Is managed antivirus software helpful for businesses?

1. Is managed antivirus software helpful for businesses? No two businesses are quite alike; differences in leadership, size, budgets, products, customers and other business aspects make them unique at what they do, how they operate, and what they offer. And just as a one-size-fits-all business plan, or mission statement, or marketing plan will not achieve the best possible results if applied uniformly to every business, a one-size-fits-all antivirus solution will not achieve the best security if applied uniformly to every business. Rather, businesses should have an antivirus (AV) solution uniquely suited to their particular needs. The way to achieve this is with managed antivirus software. Centrally-managed antivirus software lets business owners or IT managers configure all aspects of their business security, and customize it to their unique business needs. For example, with a managed antivirus solution, business owners can manage software deployments and updates, schedule deep scans for convenient times that don’t interfere with work productivity, pause or cancel scans if necessary, specify remediation actions when threats are detected, create their own policies regarding quarantine and removal of viruses, and even customize messages and reports. In the not-too-distant past, none of these customization features were an option. Businesses were limited to antivirus software with not only very few options for customization, but that also had to be individually installed on each business computer, which is both cumbersome and less secure.

2. This left businesses, their computers and their data open to a host of potential threats and problems such as missed or delayed software updates, employees unilaterally deciding to turn off their systems’ antivirus protection, deep scans running during peak business hours instead of off hours, mismanaged responses to malware detection and more. Today, the option to choose managed antivirus software means these challenges and vulnerabilities can be eliminated. Yet, while it might seem like a no-brainer for businesses to move to a managed AV solution, many are still reluctant to make the switch. Luckily for them, there is a free antivirus for small business solution that they can try out and take for a test drive before they commit to one. Still...why wouldn’t all businesses just use a managed antivirus software? Many small businesses believe that they lack the IT support and infrastructure needed to switch to a managed service provider, so they prefer the conventional, unmanaged antivirus solutions, not knowing that managed solutions, in addition to offering better security, can actually be more cost effective since they offer per-user pricing, which is typically more economical than purchasing individual licenses. However, given the looming cyber threats to businesses, at some point these small businesses will also have to make the switch to managed solutions. It’s just a matter of when. The different statistics that attest to this cyber reality are staggering. Here are just a few: ● a ransomware attack occurs every 14 seconds; ● cyber crime damages are expected to reach $6 trillion by 2021; ● 43% of all cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses; ● 60% of small businesses that are victims of a cyber attack go out of business within six months; ● 300,000 new malware is created every day;

3. ● ● DDoS attacks cost SMBs over $120,000 per attack; small businesses that are the victim of a successful cyber attack spend an average of $955,429 to restore their business to normal Still not convinced? If the alarming statistics mentioned above aren’t enough to persuade businesses to switch to a managed antivirus solution, a look at the powerful benefits of a small business managed antivirus software should be: ● security is more efficient because it is managed from a single source; ● business resources are freed up to focus on core business issues rather than security issues; ● endpoint security is more consistent, current and reliable because updates apply automatically to all endpoints; ● pricing is more cost-effective as per user pricing with a single license is typically more cost effective than individual licensing per system; ● cybersecurity is continuous since users cannot just turn off the antivirus protection when they mistakenly assume it’s slowing down their computer or just not necessary; ● setup is easier because software deployment can be done simultaneously across different servers, sites, and workstations; ● reports, alerts, emails and threat notifications are regular and accurate. No two businesses are quite alike, but... It’s true that no two businesses are alike, but it’s also true that all businesses have at least one thing in common: they all need to be safe from malicious hackers and cyber attacks. And due to the current cyber-threat landscape and the danger they pose to businesses, the only way forward for any type of business is with a managed antivirus solution.

4. A managed antivirus solution provides the type of powerful security that a business needs, but does it in a way that makes it easier and more efficient to handle potential challenges and cyber threats. In short, a managed antivirus software solution is not only helpful for businesses, it could even be pivotal to their survival.