Particularly as a company that does any amount of business online, investing in security for your website and data is crucial to long-term success. Investing in the best cybersecurity software for your needs and goals is paramount–not only in successful interactions with your clients but in data management and continued growth and expansion as well.

In this article, we will explain why investing in cybersecurity in 2024 is a necessary business expense, as well as take a look at the top five best cybersecurity platforms available today.

Why Invest in Cybersecurity?

While investing in cybersecurity measures may seem like an unnecessary or low-priority cost, particularly when you’re just starting your business, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, if your business does any amount of online research–or even cloud-based data storage–this expense could quickly compound when hackers and other malevolent internet forces target your brand. Let’s take a look at three reasons to create a secure place for your business proceedings online.

1. Continued Expansion Means Increased Vulnerability

As your company grows, that means there will be more eyes on your platform. While this is good for business, the shadow side is also true–you may become more palatable to hackers. Because of recent Google rollouts prioritizing “mobile-first” online practices, more and more businesses are turning to mobile engagement.

While this seems to be the future of the internet, its newness means there is still plenty of room for bad actors to seek vulnerabilities and loopholes, engaging with your business in a dishonest way.

For example, did you know that there is mobile malware that can attach itself to Wi-Fi signals? For this and many other reasons, planning your growth and outreach strategy expenses should also factor in security measures.

2. Builds Trust With Clients

Think about it–would you want to share your credit card information with a business that seems low-budget or untrustworthy? This can impact everything from business bounce rates to long-term client retention–so investing in making your customers feel comfortable engaging with your brand is an absolutely vital step in increasing your earnings in the long game.

In fact, the trust that you develop with our demographic is as vital to your success as your high-quality offerings or services and is at the foundation of any successful marketing strategy.

3. Compliance Concerns

As of May 1st, 2017, cybersecurity regulations were born. If your business fails to comply with these laws, you could subject your company to audits, ongoing tax compliances, limits on access privileges, incident response plans, and more–not to mention there are regulatory deadlines and penalties.

This not only poses a setback for the company financially but can erode the trust that we mentioned, which is so vital to your long-term success. As you can see, investing in cybersecurity is less an unwanted additional expense at this stage in the game, and rather a necessary component to building an online empire–almost like buying insurance for your company.

Top 5 Cybersecurity Software Tools of 2024

With so many platforms to choose from, finding the best cybersecurity software for your business really comes down to your goals and needs–both of your company and of your clients. Here are the top five cybersecurity software systems to choose from in 2024!

1. Cisco

If you’re looking for a reputable cybersecurity company that has been in the game “since the beginning,” you may consider Cisco. Founded in 1984, Cisco’s SecureX cloud-native platform integrates with its parent company’s secure portfolio system, offering security infrastructure for customers, speeding detection, recovery, and response.

It offers XDR capabilities and enables businesses to protect their assets, providing thorough protection for their portfolio, user-friendly automation, and unified visibility. What’s more, it also offers free trials, so you can determine if it’s the best fit for your needs!

2. Bitdefender

This award-winning cybersecurity platform boasts the most comprehensive protection with the least amount of performance interference–boosting your security without hampering productivity. Bitdefender pushes the boundaries of innovation, sniffing out malware, ransomware, phishing, and viruses and stamping them out before they impact your business.

By layering protection into your VPN, Wi-Fi connection, online banking and payment systems, and more, Bitdefender is the natural choice for a business owner looking for a trusted security system that delivers exceptional results. Pricing for small businesses starts at $26.99–and they also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for your success.  

3. Norton

Featuring a bulletproof firewall and omnipresent antivirus feature, Norton notably provides buyers with a 100% Virus Protection promise, separating them apart from the pack. Unequivocally a major player in the cybersecurity arena, Norton can protect business owners like you from malware, phishing, data breaches, and other threats, all with a 60-day money-back guarantee and around-the-clock support.

Pricing starts at $59.99 per year–though Norton’s premium small business package offers a secure VPN, driver updater, and twice the cloud backup storage for only $90 more.

4. JumpCloud

JumpCloud aims to educate potential buyers as much as serve them. In an ever-changing industry, this becomes paramount to your ongoing success as a business owner.

Featuring cloud-first technology, JumpCloud allows company decision-makers access to industry-leading phishing-resistant password-free logins, current updated cybersecurity compliance measures, automated onboarding and offboarding processes, a unified stack, and more. With a rating of roughly 4.5 stars, JumpCloud offers buyers a 30-day free trial, with pricing beginning at an extremely affordable $11 per month.

5. McAfee

This name likely rings a bell with you, if you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet–and for good reason. Founded in 2011, McAfee remains one of the industry leaders in cybersecurity which has helped more than 108 million people and organizations around the globe.

Its cloud-native security system allows businesses to integrate threat responses throughout their IT infrastructure, devices, and data. With the option to select tiered plans with increasingly beneficial features, business owners can settle on the level of security right for their goals.

Conclusion

Investing in the best cybersecurity software for your business is far from a tertiary expense. This step allows you to build trust with your clients, engage in legal compliance, and vitally, protect your business assets.

With an abundance of free trials and quite affordable options on the list we’ve provided above, there’s no reason why you can’t take this step to protect your company from malevolent forces, offering your demographic a trustworthy oasis in a sea of emerging security threats. Who knows how much money and headache you’ll save by investing in this vital pillar of your long-term success–so start browsing and find the right solution for your needs!