How much does basic data security cost in the company?

BONUS: At the end of this article, we make the Infographic available for download: How much does basic data security cost in the company?

Statistics about cyber threats and attacks have left entrepreneurs and IT professionals reeling year after year. Cybercrimes are on the rise, hackers are becoming more creative and daring. Millions of companies are affected around the world with increasingly higher expenses.

A few years ago, the costs of maintaining basic and efficient data security were high and, in some cases, unfeasible to apply. However, with the evolution of attacks and intrusions, developers and systems have adapted to the financial realities of companies and made protection systems accessible.

In this article we will address the importance of making company funds available for data protection and what are the average costs of the most basic tools to keep company information safe.

How much does it cost to implement a data security system in the company?

Of course, cybersecurity should not be the exclusive concern of companies. Anyone online is at risk. However, research by Kaspersky, one of the largest digital security companies in the world, reveals that hackers have companies as their main target.

There are basic and indispensable actions and tools for almost all business sectors that operate with offices, where devices and users are connected to the internet on a daily basis. Next, we'll explore these essential practices.

Among the fundamental measures, we highlight the implementation of robust firewalls to protect the network against unauthorized access, the use of updated antivirus to detect and eliminate threats, and the adoption of strict password policies, ensuring that employees use strong and change them regularly. Additionally, ongoing employee education on cybersecurity best practices, such as recognizing phishing emails and the importance of not sharing sensitive information, is crucial to minimizing risk. Tools such as VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are also recommended to secure data transmission, especially when employees work remotely.

1 – System update

Operating systems and software undergo continuous evolution and need to be kept up to date whenever possible. Additionally, these updates often include improvements to system quality and performance.

Furthermore, there is the “originality” factor. Many companies today choose to use pirated tools to reduce costs. However, this option can lead to several problems, mainly data security, after all, they are modified versions of the original, where mainly security and originality verification features have been removed.

For operating systems the logic is the same. Updated, it contains security improvements in addition to new features, as new forms of invasion and security breaches emerge.

Keeping the company's equipment and systems up to date is essential to guarantee efficient data security, especially considering its massive daily use. 

Although it is difficult to determine all the software used by companies, operating systems are almost universal. Therefore, I listed the average prices of the most common operating systems in companies.

• Microsoft Windows 10 Pro – R$1,099.00 for lifetime license use.
• MAC OS – Only when purchasing Apple equipment.
• Linux, distribution version: Ubuntu – free.

Windows licenses may have a reduced value if they are OEM, purchased together with equipment equipped with this operating system.

*Values ​​consulted in August 2024.

2 – Antivirus and Antimalware

Antivirus and antimalware are perhaps some of the most obvious items in data security materials. Therefore, it is essential to remember that protecting your systems against viruses and malware on any device is of utmost importance.

To list tools, I followed some studies from independent international institutions such as AV-Test or AV-Comparatives , which use thousands of different malware samples and attest to the efficiency of the most diverse antiviruses in protecting the system and cleaning an already infected system, in addition to Additionally, other features such as ease of use for the user and the impact of the antivirus on the speed of the equipment.

To choose the ideal antivirus to protect your equipment, you can follow studies from independent international institutions such as AV-Test or AV-Comparatives , which use thousands of different samples and malware and attest to the efficiency of the most diverse antiviruses in protecting the system and cleaning it. from an already infected system. In addition, other characteristics such as ease of use for the user and the impact of the antivirus on the speed of the equipment.

Below are two good software options that received the Av-Test Top Product seal, with their respective values:

• Bitdefender – from R$49.00 per month for up to 3 devices.
• Kaspersky – R$198.00 for 3 users for one year.

*Values ​​consulted in August 2024.

3 – Backup

A backup is a backup copy of data stored on a system, created to ensure that important information can be recovered in the event of loss, corruption or hardware failure. The backup process can be carried out in several ways, such as through local storage, on external devices, or in cloud storage solutions. The frequency and automation of backups are essential to minimize the risk of losing recent data.

Having a functional and reliable backup system is crucial to ensuring that data can be recovered in case of loss. In some types of attacks, such as ransomware , which lock data until a ransom is paid, the main way to Solving the problem involves restoring the company's data from a backup copy.

Backup is essential for the security of company information.

Thus, the tools differ by the amount of functionality and amount of daily data traffic that it will make copies of, in addition to physical or cloud technology. However, the most common systems for small and medium-sized companies, and also, with a growing number of companies hiring them for greater security and acceptable value, are cloud backup systems. Therefore, I have listed the average prices of the most used tools below.

