SMEs need to invest more heavily in security to protect themselves against a growing incidence of website hacking, according to a software security expert.

Craig Scroggie, the MD of Symantec, says the growth of social media and the use of mobile devices is exposing businesses to more risks.

Speaking last week at the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority Risk Conference, he said politically motivated hacking of websites – sometimes referred to as “hacktivism” – is one of the biggest threats businesses face today.

He says all businesses, but especially SMEs, need to start thinking seriously about protecting themselves against online attacks.

“Implementing data loss prevention is far better than waiting for it to happen,” he said. “A lot of companies I have spoken to know that it can happen but don’t think it’s a significant risk.”

Warning that the attack on the Sony PlayStation network earlier this year which affected 1.5 million Australians is “only the beginning”, he says Anonymous, the hacktivists responsible, believe companies like Facebook and Google are collecting information to use it against people.

The organisation is also threatening to “kill” Facebook on November 5. Mr Scroggie says it destroyed a Melbourne-based company, Distribute.IT, in June.

Distribute.IT, which hosted more than 4800 company websites and email addresses, was destroyed by Anonymous when it hacked into the organisation’s server and deleted all its files and back-up information.

“They had security but it was not good enough,” Mr Scroggie said. “They did that to prove a point that companies are not taking security and risk management seriously enough.

Mr Scroggie says Anonymous hackers have also attacked 70 law enforcement agencies in the past 12 months, including the CIA and Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency.

“Big companies seem to understand the risk, but it’s the smaller companies that I am concerned about.”