6 Best Online Security Software for Small to Medium Businesses

Malware attacks are just as likely to hit small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) as they are giant corporations. More so because SMBs don’t have a huge budget to invest in the best online security software that larger corporations have.

In fact, according to statistics, one out of every five small businesses in the United Kingdom and the United States does not utilize any endpoint protection.

Furthermore, we now live in a society where an increasing number of employees work from home, utilizing their own gadgets rather than office computers.

The driving force for attacks on small and medium businesses is often money. Hackers can make money in various ways, including stealing and selling financial information or holding sensitive data for ransom.

As a result, adequate online security has become critical to the safety of an organization’s network.

This post will look at the top six online security solutions for protecting small and medium enterprises from malware threats.

Bitdefender GravityZone

Bitdefender Gravityzone is a scalable, comprehensive security solution that blends pioneering and patented technologies like heuristics, signature-based approaches, Process Inspector, and machine learning algorithms to offer a stack of security solutions to SMBs.

GravityZone works well with physical and virtual machines running macOS, Windows, Linux, and Microsoft Exchange servers to offer security solutions such as antivirus, firewall, anti-malware, software firewall, content control, device control, etc. as well as prevention against phishing and zero-day attacks.

Bitdefender Gravityzone’s client user interface (UI) —also known as GravityZone control center— is easy to use and makes deployment a breeze. The software is managed via a cloud-based interface, or it can be hosted on-premise.

With GravityZone, you can use a single console that gives you comprehensive protection and shows you a trend line of malware activity while keeping you informed on other threat factors by detecting and analyzing risky software and operating system (OS) misconfigurations. And when threats are detected, you get a play-by-play recounting of the attack.

Gravityzone web interface also lets you define the installer packages for the endpoints. You can choose to install a Firewall, Advanced Threat Control, Content Control, and a Power User module. In addition, you can select which components to include along with some installation settings, such as Uninstall Password, Custom Installation Path, and Scan Before Installation.

Another helpful feature is the Policies page, where you can add and manage policies. For instance, you can specify the type of web traffic to permit, whether to enable the firewall, and the types of devices to be plugged into the system.

Sandbox analyzer is another exciting feature in Bitdefender GravityZone security. It lets you submit files to (to a virtual safe environment) be detonated and analyzed before running them in the real world. This enables you to determine whether or not a file is safe before opening it.

More features and benefits

Ransomware Prevention and Mitigation

Ransomware mitigation includes automatic and real-time up-to-date tamperproof backup of files that may have been modified by malicious processes. This is an essential feature because these backups can be used to roll back any changes in the original data once the threat has been neutralized.

Operates on zero-trust mode

GravityZone runs in a zero-trust mode, which means it constantly monitors all running processes for suspicious activity or abnormal behavior. This enables it to detect common attack routes such as attempting to mask the process type, executing code, and so on.

Network attack defense

Gravityzone runs 11 billion queries each day to detect and protect against assaults that try to break into the system by exploiting network flaws.

This network-based security feature prevents threats such as brute-force attacks, password stealers, network exploits, and lateral movement from executing.

Layered protection for your endpoint

GravityZone protects your devices and servers using different layers of security tools such as continuous monitoring, machine learning, heuristics, signatures-based analysis, and memory protection. They work to block malware, disinfect devices, and quarantine infected devices.

Web and anti-phishing modules

Online filtering is also included in the software, which scans web traffic (including HTTPS encrypted traffic) to prevent malware downloads and block access to phishing and fraudulent websites. This feature helps users stay out of trouble with a remarkably reduced number of false positives.

ESET Endpoint Security

ESET Endpoint Security is a lightweight and highly adaptable solution that works with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android operating systems. It includes built-in iOS and AndroidOS for mobile device management.

ESET Endpoint Security is available on-premise and on the cloud. The system detects targeted malware, ransomware, and fileless assaults using machine learning algorithms and crowdsourced threat intelligence due to its powerful intrusion detection capabilities.

ESET accomplishes this by continuously monitoring and evaluating all currently running apps for malicious content based on their known characteristics.

