Case Study: A Small Business Owner's Message to the Creators of the Sobig.F, Blaster & Other Computer Viruses.

Case Study: A message to the creators of the Sobig.F, Blaster & other computer viruses; one small business owner's story of how the latest computer virus affected her business.

(PRWEB) September 1, 2003 -- Twenty years ago when teenagers were bored, they might TP (toilet paper) a neighbor's tree, throw water balloons or hang out and play radios too loud. This affected those in their immediate vicinity, usually with no economic cost attached.

Nowadays, a bored teenager can bring corporate America to its knees with a few clicks of a mouse. The cost to the economy is measured in millions, if not billions, of dollars. And who bears the brunt of this - small businesses that are trying to hang on in a sagging economy.

The latest virus to find a home on my hard drive is Sobig.F. It sends emails to all the addresses on recipient's computers. If your computer has been infected, you have to download fix-it software to remove it (see end of article for details on remedy).

In a TechNewsWorld article, Jay Lyman quotes McAfee Avert virus research engineer Craig Schmuger as saying, ". . . the worm was challenging small businesses without the IT staff to manage and secure systems."

I'm am a real, live example of the small business owner he is referring to. I do everything from designing my web sites, to writing the content, to maintaining them. However, I am NOT a computer repair expert. I don't have an IT department to call when something goes wrong.

So, when the virus hit my computer, I had to stop what I was doing; figure out whom to call; and implement fix-it measures. All of this cost time, resulting in lost productivity (hence, lost revenue).

Because this virus sent huge files, it took up a lot of space on my system, possibly not allowing pertinent messages to get through. This wasted my company's resources.

Further, because the virus sent e-mails to others making it appear as if they came from my company, I got angry e-mails from recipients accusing my company of spam. Hence, it damaged company image.

So, the total cost to me, the small business owner: precious time, valuable resources and a tarnished business image. Time, a commodity more precious than money to small business owners, is lost forever. The lasting damage to my company image remains to be seen.

I'm so angry that I don't even know if I have conveyed a fruitful point, but I do have something to say to the ignoramuses who do this: "Do you realize that small business drives the American economy? Do your parents work? Do you realize that every dollar you take out of a small business owner's pocket affects everyone - your parent's ability to pay for the very food that goes into your mouth?"

Let me draw an economic line for you. If I, a small business owner, have to waste time on non-income producing tasks like fixing my computer from your virus, that means I'll have to raise prices on product to meet my bottom line. So, it costs you, the consumer (your parents) more. This takes a bigger bite out of their paychecks.

And, less productivity means less money to pay for employee benefits like health care; 401K plans (the money your parents need to retire); and/or a tuition matching fund (the money your parents could use to send you to college).

Realize that this is not a game. There are real people who suffer real costs as a result of your actions. Why not capitalize on your obvious talent? Small business owners are always looking for ways to save time. Create an automated system that saves us time, hence money - money that could be passed on to your parents in the form of a raise.

Because I believe in silver linings, I searched high and low and found one. If ever I were to look for a job in corporate America again, I feel prepared to tackle anything. After all, I AM the advertising, marketing, product development and cleaning departments for my businesses. And my latest credential? "Head of IT."

To rid your computer of the Sobig.F virus, see this link: http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.sobig.f@mm.html.

May be reprinted with inclusion of the following: Yuwanda Black is an entrepreneur, author and syndicated small business columnist whose focus is controlling your destiny through small business ownership. Her most recent e-book, How to Really Make a Living as an Editorial Freelancer, is available for immediate download at http://www.InkwellEditorial.com/bizguides.html. Visit her on the web at http://www.InkwellEditorial.com or http://www.EntrepreDoer.biz for a complete list of how-to, small business books and articles.