Small business owners say they don't know if their website is secure

What small businesses don’t know about their website can hurt them.

In a new study by Newtek Business Services, The Small Business Authority, 56 percent of business owners said they did not have a fear of cyber-attacks. In a separate question, 40 percent of respondents said they have scanned their website for security vulnerabilities in the last 12 months.

The SB Authority Market Sentiment Survey is a monthly window into the concerns of independent business owners, and polled more than 2,100 businesses in May.

The full May 2013 results showed the following:

Do you have a fear of cyber-attacks?

Yes: 44%
No: 56%

Has your website been scanned for security vulnerabilities in the last 12 months?

Yes: 40%
No: 35%
Not Sure: 25%

“Despite the fact that cyber-attacks and the threat of this activity have grown in recent years within the U.S. economy, a majority of our small business owners are still not afraid,” said Barry Sloane, Chairman, President and CEO of The Small Business Authority.

“The concept of fear can be viewed in two ways: the actual fear of being attacked, or the mere recognition that attacks are possible. There is an air of complacency with business owners who think cyber-attacks will not happen or affect them. Organizations or entrepreneurs that have experienced a cyber-attack run the risk of decimation and elimination.

“The Small Business Authority, representing independent business owners across the United States, encourages our clientele and the business community to ensure their systems, software, hardware and confidential customer information are fully protected by being hosted in a level-four data center with the highest levels of firewalls and cyber-security.”

Small Business