If you're looking for a business opportunity, it may be already right there in your home -- your computer and an Internet connection. Don't worry about raising capital; you actually only need very little (or even none at all) to get started on an online business. All you really need is a good Internet connection and a computer; you can be well on your way to making a nice side income or full income every month depending on how you decide to pursue your online business.

One thing you'll need to keep in mind, however, when you get started on your online business is your computer's security. The last thing you want is to have online thieves get access to your computer and steal important data.

Don't be lulled in to thinking that just because you're a small online venture, thieves and data hackers are not going to target you. Remember that cyber criminals don't care whether you're a big or small business owner. If they discover your computer system unprotected, you're fair game to them.

According to a research done by AMI-Partners, nearly 50% of small- and medium-sized online businesses neglect to have even the most basic of security protection. Based on the research, these small online businesses don't even bother to install anti-spyware and anti-virus software in their computers.

This would explain why the Mydoom worm was successful; the worm affected one out of three small- and medium-sized online businesses. On the other hand, the worm affected one out of six large online companies.

This was also the findings of the Internet Security Alliance, a non-profit organization whose primary function is to handle issues on information security.

It can be concluded that small online businesses are very vulnerable to data theft and electronic sabotage. This is the reason why as a business owner, you need to make sure you implement measures to protect your data and the computers you use for conducting your business online.

Data thieves are becoming more and more sophisticated as time goes by; they have advanced software programs and the hardware they need to break into any computer. You'll be wasting a great deal of time and money if you don't take the necessary steps to protect your computer against these cyber criminals. The consequences of having an unprotected computer that you use to conduct your business online are simply staggering.

You'll find literally hundreds of software companies offering computer Internet security programs to ensure the safety of your data. There are also companies offering Internet security services so you're guaranteed your online data are safe against hackers.

Make data security and encryption one of your top priorities even before you start doing business online. Don't believe that just because you're a start-up business, you're safe from online thieves. Big online businesses have the capacity and funds to recover quickly from cyber break-ins, you don't since you're simply starting out, so why put yourself and your online business at risk?