ESET Endpoint Security also protects web applications and browsers used to access sensitive business data both inside the premises and in the cloud. A secure web browser ensures users don’t download malicious files and gives the IT team the ability to whitelist and blacklist URLs.

ESET endpoint is available in 38 languages and has localized support, making it a suitable online security software for SMBs with a diverse workforce.

More features and benefits

Ransomware detection

ESET malware protection includes Ransomware Shield, which identifies malware before, during, and after the execution phase of the lifecycle to provide the best level of protection available.

Multilayered Defense

ESET multilayered defense includes an in-product sandbox that can detect malware that tries to obfuscate itself to avoid detection.

Cross-platform support

ESET works well with Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Mobile device management is also wholly integrated for iOS and Android.

Unparalleled performance

ESET is a lightweight endpoint protection security system that improves device performance.

Network Attack Protection

ESET endpoint blocks exploits at the network level, thereby preventing ransomware from ever infecting your company’s systems.

Cloud-based console

A single cloud-based unified management console lets you control all ESET endpoints— including mobile devices. This, combined with automatic updates, makes ESET’s solution simple to set up and maintain, with no additional hardware required.

Avast Business Pro Plus

Avast Business Pro Plus is a complete endpoint and network security solution designed to ensure full protection for SMBs against vulnerabilities and network threats like viruses, malware.

Avast Business Pro Plus is 100% cloud-based, which means you can manage all of your endpoints, policies, and alerts from one integrated platform regardless of where you are because you get remote access to all of your devices on the cloud.

Avast Business Security uses behavioral-based detection, machine learning, and signature-based detection to identify and quarantine malware threats effectively.

Avast Business Pro Plus is easy to install, and its user interface is friendly and easy to manage, and it is compatible with any desktop, laptop, or server.

More features and benefits

VPN and Firewall

Avast Pro Plus provides further protection through a VPN and built-in firewall, securing your online identity and preventing adware from tracking your digital footprint.

Email shield

Avast Pro Plus includes an Email Shield function that detects and removes phishing emails and spam from user inboxes, plus a Data Shredder function which is particularly useful for permanently deleting sensitive information.

Policy-based

The policies pages let you set and save endpoint policies. And you can also switch devices between policies with ease from the cloud portal.

Avira Prime

Avira Prime offers ultimate security for your business by ensuring your endpoints are fully protected. Your privacy is safeguarded while you are online, and your device has optimized speed and performance.

Avira Prime comes with Avira Protection Cloud, a hybrid of technologies such as artificial intelligence, multi-scan engines, behavior analysis, and swarm intelligence. By combining all of these features, Avira provides the best protection against numerous threats such as phishing attacks, ransomware, and malware.

Avira Prime is a cross-platform and multi-device solution that can address all of your privacy concerns on up to 25 of your devices, including Windows, Mac, web browsers, Android, and iOS.

More features and benefits

Smart scanning

Avira Prime scans your entire system for malware, weak passwords, unpatched or out-of-date software, and network vulnerabilities with a single click.

Antivirus protection

Avira prime detects and protects all your endpoints against malware and online threats in real-time.

Unlimited VPN

Avira prime secures your business data and ensures online safety with unlimited VPN while also providing advanced privacy settings to protect sensitive business data.

PC cleaner

Avira can optimize your digital experience by cleaning junk files which reduces memory. This can speed up your boot time, reduce lag and increase your overall performance.

Password management

Avira prime can create and manage ultra-secure passwords for all your online business accounts.

Acronis Cyber Protect

Acronis Cyber Protect uses artificial intelligence-based static, behavioral heuristic antivirus, anti-cryptojacking, anti-malware, and anti-ransomware technologies to protect your data in real-time.

With Acronis Cyber Protect, you get continuous monitoring and real-time notifications about malware, vulnerabilities, natural disasters, and alerts on potential worldwide threats of any kind that could compromise data security so you can take action.

Furthermore, you can scan your devices for vulnerabilities with the Acronis vulnerability assessment feature to guarantee that all apps and operating systems are up to date and can’t be exploited by hackers.

