Different types of computer security services are typically based on either business or consumer needs and can provide services within a company or through consultation. Many companies provide security services and solutions for other businesses, often dealing with the needs of thousands or millions of users, while others may target the needs of individual consumers. Computer security services offered within a company usually involve network and information security for servers and data utilized by a particular organization. There are also services offered through consultation, in which a security company provides assistance and security testing for another business, usually through penetration testing and similar methods.
Computer security services are typically offered by businesses and information technology (IT) professionals to secure data in a computer system. These services can be developed and intended for commercial use by businesses that have large scale needs. A company with thousands of computer systems, for example, has much greater demand for large quantities of antivirus software and similar protective measures than a small business with only a handful of systems. The need for computer security services for an Internet system accessed by millions of users each day, such as a popular social networking site, is also likely to be more intense than a small site visited by only a handful of members.
Some computer security services are developed for individual consumers or small scale businesses. These systems often require fewer resources to manage, though they are typically designed to provide the same level of security and protection that larger operations require. Antivirus software, firewalls, and encryption programs are all typically developed and utilized by both large and small businesses and organizations. Some computer security services are developed in a scalable manner, which allows the same program or utilities to be used at both large and small scales.
There are also different ways in which computer security services can be provided, depending on the needs of individual businesses. Large companies may have internal teams and security experts who are employed full time to deal with network security and threats to data for that company, often through education in safe computer practices for other employees and network monitoring. Other computer security services can be offered through consultations from companies that are wholly devoted to computer and network security. These businesses can be hired by corporations and organizations to perform penetration testing and other procedures to evaluate the security of a system and provide information on how networks and data can be protected from malicious attacks.