Last week, Javelin Strategy & Research released its 2011 Small Business Fraud report. As often happens with studies like this, there is both good news and bad. Let's start with the good: Fraud rates actually declined 45 percent between 2009 and 2010. The bad news is that the small business owner’s mean victim cost is almost double that of consumers: $1,574 compared to $631. (That’s the amount you might lose out of pocket if you fall victim to fraud.)

Why the discrepancy? Phil Blank, senior research analyst, security risk and fraud for Javelin, says that small business owners are a much more attractive target—thieves can often get their hands on larger dollar amounts easily—and they’re more likely to engage in “risky” behaviors like sharing of passwords or credit cards.

The average small business victim also spends 52 hours getting out of the mess fraud can create, and as you know, time is money. Luckily, this is an area where a few preventative measures can go a long way.

Here’s what you need to be doing to protect the business you’ve built:

• Treat employees like employees. Not friends. Not family members. And certainly not confidants. As Blank said, small businesses tend to have a lackadaisical attitude toward security—you only have a few employees, everyone knows everyone, so why not share the bank password or the credit card number? But information like this has a way of multiplying: You tell your assistant, your assistant tells a friend, and all of a sudden someone has opened up a line of credit in the business’s name or ordered a new stereo on the corporate card.

• Set alerts. You can ask your credit card company to send you a message every time a charge is made. You’ll see a lot of legitimate charges, but you’ll also be able to take notice fairly quickly if a large charge comes through that you didn’t authorize, says Blank. The same goes for savings or checking accounts: Set a limit with your bank that says you don’t want any checks written for more than $1,000, and tell them to notify you if a check comes in for more than $500.

• Install anti-virus software. It may be pricy, depending on how many computers you need to protect, but it can also save you money and time in the long-term. “Any major anti-virus software vendor has a complete package that will cover 95 percent of what you need,” says Blank. “Just be sure to keep the software up-to-date to ensure that baseline of protection.” Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition will protect your server and your computers from viruses and spyware for between $24 and $37 a license. What about that remaining five percent? That brings me to my next point...

• Stop man-in-the-browser attacks. Experienced hackers can install software into your computer that will watch your every move while you log in to bank accounts, then go back in themselves and transfer money out. Blank says banks are on to this, and many offer free software that you can download to protect yourself. Ask your bank for details. (Note: While you have them on the phone, ask about anti-virus software as well. Some banks have partnered with these software companies, and you may be able to get a discount. It’s in your bank’s best interest to minimize fraud, after all).

• Understand your protection. The debit card and credit card fraud protection that you have as a consumer likely doesn’t extend to your business accounts, says Blank. Talk to your bank about the extent of your protection, but know that you might be on the hook if you fall victim. The solution, here, is a fraud protection service that also offers loss insurance, says Blank. “These will try to prevent fraud from occurring, and then if it does occur, they’ll provide relief for you. Make sure you’re getting actual insurance for the loss, instead of remediation.” Remediation may cover an attorney who can clear your credit record, but you want coverage that reduces or eliminates your out of pocket loss.

Jean Chatzky is financial editor of NBC's "Today" show, a contributing editor at More magazine and author of "Money 911: Your Most Pressing Money Questions Answered, Your Money Emergencies Solved." She recently launched the Jean Chatzky Score Builder in partnership with smartcredit.com. Check out her blog at jeanchatzky.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

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