Knowledge Centre
18th February 2009
Online crime costs small businesses hundreds of pounds each year, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
The group's Inhibiting Enterprise report highlights the impact which e-crime and fraud can have - leaving small firms counting average costs of £768 annually.
And more than half of businesses questioned in the survey - 54% - said they had been victims in the last 12 months, with the majority coming across phishing emails.
Others suffered from 'card not present' fraud and IT problems caused by viruses and hackers.
However, of those businesses that had experienced online crime, a third did not report it to the police.
In contrast, 85% of businesses said they would be happy to report crime using a centralised, designated system, if they knew it would follow up on incidents and use the information to fight fraud.
The FSB is now renewing the call for the swift establishment of the National Fraud Reporting Centre - due to be set up later in 2009 by the Police Central E Crime Unit and the National Fraud Strategic Authority - and for the bodies to work "hand in hand" to coordinate the results.
It is also calling for local police contacts to specialise in the area of small business e-crime, while suggesting banks take the lead in warning about 'card not present' fraud.
FSB home affairs chairman Mike Cherry said: "The internet is a huge and unregulated area, but businesses have to have confidence that there are at least some structures there to support them.
"Businesses are currently simply being left very exposed."
IMAGE Bloomberg News /Landov
FSB renews call for e-crime response
The group's Inhibiting Enterprise report highlights the impact which e-crime and fraud can have - leaving small firms counting average costs of £768 annually.
And more than half of businesses questioned in the survey - 54% - said they had been victims in the last 12 months, with the majority coming across phishing emails.
Others suffered from 'card not present' fraud and IT problems caused by viruses and hackers.
However, of those businesses that had experienced online crime, a third did not report it to the police.
In contrast, 85% of businesses said they would be happy to report crime using a centralised, designated system, if they knew it would follow up on incidents and use the information to fight fraud.
The FSB is now renewing the call for the swift establishment of the National Fraud Reporting Centre - due to be set up later in 2009 by the Police Central E Crime Unit and the National Fraud Strategic Authority - and for the bodies to work "hand in hand" to coordinate the results.
It is also calling for local police contacts to specialise in the area of small business e-crime, while suggesting banks take the lead in warning about 'card not present' fraud.
FSB home affairs chairman Mike Cherry said: "The internet is a huge and unregulated area, but businesses have to have confidence that there are at least some structures there to support them.
"Businesses are currently simply being left very exposed."
IMAGE Bloomberg News /Landov
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