The new web pages offer both advice and practical tools covering key security issues, and also examples of how businesses can be affected by network security compromises, in the form of case studies.
The information security section specifically includes information reviewing five critical security breach areas: viruses, inappropriate usage, unauthorised access, theft of information and systems failure.
The new section also offers an on-line "health check" for businesses. This is a 20-minute questionnaire, which is based on BS 7799, the UK standard for information security, and assesses a company's risk of suffering security breaches, identifying potential areas of concern.
Also, the new pages provide a glossary explaining more than 90 information security-related terms, and links to data protection legislation and to the Unified Incident Reporting and Alert Scheme (UNIRAS), where current virus alerts and information on recent security breaches in UK businesses are available.
Finally, the new section gives information on police and ICT Crime contacts, that businesses can use to report security breaches.
The information security section of UK Online for Business can be found here
The DTI's International Benchmarking Study, assessing the on-line performance of UK businesses compared to their major competitors, is available here
The OECD recently introduced similar guidelines.