Best Cyber Security Software for Your SMB
Last editedOct 20222 min read
Cyber security protects your business from would-be attackers attempting to access its various networks and systems. The best cyber security software will keep customer and employee data safe, while providing a wall of protection that responds to the latest threats. Here’s a rundown of what to look for, as well as our picks of the best software for small businesses.
Why is cybersecurity important?
According to the UK Government’s 2022 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, 39% of UK businesses experienced a cyberattack of some sort over the past 12 months alone. The most common types of breaches were phishing attempts, followed by more serious attacks such as malware, ransomware, and denial of service. Nearly one third of businesses reported weekly attacks, with an average cost of £4,200. For medium and large businesses, the cost rises to an average of £19,400.
Cyberattacks not only impact a small business’s bottom line; they also impact its reputation. If your customers don’t feel like their personal and financial details are safe from outside attacks, they’re less likely to provide this information to your website or submit payment information to complete transactions.
Features of the best cyber security software
For all the reasons mentioned above, it’s well worth the cost of cyber security software. Yet not all software is created alike, so what should you look for when comparing your options? The best cyber security software will include features such as:
Email protection
Firewall protection
Antivirus protection
Website scanning tools
Encryption tools
Customer support
Data protection
The software will also need to integrate with your existing system, whether it’s Linux, Mac, or Microsoft.
Five best cyber security software options
The best cyber security software will depend on the scope of your business’s data and systems. Some will only need the most basic antivirus protection, while others will need more in-depth protection.
1. Norton Antivirus for Small Business
We’ll start the list with Norton, a popular antivirus software for individual consumers. Norton makes a product designed for small businesses as well, offering 24/7 customer support and constant virus monitoring and removal. Small businesses can connect a maximum of 20 devices with this plan, ensuring spam blocking, identity verification and safe web browsing. You can opt to add on additional Norton products including Secure VPN, Password Manager and Cloud Backup.
2. Bitdefender Total Security
Another popular manufacturer of security software is Bitdefender. Its Total Security product focuses on online privacy for your small business with a unique file shredder feature to destroy sensitive documents in the online sphere. Like Norton, it offers 24/7 support and gives users access to safe online banking, social network protection, and secure firewalls. The software works constantly to identify and protect your data from outside threats and fraud.
3. Mimecast
Most small businesses use email marketing as well as internal email for communications.Mimecast cyber security software focuses on keeping all email safe from malicious activity. It’s a cloud-based platform offering web security, threat protection, and detection of ransomware, phishing, and other common email security hazards.
4. Cisco Firepower 1000
Specifically designed for small businesses, Cisco’s Firepower 1000 series of software is designed to keep protection simple. You can update your firewalls with a single click, rather than wasting an afternoon performing admin. Additional features include password security, malware protection, and filtering of suspicious URLs.
5. Acunetix
This security testing tool helps small and medium businesses monitor web security using the power of intelligent automation. It makes it easy to test your web applications and APIs for threats with rapid scanning results. Acunetix can identify over 7,000 potential vulnerabilities in your websites and apps so you can fix any issues as they crop up.
Choosing the best cyber security software for your SMB
You should also consider integrations. Ideally, your cyber security software will integrate easily with your accounting and payments systems to keep customer details fully protected at all stages of the checkout process and beyond. GoCardless integrates easily with over 350 partners for seamless transactions. Its security features include strong encryption to keep business data safe and is ISO27001 certified since 2016. Together with today’s cyber security software, this offers the highest level of protection against outside threats.
We can help
GoCardless is a global payments solution that helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of financial admin your team needs to deal with. Find out how GoCardless can help you with one-off or recurring payments.
