OVERLAND PARK, Kan., May 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Most businessesprobably feel far removed from Odysseus' sneak attack against his competitionwith the Trojan horse, but cybercriminals are using their own modern-dayTrojans to sneak into businesses' networks and computers and attack them bystealing information, sabotaging data, disrupting service and launderingmoney.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Computer Crime Survey, based on theresponses of more than 2,000 public and private organizations, found thatnearly 90 percent had experienced security attacks within a year's time, andmost of these attacks resulted in financial losses. Viruses and worms were themost costly, accounting for $12 million of the $32 million in total losses.

While viruses and spyware were cited as the most common types of attacksin the survey, cybercriminals have an arsenal of tools from which to choose --the aforementioned Trojans, bots and zombies to name a few -- and they cancome from anywhere in the world. Survey results showed 36 different countrieswere sources of attacks against respondents.

The best way for businesses to defend themselves against cyber attacks isto invest in the appropriate level of security needed to manage their risks,but picking the right security solution can be an overwhelming process becausethere are many options in the marketplace. It can be especially difficult forsmall businesses that don't employ IT professionals.

To simplify the process, businesses should consider working with aprovider that offers a full portfolio of security options. EMBARQ, forexample, has created EMBARQ(TM) Business Security Solutions, a completesecurity suite that combats multiple risks with a portfolio of optionsincluding software, hardware and network-based solutions.

'Our research has shown that at least half of all businesses believe thatdata security is one of the most pressing issues they face,' said Susan Sarna,vice president of marketing and product management for EMBARQ. 'No onesecurity measure can protect them from all threats, so we worked with securityindustry leaders to develop a one-stop security toolbox. Our portfolio letsbusinesses pick the appropriate level of security to manage risk according totheir unique needs.'

The EMBARQ(TM) Business Security Solutions portfolio includes desktop,network and e-mail security as well as continuity services such as back-up,recovery and re-routing.