It is okay to secure your business premises with all the physical accessories such as alarms, locks, and even surveillance. But the world is now changed, and technology rules every industry. If you want your business to be safe, you will want to secure your online presence too.
As a small business, you need to find a good way to secure your online activities and keep your business going. Nothing does that best than an internet security suite. It is important to know that there is a difference between a standard antivirus and internet security suite.
Yes, an antivirus can help too, but some don’t have the features to keep you safe online. Now, how do you go about finding good internet security for your business? Above all, which is the best internet security for your small business?
It all depends on what the suite has to offer. And that is what this article is about. Here is what makes the best internet security for a small business.
Reputation
Maybe you have heard about this point one, too many times, but it is a crucial point when choosing the internet security suite for your business. You want to know that the internet security suite you pick is from a reputable company. What are other people saying about it? Have you heard about the company before? Is it new on the market?
Normally, it doesn’t mean that the company that has been around for long is always the best. Also, the newcomer on the market is not always the least performer. But it is all about digging deep into the reputation of the company and the people behind it.
All in all, ensure that clients are satisfied with the delivery of the company.
Management Tools
The internet security suite that you choose must have a central management console. This central management unit must control the security status of the devices that are protected by the suite. For instance, the central management tools should have controls for the security status of Macs, PCs, mobile devices, as well as servers.
Ideally, the management dashboard should let you view the security activities/events of the suite, schedule scans, track the license statuses, and even manage any updates. Some management tools will also control the internet access of the user, allow or block applications on the system, and wipe data on lost/stolen devices. If your phone, tab, or laptop is stolen, the management tool will help you wipe the data remotely using a different device. Some companies will offer the admin management tools from a server while others from a PC.
Core Security
The main reason you want to purchase the suite is to offer you security as you connect your business-based devices to the internet. Therefore, you must highly consider the core security of the suite.
When considering the core security features of the suite, think about the third-party test scores. Some of the security elements you need to keep in mind here include internet protection, email protection, and firewall and network protection. Furthermore, you need to consider if the product can detect and remove malware from your system. In case you download any malicious file, the product should be able to identify it and take the necessary action.
Plus, you need to consider if the security suite offers social media protection. Your business must be safe whenever you access social media platforms. In today’s world, social media marketing is one of the top branches of digital marketing. Plus, most internet users are found on social media.
The security suite should also offer IM/chat security and protection from any malicious downloads. Generally, the suite that you choose must have a wide range of protection, and this should extend to several third-party antimalware tests.
If you read the Norton antivirus review, you will notice that this antivirus offers both the standard virus protection as well as complete internet protection.
Usage/Effect on Your System
Nobody wants to work with a security suite that is going to slow down their computer. Even with the best security features and functionalities, you still want a security suite that will run smoothly. A lot of people complain that the antivirus they install is slowing down their system. Others complain that it is interfering with their regular usage a lot.
Even if it runs smoothly, the security suite should not interfere with your regular computer usage. If it interferes with your computer or slows your system down in any way, it will, in turn, affect your business performance. For that reason, ensure that you confirm how the security suite runs before you think about purchasing it. You can research online from other people that have used it before.
But, you also need to ensure that you use a computer with good specifications. Ideally, use your security suites on computers with at least 4GB of RAM.
Installation
Before the security suite starts protecting your computer, you will need to install it to your computer first. Therefore, the product must be easy to install without the need for special skills. The less experienced person in your small business must be able to install the security suite.
When installing, there can be some conflicting software on your computer. For that reason, the security suite should have tools to remove the conflicting software and suggest the defaults settings.
Additional features
After you ensure that the security suite is reliable enough, you will now need to consider the additional features on it. Some of the extra features to look out for include the file encryption, tools for deleting files, as well as backup tools. With such features, you can always be sure of having a complete internet security suite to protect your small business against malicious file/malware attacks from the internet.
Just because you have a stable internet security suite doesn’t mean that you are 100% safe. Instead, you still need to take the necessary precautions to be safe online. You can never be completely sure that the file you are downloading will be safe to your computer.