It's nearly impossible for non-technical small business owners and managers to keep up with the dizzying pace of change and increasing risk of security breaches.

Your best bet?

In the same way you learn on your CPA/CA for financial, accounting and tax planning advice, find a good local computer consultant or integrator that you can rely on as your trusted technology advisor.

It's good to be an informed consumer. For example, knowing enough to ask, "do we have a firewall? and what kind is it? or is our WiFi encrypted?"

However it's an exercise in futility and very counterproductive to take time away from your business learning to be an "expert" in small business data security.

and what about the six tips?

Hi Rich,

These 6 steps are certainly a good start. Because this is SUCH a moving target, I don't think it's the be-all, end-all on this topic.

For example, with Tip #1 can you talk about protecting against viruses without also protecting against spyware?

With Tip #2, is a hardware-based firewall really 100% of the answer? or is keeping the firmware on that firewall current just as important? What about adding on software-based firewalls to supplement this? (both 3rd party and in the OS)

With Tip #4, I've always explained that using e-mail responsibly in a business setting boils down to viewing e-mail as electronic letterhead. You wouldn't send a joke-of-the-day on company letterhead (well maybe Jay Leno would). So why do so on your company's .com brand-image?

Tip #6 is great too. Physical security is very often overlooked when it's so simple and low-tech to address.

This is good sound advice. And StartupNation does a really good job of raising awareness of these issues. And making small business owners more empowered.

But at the end of the day, getting professional help with this is as essential as getting good professional legal or accounting advice.

The only small businesses that should go-it-alone 100% of the time are those who truly can't afford professional help of any kind.

An educated small business owner though always makes for a much better client.