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Small businesses lose

Internet security is a concerning factor for small businesses in the UK, which lose an average of up to £800 annually to fraud and online crime, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Some of the losses cost as much as £5,000 and more than half (54 per cent) of the businesses say they have been victims of an online crime in the last 12 months.

Phishing emails are also a problem for 37 per cent of the businesses, while 15 per cent have been affected by IT problems caused by viruses and hackers.

Businesses are currently "simply being left very exposed" to online threats and attacks from cyber crooks, according to Mike Cherry, the FSB home affairs chairman.

He said the internet is "huge and unregulated" and called on the Met Police E Crime Unit and the National Fraud Reporting Centre to collaborate in setting up an effective system to counter the crime.

Meanwhile many small businesses have a "head-in-the-sand approach" to online security, says David Rochdale of the Business Crime Reduction Centre, reports VNUNET.

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