Happy Geek Pride Day! To celebrate our special day, we’re sharing with you some of the most innovative security gadgets to help your businesses stay protected and grow. Technology is fundamental for any modern business. You might be thinking that IT security is far out of reach for your small to medium-size enterprise because of a limited budget. Wrong! You can protect against the constant threats that lurk in the web without breaking your budget.
With just a few bucks and some basic knowledge, there are many things us geeks can do to ensure the safety of our SMEs. Today is the day we rejoice in our shared love for technology and innovation. Here are five cheap tools that will reinforce your company’s security:
Access Control
…the key that opens the doors of tomorrow. The future of password identification is biometrics. We’re sure you have noticed that it has been increasingly popular for offices to use fingerprint readers, especially for entrances, to make sure that only the employees, and those invited, have access to the facilities. Protect entry to your business, or geek lair, with a smart lock. Gadgets using Bluetooth, NFC, RFID or even Photonics Technology – can fulfill the same purpose.
Security Cables
Are you a geek that isn’t fluent in computer? No problem. Here’s a more hands-on solution. Look to see if your laptop has a round slot, possibly close to the USB ports or the charger socket. Maybe you’ve never noticed it but its more possible that you’ve been wondering what it is used for. This is a Kensington Security Slot, a small hole that allows you to install a lock to block access to your machine. Your roomie won’t be able to “borrow” your laptop anymore. Although they won’t exactly strengthen the security of your laptop, security cables are cheap, tried and true. They will definitely prevent future annoyances for your SME.
Cheap Alternatives for Video Surveillance Systems
The Internet of Things has opened up a world of possibilities for SMEs with small budgets. Now, we can set up surveillance systems using cameras that communicate with Smartphones. Piper, Canary or Nest Cam are some of the most popular and accessible systems.
The USB condom that protects your smartphone
Is your Smartphone your life? If your one of those entrepreneurs that sweats bullets as soon as you hit low-battery mode, then you’re probably accustomed to recharging your phone in public places like airports, cyber-cafes, or other similar charging stations, which in many instances, are massive hacking zones for cyber-criminals. A USB condom is inserted into the USB connector on your smartphone, tablet or computer, and disables the port’s data pins. The idea is that you insert it into your device before using free charging stations at less than trustworthy places. Once your charged-up, the device will eject and the USB port will operate as normal. You can find these devices in various models.
U2F
We have already chatted about two-step verification. By now, you have probably grown tired of entering your password twice to confirm your identity for services or sites you access on the daily (like email accounts, for many of us). For less than €6, you can buy U2F Security Keys, which replace that second authentication factor. As a safety guarantee, this special USB key does require you to enter on your computer that you, and only you, will try and access the computer.
The above-named gadgets can take your SME to a new level of protection, but you shouldn’t forget that hardware insurance is of little use if it is not accompanied by a good security software. With the Panda Antivirus, small and medium-sized enterprises won’t have to spend much time or money to defend their most valuable digital assets in the best possible way.