User Manual Part 1

Introduction to Information Security
36 Check Point Safe@Office User Guide
Since computer and network security has become a central part of information and general
security, security managers must either have an understanding of computers and
networking, or work closely with network administrators and network security specialists.
Network Security and the Small Business
Network security has been and continues to be a major concern for large, enterprise-sized
organizations. However, small businesses are no less of a target for Internet attacks, and
they require a similar network security level, for the following reasons:
• Small business owners lack awareness of network security and unwittingly leave
the door open to threats from within the network. For example, peer-to-peer
applications are a source of virus-infected files, Trojans, and worms, any of
which can be used to steal confidential information such as credit card numbers;
however, many small business owners are unaware of the risk, and therefore do
not block their employees from using peer-to-peer applications.
• Large businesses have the funds and expertise to constantly enhance their
security and are therefore a difficult target for hackers. This makes small
businesses a far more attractive target for network attacks.
• The state's awareness of privacy and data protection is enforced through
legislation. For example, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act (HIPAA) that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996 gives patients
access to their medical files electronically, and therefore strictly defines the
requirements for protecting electronic confidential data.
Not only are small businesses more vulnerable to Internet attacks, but due to their relative
lack of technical and financial resources, they may suffer more damage than large
organizations and the recovery may be more difficult.