For small and midsize business owners, walking into work can sometimes feel akin to entering a room full of cranky toddlers, all demanding their needs be met at once.

In the workplace, a number of priorities compete for a business owner’s attention – budgetary decisions, customer satisfaction, employee relations and more.

It can be difficult enough to devote attention to all of these key concerns, let alone a topic that may seem unrelated to your core business operations, like cybersecurity.

Unfortunately, cybercriminals do pose as threats to your business and should be taken seriously. Fortunately, there are many free resources designed for business owners like you. One such resource is Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report, a comprehensive update developed twice each year that includes all the guidance you need to keep your digital data safe.

Worms aren’t just in your garden. Microsoft’s most recent Security Intelligence Report (SIRv7) reveals that the most significant trend in the first half of 2009 was the dramatic increase in worm infections. It’s important to stop worms at their source because once they’ve infected one area of a network, worms can spread more successfully behind a firewall than over the Internet.

Keep in mind that your employees’ computer habits at home can bring worms into your workplace. For instance, Taterf, a new type of worm that targets multiplayer online role-playing games, can infiltrate a USB drive and then infect your entire network.

Cybercriminals also employ clever tactics that capitalize on your instincts to keep your data safe, most prominently through the use of rogue security software – malicious software that takes advantage of users’ desires to keep their computers secure. Pretending to be a legitimate security program, this kind of software appears to offer protection from malware, spyware and other threats. However, in reality, it offers little to no protection and is instead intended to steal money or sensitive information from its victims.

Microsoft reported a significant increase of rogue security software in its SIRv6 (April, 2009). The latest report indicates that security measures and education have reduced the effectiveness of these programs, but that they’re still among the top threats globally.

Fighting cybercrime in the workplace clearly is not one person’s responsibility. It is a company-wide concern. Take time to educate your employees on best practices for computer security, share the lastest threat as outlined in Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report and be sure they understand the role they must play in preventing cybercrime.

Additionally, be aware of new technologies that can bolster your network’s defenses, such as Network Access Protection and DirectAccess. By enforcing security protocols, these technologies can help prevent employees from unknowingly infecting the network.

With so many business concerns weighing on a small or midsize business owner, tackling cybersecurity can feel overwhelming. However, by making it an ongoing priority to learn more about the most prevalent threats and how to protect your organization from them, eventually it won’t seem so daunting. Plus, it will benefit your business in the long run and bring you greater peace of mind.

The full Security Intelligence Report provides more detailed information on security threats and is freely available at www.microsoft.com/sir.

Jane Dickson is a regional general manager for managed partners in Microsoft’s Small and Mid-market Solutions and Partners (SMS&P) group. For more free technology tips and other valuable information, visit www.microsoft.com/midsizebusiness.