e're all aware of recent security breaches that caused major banks to reissue thousands of customers' debit and credit cards. But we're less aware of small business security breaches, and what we don't know can hurt us.

Here are some chilling facts from the Small Business Technical Institute:

• More than half of all small businesses in the United States experienced a security breach in the last year.
• Almost one-fifth of small businesses don't use virus-scanning software for e-mail.
• More than 60% don't protect their wireless networks with encryption.
• Two-thirds of small businesses don't have an information security plan.

According to Steve Cole, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), small businesses "often believe they're better protected than they really are because they don't have in-house experts to advise them on what else they should be doing beyond locking up their storefronts.

"It's difficult for them to know where and how to access support. This makes us all vulnerable, as small businesses are a strong part of our economy."

To help small businesses get a leg up on data security, CBBB has partnered with another nonprofit organization, Privacy & American Business (P&AB), in launching the Security & Privacy - Made Simpler initiative.

Sponsored by IBM, Visa U.S.A., Equifax, Verizon Wireless, eBay, PayPal, The Wall Street Journal and the Direct Marketing Association, the initiative was developed by privacy and security experts Dr. Alan F. Westin and Dr. Lance Hoffman.

Through Better Business Bureaus across the country and through the Web, the initiative will provide free, easy-to-use privacy toolkits, a downloadable Webinar featuring distinguished topic experts and updates about new privacy and security developments that affect small businesses.

"Our initiative encourages small retailers to take ownership of their responsibilities, to develop a privacy and security policy and implement an action plan that makes privacy and data protection an integral part of their everyday business operations," said Westin, Founder of P&AB. "This will pay off for them across the board."

Cole concurred. "The goal is to make the issue less intimidating and point them in the right direction," he said. "We have broken down complex and cumbersome concepts into manageable action steps."

For information, visit www.bbb.org/security&privacy.