Microsoft and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce kicked off National Small Business Week today with a message to business owners and their employees: Make computer security a priority by learning the facts about cyber threats and taking steps to help protect your company's vital information. The help they need is available in the new Security Guide for Small Businesses, which was written by Microsoft's U.S. Small Business team and is sponsored by the U.S. Chamber. The two organizations are releasing the guide today.

Cindy Bates, general manager of Microsoft's small business group says the contents of this new guide reflect an approach to security that spans both technology and social issues. Microsoft is seeking to make small businesses aware of potential threats so they can be empowered to make their computing environments--and by extension the Internet at large--more secure, said Bates.

Security also is a key focus for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because its members rely heavily upon information technology and the Internet to run their businesses, said Andrew Howell, the organization's vice president of homeland security policy.

PressPass recently spoke with Bates and Howell about the kinds of computer security issues small businesses face, the tools and resources available to combat security threats, and the importance of ongoing education about such issues.