Choosing the right antivirus solution for your small business — balancing efficiency, system impact, management, and cost.
Network security de-facto implies using antivirus software in the pursuit of safe networking. Even with a well-configured firewall, proper permissions, and enforced password security, there are still many intrusion vectors: virus delivery via email, mobile media like USB sticks, and web downloads.
The popular question is: “What is the best antivirus?” Options vary across four major parameters:
The product must intercept viruses, repel suspicious activity, and provide preventive medicine against intrusions. Various benchmarking organizations test antivirus products, and many vendors achieve high ratings for network security. Leading providers with strong track records include:
Antivirus software inevitably slows down daily operations. Real-time protection shields scan every file accessed, scheduled scans consume time, and some products become memory hogs. There is no universal solution: if a company runs budget or aged computers, choose antivirus with a small footprint. If resources are plentiful with SSD drives and idle CPU cores, choose the most powerful product without worrying about overhead.
In a small business server environment, centralized management is essential. A management console should handle:
Most companies provide Small Business packages priced remarkably similarly: 10 devices with 1-year coverage typically costs around $400, while a 3-year license runs $800–900. Microsoft Security Essentials covers up to 10 computers for free, making it an attractive budget option.
Omega's choice for small business server security is Avast, due to its historically small impact on client computers, embedded support for business email security, and affordable pricing. We also support Kaspersky, Norton, ESET, and Microsoft products based on client needs.
Contact us and we'll help you choose and deploy the right antivirus solution for your network.