More than 40 small business owners assembled recently at the Fremont Chamber of Commerce’s recent IT Security for Small Business Forum at Unitek College to learn how to better protect themselves and their businesses from online threats. The Forum’s panelists included Fremont Police Chief Richard Lucero, Fremont Police Detective Ken Bryant, Planet Magpie owner Robert Douglas, Navraj Bawa of Unitek College and an agent from the FBI. The panel stressed two major themes in regard to how business owners should approach the topic of security in the near future.

Common Sense — In his First Word statement, Chief Richard Lucero stressed that 25 percent of residential burglaries are crimes of opportunity, in which the criminals enter a residence through an unlocked window or door. The clear analogy to IT security is that many individuals and businesses expose themselves to risk by leaving their “doors unlocked.” IT security is one part common sense and one part sound business practice.

Other panelists echoed the chief’s sentiments throughout the discussion. Whether it’s sharing passwords with coworkers, thoughtlessly plugging in USB drives to networked devices, or opening that email purporting to have come from your bank, IT security is akin to the common sense protections we use all the time in the physical world. If you lock up the office at the end of the day to keep unwanted visitors out, why would you click to invite them into your digital office space?

Chekhov’s Gun — As a corollary to common sense, the panel was in agreement that flaws in security can function much like Anton Chekhov’s famous gun. The author believed, “If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off.” Panelists reminded attendees that IT security lapses will always become eventual problems. For example, an Internet-connected device without anti-virus software will eventually pick up a virus. The cost of dealing with an IT security breach can cost a business thousands of dollars and numerous business days, not to mention the priceless damage done to a business’s reputation and client relationships. If the costs are high and the threat a given, IT security is an essential facet to managing a business.

Business owners need to protect themselves and prepare for breachesin their security systems. The Fremont Chamber is available to support the business community in making informed security choices in the 21st century. For more information, visit us online at www.FremontBusiness.com/ITsecurity.