Small businesses have become the primary target of cyberattacks since they now have access to precious customer and payment information. Unfortunately, they typically have weak online security since they don’t have the enterprise-grade tools that larger companies have. This makes it easy for hackers to breach their networks.
While many businesses owners now know that they should prioritize cybersecurity, their limited financial resources force them to rely on free solutions that are incapable of protecting them from the various attack methods. The impact of a security breach can have devastating consequences for a business such as loss of data, downtime, and costly legal fees. It can even force companies to close their business for good.
Fortunately, the emergence of solutions that are geared towards small businesses has made cybersecurity more affordable and accessible to organizations with limited budgets. Here are five solutions that can beef up a small organization’s data security without breaking the bank:
1. ReasonLabs
Privacy-focused security solutions provider ReasonLabs offers Reason for Business –an anti-malware solution specifically tailored to help small businesses combat modern threats.
At its core, Reason offers an antivirus capable of providing real-time scanning and threat removal. It also has ransomware protection that detects and blocks encryption attempts that look to lock users out of their files. In addition, Reason has microphone and camera protection that can block remote access tools that hackers use to record private conversations and webcam streams.
Reason also provides browser plugins that help prevent users from clicking on malicious links and downloading infected files. Businesses who are tech-savvy enough can even tap into Reason’s API to integrate the tools into their various business apps.
Reason Premium is available through affordable subscription plans starting at $59.99 a year and is currently on sale for 50% off.
2. Cymulate (Breach and Attack Simulation)
Businesses must also ensure that the security tools that they have implemented are working. However, small businesses don’t have enough financial resources and manpower to run highly technical penetration tests to evaluate their defenses.
Fortunately, breach and attack (BAS) platforms like Cymulate allow small businesses to assess their cyber risk by performing simulated attacks against their infrastructure. Cymulate can simulate phishing, malware attacks against firewalls and endpoint security, and lateral movement of threat actors in a network.
The platform can identify if the attack was successfully executed, if it was partially blocked, or if it was detected and completely eliminated. Cymulate can also provide comprehensive reports that include summaries and actionable insights to help IT leaders plug the security gaps in their system and implement better protection and mitigation strategies.
Cymulate offers various pricing tiers depending on the size of the organization.
3. Dashlane (Password Manager)
Cybercriminals are also using various methods such as brute force hacking to infiltrate a network. By using automated tools that can generate millions of passwords, hackers can crack weak and short passwords and successfully gain access to an account. Employees who use and reuse weak passwords for their work accounts are susceptible to brute force attacks and can put businesses at risk of suffering from a data breach.
As such, adopting a capable password manager such as Dashlane is essential. Dashlane Business has a capable password generator that ensures every team member uses unique and strong passwords for their accounts. It also has real-time password monitoring that tracks security threats and immediately notifies users to change their passwords if their account has been compromised. Additionally, Dashlane uses AES encryption and a zero-knowledge model to ensure that the generated passwords are kept secure.
It is available at $4 per user per month.
4. FraudLabs Pro (Fraud Protection)
Cybercriminals are also putting a strain on e-commerce companies through fraud. Fraudsters can purchase an item, falsely claim that they did not make a purchase or failed to receive the product, and file for a chargeback on their cards. They can also use stolen credit card information to make a purchase and get products for free.
Small businesses can avoid falling victim to such plots by adopting a capable fraud protection platform such as FraudLabs Pro to screen online transactions made using credit cards or PayPal. FraudLabs Pro has advanced algorithms and a comprehensive set of fraud validation rules to assess online orders. It can validate the billing and shipping address, IP address, user account, email address, and credit card of anyone making a transaction to block fraudulent activities.
FraudLabs Pro automates the complicated process of fraud detection and helps businesses avoid financial losses due to bogus buyers. FraudLabs starts at $29.95 per month.
5. KnowBe4 (Security Awareness Training)
Small businesses must ensure that everyone in their organization are trained and well-prepared for cyberattacks. Nowadays, even one small mistake can compromise the whole organization. In fact, 25% of data breaches were caused by human error.
Security awareness training platforms like KnowBe4 can help small businesses address this problem. KnowBe4 has a large library of training materials that can help employees gain a clear understanding of cybersecurity and threats. The platform also allows organizations to customize training programs and launch campaigns to enable employees to spot malicious activities and adopt a privacy-focused mindset in their work.
Companies can greatly enhance their security by equipping their employees with the skills to spot and avoid malicious activities. The training service is available in various price points depending on the scope and topics that are to be covered.
Conclusion
By investing in capable security solutions, regularly testing their defenses, and training their employees, small businesses can better protect themselves from hackers that actively search for vulnerabilities that they can exploit. With the availability of affordable security solutions, there’s no excuse for small businesses not to build a strong security perimeter that can help them avoid security breaches.
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