect the importance of security to rise in the next two years. The study also revealed that while many companies assumed a satisfactory level of security, they did not fully comprehend their exposure to potential security threats.
In the early days of Cloud computing, the common perception was that the cloud automatically opens systems to new, catastrophic risks. When weighing the pros and cons of moving to the Cloud, business owners assumed they were sacrificing security for the business agility that comes with using Cloud systems.
While cloud security concerns are top of mind with many business owners, the benefits of the cloud far outweigh the risks. Nevertheless, as companies deploy cloud computing, taking cloud security seriously will ensure a smooth transition to the cloud.
Businesses are under constant attack from a variety of network security threats. Cybercriminals hack databases for passwords for unauthorized access to your network. Undetected Malicious software (malware) can trap and forward passwords. Viruses can infect your hard drive and destroy application data and files without your knowledge. Businesses large and small face these network security threats on a daily basis; larger organizations, however, may have more resources to fight attacks.
According to Microsoft, support is ending for Windows XP after April 8, 2014. Technical assistance, including automatic updates that help protect your PC, will no longer be available after this date. Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP.