Microsoft Adds Security Guidance Center for Small Businesses

Microsoft added a new Security Guidance Center to it's Small Business Center Web site. The new content provides security information and advice to help businesses create a safer network environment.

Among the new content is a series titled, "Safeguard Your Business in 7 Steps." The series includes a series of small articles that cover protecting desktops and laptops, keeping data safe, safe use of the Internet, protecting the business network and servers, securing business applications, and managing desktops and laptops from a server.

Another article, Security 101, is essentially a list of terms and concepts explained in some amount of basic detail. The article includes information about packets, ports, IP addresses, firewalls, servers, viruses, Trojans, worms, spam, and hoaxes. The article goes on to explain security-related concepts, such as spoofing, denial of service, privilege elevation and more.

Also included are several other articles, such as "When Bad Things Happen to Good Companies," which offers insight into some of the inherent risks of using the Internet. In one example someone explains how they fell into a trap through a fake email message designed to appear as though it came from eBay, and subsequently the person gave away private information in a phishing scam.

Overall the site contains some useful information for small business operators who may not be very familiar with the security-related landscape.