Symantec's Norton Small Business Targets SMB Users

Symantec (SYMC) is expanding its cybersecurity solutions portfolio with the introduction of Norton Small Business, a program specifically targeted to protect businesses with fewer than 20 employees. The program focuses on simple IT security and management solutions with a subscription-based model for the SMB crowd, according to the company.

Similar to many of Symantec’s other antivirus and enterprise protection suites, Norton Small Business utilizes the company’s Insight and SONAR behavior-based technology to give users protection from both malicious software and outside attacks. The program secures both enterprise devices and employee mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, and the addition of the Norton Mobile Insight app allows users to scan mobile apps and remotely track, lock and wipe lost or stolen devices to prevent corporate information leaks in case a phone or tablet is misplaced.

“When we think about Norton Small Business, we really think it is important to protect the reputation and livelihood of the small business,” said Andy Singer, senior director of Consumer and Small-Business Product Marketing at Symantec, in an interview with The VAR Guy. “If you are a small-business owner, your business is your livelihood. … For us, it is really critical to make sure that we can provide that level of protection.”

Singer said providing small businesses with reliable security is increasingly more important, as hackers are often targeting small businesses as a way of both exploiting weak security and leapfrogging to larger businesses. According to Symantec’s research, these small companies often lack a dedicated IT manager, making the task of managing enterprise security the job of an employee with less experience in protecting corporate data.

“For a hacker, attacking a small business is actually a big business,” said Singer. “We’ve seen an increase year over year now of targeted attacks against small businesses.”

With a focus on providing enterprise-grade security for small businesses, Symantec is looking to attract the 20 million or so small businesses in the United States that often go overlooked when it comes to securing their files and devices, the company noted. Norton Small Business allows users to transfer licenses between devices and features a simple color-based interface so IT managers can determine the level of protection on their devices from a single pane of glass.

“It’s really important when you rely on IT for your business as a critical part of what you do, that you have protection in place. We know that Norton Small Business is really designed for small businesses with fewer than 20 employees and less-complex IT environments that don’t have a full-time IT person,” said Singer. “This product demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting small businesses. We really want to safeguard their information and their reputation.”

Norton Small Business is compatible with PCs, Macs, Android devices and iOS. Annual subscription for five devices cost $99, and the number of devices protected can be increased for $100 up to 20 devices. Users also can purchase individual licenses for smartphones, tablets or computers for $20 annually.