10 Security Solutions For SMBs That Partners Should Check Out

How Partners Can Save The Day For SMB Clients

Small and mid-sized businesses face many of the same challenges enterprises face when it comes to security, but have only a fraction of the typical enterprise budget to rise to those challenges. That raises the value of partners, who can help their SMB clients buy solutions that provide the best bang for the buck. With that, partners have an opportunity to offer managed security services.

Vendors have also recognized the threat small and mid-sized businesses face, and have either offered lower-cost alternatives to their enterprise solutions, or are focused solely on solutions for the SMB market. For partners looking to expand their SMB security practices, here are 10 vendors that offer solutions focused on the space.

Sophos

Sophos focuses its broad lines of security solutions on the midmarket, with many of them also fitting the needs of small businesses. The 100-percent channel company covers the full breadth of the security landscape, offering network, endpoint, cloud, mobile and web solutions. Sophos kicked it up a notch last fall with the launch of its Sophos Security Heartbea t solution, which synchronizes threat intelligence across the endpoint and network for better threat detection and response.

My Digital Shield

My Digital Shield says its products are designed to stop data breaches without breaking the bank for SMBs. The company offers a full stack of traffic inspection solutions in its MDS Cloud package, blocking any threats found in the process before they reach the network. The MDS Cloud includes firewall, IPS, anti-virus, application control, DOS defense, botnet protection, DLP, ATP and web filtering. The solution is managed from a single console, which makes it easy for a partner or SMB to manage.

Microsoft

For an SMB, it doesn't get much cheaper than free. Microsoft Security Essentials provides the bare-bones basics an SMB might need to get started with a security practice, namely anti-virus. While anti-virus has proven itself to not be enough (given the many recent data breaches), it’s a good place for an SMB to start before jumping toward more advanced and emerging security technologies.

Dell SonicWall

Dell SonicWall offers a range of hardware, software and services for network security for the small and mid-market business. Its products include firewalls, mobile, email and security management. Dell has expanded its security offerings in recent months, adding features around identity and access management as well as privileged account management.

Check Point Software Technologies

Check Point has a line of solutions that look to bring enterprise-grade security down to the SMB. Some of those solutions include next-generation firewalls for small businesses and branch offices as well as cloud-managed security services. The Israeli company recently expanded that line, launching the Check Point 700 Series appliances, which provide network security, improved performance and protections aimed at small and mid-sized companies.

"Cyber criminals are not only employing increasingly sophisticated means of stealing data – they are also increasingly targeting the entrepreneurial spirit of small-business IT," Gabi Reish, vice president of product management, said at the time. The series provides "an enterprise-grade solution that meets the agility and evolving needs of the small business," he said.

Symantec

Security juggernaut Symantec offers a small business-focused set of solutions, saying it recognizes the increasing security threat small businesses face. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company's Endpoint Protection For Small Business Edition brings both behavioral and file reputation protections to the endpoint. The solution also features cloud management.

TitanHQ

Network security doesn’t have to be complicated. That's the belief TitanHQ operates under, offering a range of network security solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, including endpoint, web, email and archiving. Additional SMB-friendly features include a lower price point, an "as a service" option through the cloud, and ease of deployment.

AVG

AVG's Business Edition solutions are aimed at the small business market. Known for its anti-virus solutions, the company also offers file server, Internet security and mobile solutions. The cloud-enabled platform is channel-friendly and tied to a remote management solution for MSPs that have SMB clients.

Panda Security

Based in Spain, Panda Security has a range of endpoint security offerings, including anti-virus as well as endpoint detection and response. The solutions are powered by the cloud and Panda’s Collective Intelligence system, which allows businesses to share information related to threats. According to Gartner, the company is particular strong with SMBs and in the European market.

Webroot

Webroot is one of the larger vendors in the next-generation endpoint and threat intelligence security space, saying it wants to develop a "smarter approach" to security. The Broomfield, Colo.-based company offers solutions targeted at the SMB and enterprise markets, with security offerings for endpoint, mobile, secure web gateway and IoT. The broad range of solutions, plus a growing set of offerings around emerging areas like IoT, make Webroot an attractive offering for SMBs.