Half of all small companies fear their IT network is open to attack, according to new research.

In a poll of the key IT drivers and challenges for 2008, over half of those questioned said they feared their current setup did not deliver effective protection for their business.

The poll, carried out by Loudhouse Research on behalf of Star Technology, also revealed that just under half find it difficult to keep up to date with emerging security threats.

"Rather than continue to invest in security products, resource and knowledge base, small firms need to look to their ISPs to help ensure they minimise their risk from potentially business-ending attacks," said Paul Watson, vice-president, product management and marketing at Star.