A new internet security product has been released, which claims to offer near-100 per cent protection against spyware and phishing attacks.

SentryBay says its PhishLock software is able to provide a defence against attempted breaches the second they have been launched, as unlike traditional security software it does not rely on identifying malware or black-lists which can soon fall out of date.

In addition, it is designed to recognise the key features of established websites so that it can prevent users from entering personal information on to bogus sites.

Dave Waterson, SentryBay's chief executive officer, suggests that spyware steals most data at the point of entry, before it has even been transmitted over the internet.

He adds: "While heuristic-based solutions can also provide real-time protection, they tend to pick up less than 50 per cent of new phishing attacks, whereas SentryBay's customised solution picks up close to 100 per cent of phishing scams."

SC Magazine recently reported a survey from McAfee had found that small and medium-sized businesses are naive about the level of threat posed by cybercriminals.

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'