[BreachExchange] 10 Reasons Why You Need an Antivirus for Your Business

[Destry Winant]

https://thenextscoop.com/antivirus-for-business/

Cyber-attacks are one of the most serious threats that modern
businesses have to face. According to the statistics, around 50% of
small and medium enterprises in the US suffer losses resulted from
malware infections.

And still, surprisingly few companies pay due attention to their
cyber-security. Entrepreneurs tend to believe that built-in Internet
Security software or a basic free antivirus pack will protect their
data.

Unfortunately, this is a mere misconception. Here are 10 reasons why
you need a reliable antivirus for business.

1. Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is one of the most insidious forms of modern malware – it
is very difficult to detect and almost impossible to cure. It freezes
access to the files stored on the hard drive (or blocks the PC
completely).

Frequently, the only solution is a full disk formatting; the
information from the disk, of course, is lost forever. No surprise,
business owners prefer to pay huge ransoms to scammers in exchange for
a remote chance of the lost data restoration.

Default Internet Security software and free antiviruses are virtually
powerless against ransomware. The only way to prevent infecting is to
use a strong antivirus for business.

2. Protection of Sensitive Data

The importance of personal and financial data protection can hardly be
overestimated. Numbers of credit cards and bank accounts, passwords,
and commercially sensitive information must be out of the hackers’
reach.

Meanwhile, one of the most sophisticated malware forms is the
so-called spyware that steals data. Spyware is extremely difficult to
prevent and remove.

Will you choose to spend several dollars on a good antivirus or lose
millions of dollars because of your carelessness one day? The answer
is clear.

3. E-mail Protection

It is a well-known fact that e-mails are a common channel for viruses
and Trojans transfer. Trojans act inside your operating system, damage
important files, and, what is most important, let swindlers access
your PC.

Modern viruses are smart enough: they are often disguised as
innocuous-looking images, text files, and links. One accidental click
– and your computer with tons of confidential information is infected.

Good antiviruses for business automatically scan the incoming letters
and attachments, warning you about suspicious files and potential
threats.

4. An Improved Online Security

This is crucial for those engaged in e-commerce. If you are running an
online business, accept online payments, or store any sensitive
information online, a reliable antivirus is a must-have.

Premium antivirus packs for business provide a higher level of online
security, creating a safe environment for a user. Timely detection and
blocking of phishing and fraudulent sites are ones of the important
components of a complex online security pack.

Many AV providers offer extra online security features, such as
improved protection of all financial transactions with the help of
modern encryption methods.

5. Ease of Use and Management

Unlike home editions of most antivirus solutions, a standard pack of
an antivirus for business offers a possibility of managing security
via a single centralized console.

No matter how large your business network is – an administrator can
control all the connected devices remotely, easily, and effectively.
Moreover, in most cases, you even don’t need special IT-skills to
manage the process, as the console’s interface is really simple and
intuitive.

Add as many devices to your network as you can, make individual
settings, modify and delete connections by a couple of clicks.

6. More User Packets under One License

Usually, when buying a home edition of an antivirus, you get a
possibility of connecting up to 3-5 devices under one license. A
business antivirus pack for small to medium companies can include from
15-20 to 1000 user packs.

An example is Avira Antivirus Pro (Business Edition). Moreover, there
are special offers for large corporations with 10 000 through
unlimited user packs available. It is convenient when you need to
protect multiple devices, including Windows computers, Mac laptops,
Android tabs, and so on under one license.

On the other hand, if you run a really small company with just under
10 employees, one of the top antiviruses designed for home users may
work perfectly well for you. A set of premium features will cost you
less than $100 in this case.

Read Norton, ScanGuard and BullGuard reviews to see of one of them is
the right choice for you.

7. Professional Support

Holders of business accounts usually get professional technical
support from their provider. Some companies provide exclusive services
to those who buy antivirus for business – a personal manager, 24/7
support, toll-free phone consultations, and other perks.

Also, they get detailed technical reports about the work of the
software, detected threats, scanning processes completed, and so on.

8. Useful Extra Features

The main function of any antivirus product is detecting and
neutralizing of malware as well as regular scanning for potential
threats. However, you’ll find a range of useful extras in business
antivirus packs. Here are just some of them:

a password manager;
a file shredder;
a firewall;
an ad blocker;
USB scanning;
an anti-spam filter;
a search advisor;
a built-in VPN service.

Though some of the extras can seem unnecessary, others are extremely
useful. Thus, a password manager and a file shredder features are
must-haves for a business of any level.

9. Background Scanning without a Heavy Impact on a System

Regular background scanning is crucial for timely malware detection
and prevention of contamination. However, many entry-level antivirus
products have a heavy impact on the system.

Premium business antiviruses, in turn, have a minimal impact on
performance while doing their job much more effectively and smoothly,
which is proven by independents labs, including AV-TEST and
AV-Comparatives.

10. Server Protection

Some providers of business antivirus products offer protection of mail
and file servers on the top of individual computers protection.

For example, server protection is offered by BitDefender and
Kaspersky. Most medium-sized and large businesses will benefit from
this extra security feature.

Conclusion

Under the modern circumstances, antivirus for business has become
absolutely essential for any company, regardless of its scale. A
starting price of a full-featured antivirus for business is no more
than $150 per year (in fact, there are cheaper options).

That said, by paying this money, you save thousands or even millions
of dollars. Yes, it may happen that you will never be attacked by
hackers and never come across any hidden threats. But why push your
luck?

There are two ways to protect your device from all forms of malware at
the 98-99% credible level. The first one is to use a reliable
antivirus. The second one is to cut off Internet access, unplug all
the external devices, and turn off the computer. It’s up to you to
decide what to choose.