Mobile technology has been heralded as one of the biggest developments in business in a long time, and it's hard to argue against that. After all, with an increasingly decentralised workforce able to access their work files whenever, wherever, the degree of flexibility for small businesses nowadays is huge. However, a 2011 Threat Awareness Poll undertaken by Symantec found that while many small businesses are aware of the risks posed by cyber attacks, they don't consider themselves at risk of being attacked personally due to their relative size. Since the beginning of 2010, 40 per cent of cyber attacks have been committed against small businesses, compared to 28 per cent that were launched against larger corporate bodies. The report detailed that 54 per cent of respondents stated an attack would significantly reduce their productivity, while 46 per cent said a cyber assault would potentially result in a loss of revenue for that period. Shockingly, 61 per cent of businesses didn't have a written plan for their virus protection methods. Furthermore, 67 per cent didn't use any web-based security service, while 61 per cent went without antivirus software on all their computers. Regardless of the type of small business software used, it is imperative for owners to take control of their own security and invest in any number of antiviral measures for their business systems. The best way to help avoid the crippling effects of a cyber attack affecting your business is to have adequate protection measures established. For example, educating your employees about the types of risks you're up against can help them to actively combat any complications that may arise. Furthermore, having widespread antiviral software on any devices being used to access business information - including an employee's personal devices - can help to prevent any extensive damage from occurring in the event that your employee does come under attack.