Another helpful feature is exploit prevention which helps stop and prevent attacks using tools like privilege escalation protection, memory protection, code injection protection, and return-oriented programming protection.

More features and benefits

File and disk-image backup

Acronis Cyber Protect backs up individual data or protects your entire organization by backing up the whole system as a single file. You can effortlessly restore all information to new hardware in the event of a data disaster.

Continual data protection

Acronis agent makes a list of critical apps that users commonly frequent and continually backs up every change made in the listed apps, regardless of where the user saves the file, ensuring that users don’t lose their work-in-progress. If the system needs to be reimaged, you can restore data from a backup and apply the most recent modifications, ensuring that no data is lost.

Drive health monitoring

Acronis Cyber Protect can warn you about a disk problem before it happens as it uses various operating system parameters such as alert reports and machine learning to monitor your drive health continuously. This enables you to take the necessary precautions to secure your data, which helps you avoid accidental data loss while also enhancing uptime.

Anti-malware scanning of backups

Acronis Cyber Protect’s built-in malware scanner prevents restoring infected files by scanning full-disk backups at a centralized location, ensuring you only recover a clean, malware-free backup.

Forensic data collection

Acronis Cyber Protect also has a built-in Forensic Mode for collecting digital evidence – such as memory dumps and process information – from disk-level backups. Collecting digital evidence helps you simplify future analysis.

Remotely wipe devices

Acronis Cyber Protect enables remote wiping of hacked or missing Windows devices. This means you can successfully prevent data from being erased by rogue employees or accessed by cybercriminals through lost or stolen devices.

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection employs:

• signature-based detection —which compares a threat to a database of known malware signatures
• heuristic detection —which analyzes characteristics commonly used in malware and
• real-time protection

on your desktop and in your browser to protect against ransomware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs).

Malwarebytes’ browser guard and privacy features focus on securing your browser with fraud detection, an ad blocker, and third-party data tracker protection. To secure your online anonymity, you can also use the software to connect to a VPN with servers in over 30 locations.

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection has a completely revamped cloud management console that is intuitive, more informative, and simple to use. The user interface allows for rapid setup and provides quick, easy visibility and reporting into the status and health of your devices, keeping you informed and ahead of cybercriminals. The cloud management panel also allows you to isolate and analyze issues, protect servers, reverse ransomware assaults, and manage your security.

The Malwarebytes Katana Engine

The Katana Engine (launched January 27th, 2020) is the heart of Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection, and it enhances threat detection, reaction time, and performance. It has signature-less behavioral detection, which finds the most recent varieties of harmful malware families that try to dodge standard signatures through runtime packaging, obfuscation, and encryption, providing rapid protection against new threats that traditional antivirus has trouble detecting.

Malware bytes also use a combination of automated machine learning and anti-ransomware technology to protect your company’s computers from advanced attacks like ransomware. Threat elimination with a few clicks clears malware from devices and keeps your organization running smoothly.

More features and benefits

Improved speed

Malwarebytes reduces up to 50 percent of system resources consumption during scans, and third-party testing results prove this beyond doubt.

Amplified security

Malwarebytes’ attack isolation feature has been upgraded, allowing the software to detect and block the most sophisticated malware and lock down infected devices to stop threats in their tracks. What’s more, if a sophisticated threat like ransomware evades detection and encrypts data, you have up to 72 hours of ransomware rollback to revert your systems to a healthy state.

Improved zero-hour detection

Malwarebytes’ faster threat definition process reduces the time it takes to protect you from new threats by streamlining the posting of new definitions. In simple terms, it identifies new threats as they emerge, preventing them from wreaking havoc on your device.

Excellent customer support

Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection is a lightweight, low-cost security solution that can protect up to 20 devices. What’s more, their support team is fantastic and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone, chat, and email.

Final words 👩‍🏫

Cyber-attacks have become more sophisticated, and for this reason, it’s important to know that you’re investing in the best online security solution for your small or medium-sized business.

Each of the online security solutions discussed above offers slightly different features, including varying threat detection and protection levels, mobile device compatibility, and patch management. Still, they are all suitable for malware protection for SMBs.