Last week, AVG Technologies, an Internet and mobile security company, released a survey that suggested that small businesses chronically undervalue their data.
Despite the risk of information loss, small and medium businesses (SMBs) questioned didn't prioritize backing up their data. Many also were not particularly concerned with loss of mobile devices.
In a lot of cases, the issue is one of implementation. While 75 percent do rely on automated backup systems, a number that indicates that they recognize their importance, nearly one quarter have no policy in place that ensures employees back up their data more than once per week. A significant number, 37 percent in the United States, spent more time tidying their desks than ensuring that their sensitive data is backed up. Cloud-based systems were met with hesitance, with 64 percent of SMB owners citing security as their top concern.
"Our research shows that while the great majority of small businesses in North America are relatively savvy about the importance of backup, there is still plenty of market education to do, especially when it comes to mobile and cloud platforms," Mike Foreman, AVG's general manager, said in a statement.
These oversights can leave companies vulnerable to theft or loss. Despite acknowledgement of the value of data, as a whole, these businesses have a ways to go in terms of practical implementation.
SMB owners put a lot of themselves into their work, and thus have a lot at stake if something goes amiss. That's part of why it's so crucial that they're as protected as possible from potential disaster. One way they can make sure that catastrophe isn't data-related is by researching technology insurance: for modern companies, properly valuing proprietary information is paramount.