U.S. small business owners or operators have a false sense of cybersecurity as more than three-fourths (77 percent) say their company is safe from cyber threats such as hackers, viruses, malware or a cybersecurity breach, yet 83 percent have no formal cybersecurity plan. These findings are from a new survey released today of 1,015 U.S. small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Symantec.  (The full survey is available at: http://www.staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/resources/)

This annual survey is being released in conjunction with National Cyber Security Awareness Month, a coordinated national effort focused on improving online safety and security for all Americans. The survey findings reveal some disparities such as the need for establishing Internet security policies and practices, handling and responding to data breaches, and providing consistent IT/security management at their businesses.