There's no business without IT security

While smaller companies are slowly realising the necessity of a secure IT environment, many of them have still to recognise that successful ecommerce depends on a secure infrastructure.
Helmuth Weber, head of services at the Federal Association of Medium Businesses, said, even if smaller businesses have implemented adequate security systems, they often lack the know-how and necessary staff to use the technology.

Claudia Lorenz from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said: "Some smaller businesses have no idea that security can give them a decisive competitive edge.

"Ecommerce works much better if you can convince your customers that data can be transmitted safely."

Weber said: "How are we supposed to get customers to commit themselves if there are no standards for digital signatures and we can't make him conform to the company's procedures?"

If smaller businesses could afford digital security, their turnover would increase.

Wolfram Funk, adviser to the Meta Group, also pointed out that: "IT security and ebusiness are also interdependent from an investment point of view."

Return on investment is the deciding factor. Companies must think of how costly a security loophole could be.

According to Funk, it would initially be a question of direct financial damages, "not to mention loss of image."

Nonetheless, Funk advises against going to extremes. Ebusiness will not function without security, but even the highest level of security cannot provide total protection, only an expensive and time-consuming environment. "You have to find a balance," says Funk.