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McAfee, part of Intel Security, announced a line of security suites that provide small and midsize businesses (SMBs) with a flexible way to safeguard their data and their devices.
The Small Business Security suite is optimized for businesses with up to 25 devices and keeps sensitive information safe on PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets.
Small Business Security guards PCs and Macs as well as Android smartphones and tablets from viruses, malware and online threats.
A centralized dashboard is accessible from the cloud so that businesses can manage and monitor their security subscription.
The suite also offers firewall, email and Web protection, creating a perimeter of defenses to help keep threats out before they can infect a device, and also comes equipped with the company’s Mobile Security platform.
For larger businesses, with up to 250 devices, the company has designed Endpoint Protection Essential for SMB and Endpoint Protection Advanced for SMB to protect devices and data while offering new cloud capabilities for additional management options.
Endpoint Protection Essential for SMB and McAfee Endpoint Protection Advanced for SMB utilize new endpoint protection technologies to secure desktops, laptops, Macs, servers and mobile devices with protection over endpoint, Web and email.
“Mobile devices give us many opportunities, but with those opportunities also come great risks,” Ed Metcalf, director of endpoint solutions, at McAfee, part of Intel Security, told eWEEK. “The impact from a cyber-attack shows up in many ways— decreased productivity, lost revenue, damages from lawsuits and even total loss of the business—and for SMBs, it is hard to recover from such an attack.”
Metcalf pointed to recent research from the Aberdeen Group, which found 80 percent of businesses allow employees to use their own devices for work purposes.
“In many cases, these devices do not meet minimum-security standards and, as a result expose the company to cyber-attacks and data breaches,” he said. “Mobile devices pose a particular danger because they are easily stolen, providing location data and often contain personally identifiable information – of not only that of the owner but any business data and information the device has stored. Further, an infected mobile device could easily pass malware on to an entire network if not properly secured.”
Endpoint Protection Essential for SMB provides traditional defenses such as endpoint, firewall and Web protection, helping shield business data from cybercriminals. New technologies like smart virus scanning are included to ensure minimal impact to employees’ productivity.
In addition, access protection limits potential damage and restricts access to confidential folders in the event of a cyber-attack.
Endpoint Protection Advanced for SMB offers the same components of the Essential suite, plus email security to reduce spam and phishing attacks, encryption to guard critical business information, and offers visibility and control for mobile devices.
Protection is managed by McAfee ePolicy Orchestrator, which is now available in cloud-based or premises-based versions to help automate security management with increased flexibility.
Small Business Security starts at $79.99 for five PCs or Macs and includes protection for an unlimited number of Android smartphones and tablets, for no additional cost.
The Endpoint Protection Essential suite for SMBs starts at $26 per device, while Endpoint Protection Advanced starts at $52 per device.