"Small-business owners have a lot to do, and they can't farm out a lot of that stuff to a lot of other people," said Ms. Honeyman. "The business owner can't get involved as he would like to."

The Hartford's response, she continued, is to provide tools that will make the owner's job easier, both in terms of insurance and of e-security.

"Most small businesses can't afford to be shut down [by cyber attacks] for a day, or even a few hours," she noted, explaining that providing e-security tools for customers would not only potentially reduce the number of claims, but it could also strengthen that customer relationship for agents and the carrier alike.

"Most businesses these days are concerned with e-security issues, but only a small portion of them do anything about it," said Jim Ruel, senior vice president of small-business insurance at The Hartford.

"Few of the nation's 6.4 million small businesses can afford a security specialist, so successfully protecting a business's network, customer information and Web site often depends on a business owner's own savvy," he added. "Spending the 15-to-20 minutes taking this user-friendly class can provide valuable insights that lessen the likelihood of data theft, network downtime and other serious security issues."

"The Internet, in some instances, can be a mixed blessing for business owners," according to Mr. Ruel. "While nothing matches its efficiency to provide information, showcase products and spur sales, a successful hacker attack can just as efficiently grind business to a halt. We created the e-security Web class with help from Symantec to show small-business owners the risks they face each time they open their e-mail or fill an order from the Web."

"Late last year we noticed a rise in data theft, data leakage and malicious code designed to steal confidential information--all targeted specifically at small and midsized businesses," said Mark Piening, senior director of worldwide small-and-medium business marketing at Symantec Corp. "This security seminar shows business owners some simple steps to help protect their systems and data."

Among the features offered in the Web class are:

o A description of the major types of e-security risks like viruses, worms, Trojan horses and spam.

o A list of common ways to identify problematic e-mails.

o A tool to help calculate direct costs of Internet risks, including time wasted reviewing spam and disruption of workflow when systems are brought down by a cyber attack.

o An explanation of the types of e-security measures small businesses should consider that encompasses a combination of hardware, software and insurance protection.

o A downloadable list of 10 workplace practices to help strengthen e-security.

Ms. Honeyman emphasized that The Hartford is not selling insurance or e-security products through the class. "We're in the advice business," she stated. "There's no hard sell. This is educational."

She also noted that while the class has been designed for The Hartford's customers, it is "really appropriate for any business."