• Backblaze – From US$9.00 month.
• Drop box – From US$9.99 month. Google Drive – From R$8.00 per month.

*Values ​​consulted in August 2024.

4 – Firewall

A firewall is a security device that controls the flow of data on a network. With it, you can filter traffic, configuring what should pass through and what should be discarded.

Typically, the firewall is one of the main defenses at the perimeter of a private network, being an essential component in protecting against unwanted traffic and intrusion attempts.

There are several firewall tools on the market, some with additional features, further improving the company's data protection system.

Among the most common with their respective values ​​are:

• pfSense Firewall Appliance – From R$1,442.22 for the equipment.
• Lumiun Firewall – From R$219.00 per month.

*Values ​​consulted in August 2024.

5 – Employee training

Therefore, establishing behavioral guidelines for organization members regarding the use of information technology resources is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve data security.

These rules, documented, signed and agreed upon by users before using the company's equipment, help prevent unaware, unprepared, negligent or even malicious employees from putting company data at risk, leaving them vulnerable to digital criminals.

Furthermore, developing an information security policy in the company can reduce possible expenses and investments with corrective measures arising from cyber attacks.

Of course, it is difficult to be sure that keeping employees trained and expecting them to comply with the rules and knowledge acquired will have an effect. Distractions or lack of will can also cause damage to the company's data security.

The positive side is that training employees has a very low cost, or, depending on the knowledge of the professional who will provide the training, the cost may be zero.

On our blog we provide free materials that can help entrepreneurs and IT professionals develop and train their employees.

6 – Internet access control

Controlling internet access is a common practice in companies and is increasingly important and necessary. In other words, unlike the information security policy, access control does not require the employee's common sense and will to ensure that harmful websites outside the scope of work are not accessed.

In most incidents or security breaches, the gateway to attacks or virus installation are users who are unable to identify possible risks and end up clicking on fraudulent emails or malicious links on the internet.

Therefore, implementing an internet access control system in the company can block the vast majority of entry points for hackers into the corporate network.

Among those available on the market, some solutions for controlling internet access stand out, with their respective values, which may vary depending on the size of the company:

• DNS Filter – from US$ 0.90 per user per month, up to US$ 2.70 per user per month.
• LumiunDNS – from R$2.90 per user per month.
• NextDNS – from US$1.99 per month for up to 300,000 queries, up to US$19.90 per month with no query limit.

*Values ​​consulted in August 2024.

7 – Business VPN

The acronym “ VPN ” stands for Virtual Private Network, translating Virtual Private Network, is a network technology that uses the internet to connect a group of computers and maintain the security of data that travels between them.

The main advantage for a company that uses VPN is certainly the increase in information security when there is a need to transfer confidential data between branches or for employees who work remotely and need to access data on the local network.

Among the main tools on the market, the following stand out, with their respective values:

• NordVPN – from US$3.71 per month to US$11.95 per month.
• ExpressVPN – from US$8.32 per month to US$12.95 per month.
• Lumiun Box Business VPN – from R$2.49 per user per month.

*Values ​​consulted in August 2024.

What tools does my company need?

Choosing the ideal tools for your company will depend on the systems it uses and the data that needs to be protected. Therefore, if your company has internal financial and human resources sectors, which carry out financial transactions and manage employee data and contracts, it is essential to keep the operating systems up to date and use antivirus programs suited to the company's specific needs.

For companies that offer credit and store customer data, it is essential to implement a robust backup system, ensuring information security in cases of data loss or hijacking.

If your team works remotely or accesses company systems remotely, it is essential to use an encrypted VPN connection to protect data against unauthorized access.

Furthermore, access control is a measure that applies to practically all companies that have employees connected to the internet. Restricting access to off-scope and potentially dangerous websites helps protect company data and can also increase team productivity.

These tools and actions are fundamental, but it is important that the IT professional or company manager evaluates which are the most critical points and which solutions best suit the company's needs and budget.

[Infographic] How much does basic data security cost in the company?

To help you define which data security tools you will use in your company, we created an infographic that brings together average values ​​for each solution and main applications of each of the following solutions:

• Antivirus
• Backup
• Operational systems
• firewall
• Internet access control
• Business VPN

Conclusion

To conclude, it is important to highlight that hackers' greatest asset is users' lack of knowledge and carelessness. They exploit security holes and identify vulnerabilities to illicitly access company data and resources. 

Therefore, it is essential to invest in preventive solutions that prevent both inexperienced users and those with malicious intentions from compromising the company's security. 

I hope I have helped you identify which systems to implement in your company and realize that the investment in prevention tools is minimal when compared to the repair costs after a data loss.

To the next!