How Much Does Managed Cybersecurity Cost for a Small Business?

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for small businesses cannot be overstated. However, the daunting array of cybersecurity products on the market can make the task of securing a business’s online operations seem overwhelming and financially burdensome. Many small business owners find themselves grappling with the potential costs of piecing together individual cybersecurity solutions in addition to their basic IT needs —a process that not only becomes expensive but also leaves them with a patchwork of protections they may not know how to properly integrate, manage, and monitor. This article aims to demystify the costs associated with purchasing cybersecurity solutions individually and highlights a more streamlined, cost-effective managed cybersecurity approach.

Individual Cybersecurity Product Costs Detailed

Cyber Awareness Training: Essential for educating employees on cybersecurity best practices, including interactive learning courses, quizzes, phishing simulations, and sharing real-life cyber threat stories. Costs can vary significantly, ranging from $2 to $30 per user per month, dependent on the comprehensiveness and customization of the training program.

Email Security: This service safeguards both inbound and outbound email communications, protecting against threats like phishing, spoofing, and zero-day attacks, along with spam, antivirus, and malware defense. Email security solutions are typically priced at $3 to $8 per user per month.

Multifactor Authentication & Identity Protection: Introduces an additional layer of security beyond passwords, utilizing methods like one-time password codes (via app, SMS, or email), hardware and software tokens, biometric verification, security questions, and contextual access. This critical protection layer costs about $3 to $10 per user per month.

Endpoint Protection: Beyond legacy antivirus, modern endpoint detection and response offers real-time protection for devices (laptops, desktops) utilizing advanced AI technologies to preemptively identify and neutralize threats. With exploit prevention included, the cost for this protection ranges from $5 to $10 per endpoint per month.

M365 Backup: Critical for safeguarding Microsoft 365 data against accidental or malicious deletion and cyber-attacks, with costs typically ranging from $3 to $5 per user per month.

Patch Management: Provides remote management capabilities for devices, ensuring they are always up to date with the latest software patches alongside hardware inventory and health monitoring. Expect to pay $2 to $5 per device per month for this service.

Vulnerability Protection: Scans for and identifies potential vulnerabilities within a network and on devices to prevent exploitation, priced between $2 and $5 per endpoint per month.

Data Loss Prevention: Monitors and controls data usage, tracking where data resides and who accesses it, to prevent unauthorized access or breaches, costing $10 to $30 per user per month.

Application Content Protection: Protects applications from being exploited by malicious content, with costs approximately $20 to $100 per application per month, depending on the complexity and criticality of the application.

Workload Backup: An essential disaster recovery measure that includes data backup and email archiving, costing around $20 to $50 per month per terabyte (TB) of data.

Next-Generation Firewall: An advanced solution that encrypts and granularly inspects internet traffic with machine learning, cloud-based network security to stop unknown zero-day attacks. Prices start at $500, with costs for small business models increasing significantly into the thousands based on the provider and features required.

Secure VPN: Ensures secure remote connections wherever, whenever and whatever from the latest threats, crucial for today’s flexible work environments, with typical costs ranging from $5 to $15 per user per month.

Data Access Control: Manages, categorizes, and controls access to sensitive data such as personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), intellectual property (IP), and confidential information, typically costing $5 to $20 per user per month.

Simplifying Cybersecurity with BlueZone Cyber Solutions

Recognizing the complexity and financial strain cybersecurity can impose, BlueZone Cyber Solutions offers a cost-effective, managed cybersecurity service tailored to small businesses:

The BlueZone Advantage

BlueZone Cyber Solutions simplifies cybersecurity for small businesses, enabling owners to focus on their core activities with peace of mind, knowing their digital operations are safeguarded by comprehensive, cutting-edge measures. We understand that small businesses approach cybersecurity purchases differently.  Unlike larger companies, which buy fragmented solutions piece by piece, small business owners need a comprehensive, all-encompassing product that fits their needs, risk factors, and budget, backed by a dependable team for support.

What Our Clients Say:

I had the pleasure of working with BlueZone Cyber Solutions to set up security measures for my husband and my business. As someone with limited knowledge of cyber security, they were incredibly helpful and patient, spending time with each of us to walk through the setup process.  Their dedication and commitment to ensuring our business’s security was truly outstanding.

Jessica Hansen,
Andy Pandy Kids

Industry Statistics for Context

• Outsourced cybersecurity services typically start around $2,000 – $3,500 per month.
• Businesses allocate about 10-15% of their annual IT budget to cybersecurity.

The Urgent Need for Cybersecurity

With 51% of small business owners lacking any cybersecurity measures and only 17% have cyber insurance.  Many operate under an ignorance-is-bliss mentality, mistakenly believing their business is too small to be a target, and rely on luck rather than proactive measures to avoid cyber threats. This approach leaves them particularly vulnerable, as 37% of companies impacted by ransomware had fewer than 100 employees. Alarmingly, 95% of these incidents incurred costs ranging from $826 to $653,587.

Moreover, when the systems of 51% of small businesses were compromised with ransom demands, the majority paid the ransom. Yet, 75% of SMBs admitted they lacked the necessary capital to continue operations post-ransomware attack without the safety net of cyber insurance.

BlueZone Cyber Solutions is committed to reversing this trend by providing small businesses with affordable and effective cybersecurity solutions. Our aim is to equip these businesses with the tools and knowledge they need to protect themselves against the ever-growing threat of cyberattacks, ensuring their operations can withstand and recover from such incidents.

Conclusion

For small businesses, cybersecurity is no longer a luxury but a necessity. BlueZone Cyber Solutions stands ready to demystify and de-stress cybersecurity, offering enterprise-grade protection at a fraction of the DIY cost. Click here to learn more about BlueZone Cyber Solutions.