The internet is not exactly a safe place. Especially if you’re using it to do business. Hackers and scammers have created all kinds of malicious programs to cause harm to your computers and your data, and they’re always inventing new tactics to combat your security measures. That’s why having both a quality antivirus and firewall are important for every business. 

Antivirus

A quality antivirus/antimalware software is essential in detecting, preventing, and removing viruses and malware that can cause harm to your systems and network and that take time, money, and frustration to try to clean up. Having a good quality antivirus and antimalware software can dramatically increase your security online.

A few things to look for in a quality antivirus:

• Not “FREE” as with most things, you get what you pay for, and free antivirus software will likely just cause headaches for you and your company.
• Download protection. You should look for an antivirus that ensures protection when you download information from the web.
• Privacy policy– we recommend that you carefully read the privacy policy of any antivirus you’re looking to purchase. Some companies will share your contact information.
• Real time information and continuous threat monitoring
• And real time autonomous protection

Firewall

A firewall blocks unwanted or untrusted traffic and permits wanted or trusted traffic into and out of a network. It can be hardware, software, or both. While there is a free firewall available on Windows and Mac, and like with antivirus or any other software, you get what you pay for. If you’re protecting important business and client information, we recommend an advanced-security firewall that is going to filter out untrustworthy traffic for your entire network. 

A few things to look for in a firewall:

• Software that identifies thousands of applications inside network traffic for deep inspection and granular policy enforcement 

• Protects against malware, exploits, and malicious websites in both encrypted and non-encrypted traffic
• Prevents and detects against known attacks using continuous threat intelligence
• Proactively blocks unknown sophisticated attacks in real time

If you’re looking for a comprehensive security system for your business’s data, VIP offers top of the line antivirus/antimalware software and top quality firewalls as well as other data protection services. If you’d like to learn more, check out our Small Business Solutions page or Contact Us for a quote, an evaluation, or to talk to one of our experts.