Enhancing and strengthening your small business’s cybersecurity is not a one-time task, but an ongoing commitment. It’s crucial to thwart the constantly changing threats posed by hackers looking to infiltrate your network and steal or compromise your data.
It’s concerning a poll of Canadian small business owners in 2023 found that over 60% of small businesses and 73% of sole proprietors believe their businesses are too small to be targeted by cybercriminals. The reality is nearly two-thirds of Canadian companies have experienced a cyber incident, according to the federal government.
It is highly recommended that you purchase cyber insurance as part of your policy to help your company recover if you suffer a data breach or cyber-attack. However, you also need to take proactive measures to prevent a cyber incident from happening.
One way to do that is to consider purchasing a virtual private network (VPN) to protect sensitive data, hide your IP address, and lower the risk of data breaches. Read on to learn more about VPNs and how one may benefit your small business.
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What Is a Virtual Private Network (VPN)?
A virtual private network (VPN) is a tool or application that allows users to securely connect to the internet by making their internet traffic unreadable to anyone trying to intercept it and hiding their location.
It performs two functions:
- It creates an encrypted tunnel between a device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) and the internet that scrambles a user’s data. Scrambling data makes it unreadable to hackers or cybercriminals, internet service providers, or anyone trying to intercept a user’s connection.
- Once connected to a VPN, a user’s IP address is hidden or masked so it appears they are in a different location (city or country) than they actually are.
For a small business, the primary use and benefit of a VPN would be to protect confidentiality of data while using a public Wi-Fi and the internet.
5 VPN Providers for Small Businesses to Consider
There are many VPN providers that small business owners and home-based businesses can explore to select the tool that’s best for them. Zensurance does not endorse any of the five following options. However, these are among the most highly rated VPN providers according to PCMag, TechRadar, and Tom’s Guide:
1. NordVPN
NordVPN offers a range of features to enhance online security and privacy. Beyond protecting web traffic, it also scans downloaded files for malware and watches for malicious sites as a traditional antivirus would. It is regarded as one of the best and easiest VPNs to use.
2. Surfshark VPN
Surfshark is designed to be easy to set up and use. It also allows users to connect unlimited devices and is said to be budget-friendly. It’s intended to be an all-in-one service that includes antivirus and personal data removal tools. It may be best suited for smaller companies that are still growing as it can scale as a business grows.
3. Mullvad VPN
Mullvad VPN may be a wise choice for small businesses on tight budgets. It uses open-source OpenVPN and WireGuard protocols and includes “industrial strength” encryption and multiple layers of DNS leak protection. It can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, as well as iOS and Android.
4. ProtonVPN
ProtonVPN is reportedly easy to set up and use, making it a good choice for small business owners who may not be tech-savvy. It also offers a free version in addition to its subscription model that’s priced around $8 per month, and is said to provide multiple layers of protection on military strength servers. The paid version includes ad-blocking and malware protection.
5. IPVanish
IPVanish is considered a solid starting point for small businesses looking for a basic level of online privacy with high-speed encrypted internet access. It allows unlimited connections simultaneously, runs on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, and is priced at approximately $13 per month.
What Type of Insurance Covers Cyber-Attacks on Small Businesses?
Adding a VPN to your company’s cybersecurity toolkit is a worthwhile investment. However, every small business or independent professional should also purchase cyber insurance to help them recover from a cyber-attack or data breach.
There are two types of cyber insurance to consider for your overall business insurance policy:
1. Cyber Liability Insurance
Cyber liability insurance covers your legal and financial responsibilities following a cyber-attack or data breach, like lawsuits against you, system outages following an attack, and regulatory fines.
2. Cybercrime Insurance
Although similar to cyber liability insurance, cybercrime insurance is designed to cover financial losses caused by criminal activity online, such as theft, fraud, and ransomware.
Zensurance provides small businesses with both cyber liability and cybercrime insurance.
How to Get Low-Cost Cyber Insurance Now
Zensurance specializes in providing small businesses and independent professionals with the liability coverage they need, including cyber insurance.
Get a free quote in less than five minutes by filling out our online application.
Our friendly, experienced team of brokers can help you obtain the low-cost coverage you need, advise you on the coverage limits you should have, and most importantly, provide you with the peace of mind that your business’s finances are protected if something goes wrong.
– Reviewed by Brandon Bowie, Team Lead, Professional Lines, and Matt Sanderson, Security Engineer, Zensurance.
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