The Business Value of Information Security for Medium-Size Businesses

Information security (i.e., protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic information) is an important issue for businesses of all sizes. Although this topic has received significant publicity in recent years, the emphasis has tended to be on larger enterprises and the consumer market. The implications for medium-size businesses (MBs) have largely been ignored. IT managers at MBs are being offered a greater number of specialized security products. Although these businesses do require security solutions, there are various prerequisites for making appropriate investment decisions. This paper discusses best-practice approaches for addressing security requirements in medium-size businesses.