There’s some good news for small and medium businesses, especially with regards to coping with the ever-present cybersecurity threats. Vox has launched a managed firewall service intended to cater specifically for the SME segment.

These are the businesses that may not enjoy the same deep pockets of large organisations, yet still have to contend with the same, frankly terrifying, cybersecurity landscape. That was recently laid out in detail at the Kaspersky Cybersecurity Weekend, where it was revealed that there are 360 000 unique pieces of malware being released every single day.    

As well, ransomware  - whereby hackers encrypt one’s data and threat to erase it if not paid within a time limit - remains a critical threat, and to SMEs in particular, it can be a crippling one. According to Vox, companies targeted by ransomware typically have to pay between R50 000 and R150 000, and most small businesses pay up rather than lose all their information - be it financial data, customer data or billing records.

Plugging the expertise gap

SMEs are not at a disadvantage only because of their budgets; the lack of expertise on hand to deal with ransomware only makes them more vulnerable. Vox noted that while corporates can prioritise security at the C-Suite level, these smaller companies often do not have the relevant experts within the organisation to set and enforce security policies and procedures, and need the expertise of a third-party to protect them.

“We have customised a Fortinet solution so that it can be made available at a competitive price point to smaller businesses. They will now have access to best of breed technology from a global company that is at the forefront of innovation in cyber security,” explained Craig Freer, the executive head for cloud and managed services at Vox.

Fortinet’s leadership in security has been recognised by its favourable Gartner Magic Quadrant ranking for over a decade, and Freer enthused, local SMEs will now have access to some of the best firewall technology on the market.

Craig Freer, the executive head for cloud and managed services at Vox.

Tell me what’s happening

Customers further get access to comprehensive reporting capabilities that allow them to make informed business decisions around security, particularly around user behaviour and their environment.

“Apart from just monitoring for, and protecting an organisation from external cyber threats, a well-monitored firewall will also help better manage network usage and data consumption, which is especially vital for small businesses that often have to make do with connections that offer lesser bandwidth,” he continued.

The firewall solution for SMEs is also available as part of a managed service. In this instance, Vox will ensure that certified firewall engineers set up policies that are correct, comprehensive, and well enforced, in order to protect the business’s data and network. This includes crafting a strategy for what an organisation should do in case a breach occurs.

With an economy that deeply needs more small businesses to be created and cultivated, hopefully this will make that a little bit easier given the current real cyber threats that every business has to guard against.