Globally, millions of small offices/home offices (SOHO) fall victim to cybercrime every year, as they face growing risks from digital threats. While many SOHO owners may think they are too small to be of interest to criminals, the fact is that collectively, SOHO businesses comprise the largest portion of the workforce around the globe. This also means that this group as a whole is a large enough sector to factor into cybercriminal plans, as they are also seen as easier targets.
There are multiple reasons for this, such as believing they cannot afford comprehensive high-tech security solutions; the fact that they often use outdated and unsupported software and; that business owners either don’t have a strong IT education, lack the time for cybersecurity awareness training, or do not have the finances to hire IT staff.
Cyberthreats leave users facing a diversity of complex security challenges that individual solutions like firewalls are simply not built to counter. According to Carey van Vlaanderen, CEO of Eset Southern Africa, modern online tools and business processes require cybersecurity solutions that layer multiple advanced technologies for detection, browsing protection, anti-phishing, and botnet protection, among others.
“To solve these challenges, Eset, as a global leader in digital security, has launched the Eset Small Business Security (ESBS) offering, specifically designed to meet the cybersecurity needs of SOHO business owners. We are aware of the unique needs of our small office/home office customer, which lie in between consumer and business. We aim to provide small office/home office business owners with a simple, yet powerful solution for their businesses that is easily manageable, highly reliable, and tailored to their needs and that empowers them to focus on their growth without compromising on security,” she says.
“Testament to Eset’s commitment to innovation and its dedication to supporting the growth and security of SOHO businesses globally, the solution can support from five to 25 devices (depending on the country). It offers an array of features tailored to safeguard online transactions and browsing, secure devices, manage passwords, protect Windows servers, encrypt sensitive data, and counter phishing scams.”
Furthermore, she adds, ESBS facilitates safe and anonymous browsing alongside unlimited VPN security where applicable, ensuring both work and personal devices are shielded from cyber threats.
SOHO owners need to recognise that digital security doesn’t have to mean a long and complicated shopping list, composed of individual cyber defences. Instead, ESBS presents an all-in-one solution, and comes with Eset Home, delivering a complete security management platform and support, with a solution that won a 2023 SC Award for delivering best-in-class customer support and services.
“SOHO users don’t need to spend their time on dealing with issues like backing up their data, protecting servers, having a good password policy and installing endpoint protection on all their devices. Instead, they can focus on the things that make their business successful, while leaving the security efforts to Eset and its ESBS offering, which delivers reliable and multilayered functionalities, packed into a single solution,” concludes van Vlaanderen.
