SMEs that conduct business online need to ensure they "take additional precautions" in relation to IT security, one expert has said.

Greg Day, security analyst for McAfee, explained that any firm that uses the internet to make monetary transactions is a much more attractive target for cyber-criminals.

Mr Day said: "Additional precautions should be taken to ensure the transaction is completed safely and any data is transmitted and stored safely."

He added that every company should "look at how [they] use IT in business and the implications it brings".

Doing so will help SMEs understand their "risk profiles" when it comes to IT security and this, in turn, will help them put adequate safeguards in place.

According to IT security firm AV Test the number of malicious programs online has rocketed from around 175,000 unique samples a year in 2004 to around 5.5 million last year.

The 2007 figure was a five-fold increase on the amount seen in 2006, it added.

According to a recent survey by Connect, the two biggest IT headaches for businesses were 'everyday hassles with IT' (37 per cent) and 'security concerns' (32 per cent) In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were 'guaranteed response times' and 'allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues.