--- title: 3 Tools to Keep Your SMB Data Secure During the Holidays description: While the holiday season is a great time to enjoy office festivities and spend time with family and friends, it’s also a time for phishing scams, hackers stealing information, and the loss of your online privacy. Here are three tools that are critical to ensuring safe and secure online activities. image: https://blog.totalprosource.com/hubfs/iStock-870548340.jpg --- - [Customer Support](https://www.totalprosource.com/support) - [Join Our Team](https://www.totalprosource.com/careers) [![logo-m](https://blog.totalprosource.com/hubfs/logo-m.svg)](https://www.totalprosource.com/) - [Solutions](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions) - [IT Solutions](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/it-solutions) - [Managed IT Services](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/it-solutions/managed-it-services) - [Cybersecurity](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/it-solutions/cybersecurity) - [Business Continuity](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/it-solutions/business-continuity) - [Hosted Voice](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/it-solutions/hosted-voice) - [Cloud Solutions](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/it-solutions/cloud-solutions) - [Managed Content Services](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/managed-content-services) - [Digital Transformation](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/managed-content-services/digital-transformation) - [Business Process Optimization](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/managed-content-services/business-process-optimization) - [Accounts Payable Automation](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/managed-content-services/ap-automation) - [Document Management for SMBs](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/managed-content-services/document-management-smbs) - [Print Solutions](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/print-solutions) - [Managed Print Services](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/print-solutions/managed-print-services) - [Copiers & Printers](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/print-solutions/copiers-printers) - [Production Print](https://www.totalprosource.com/solutions/print-solutions/production-print) - [Industries](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries) - [Education](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/education) - [Healthcare](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/healthcare) - [Government](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/government) - [Manufacturing & Distribution](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/manufacturing-distribution) - [Banking & Financial Services](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/banking-financial-services) - [Legal](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/legal) - [Non-Profit & Religious](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/non-profit-religious) - [Small & Medium-Sized Businesses](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/small-medium-sized-businesses) - [Professional Services](https://www.totalprosource.com/industries/professional-services) - [Resources](https://www.totalprosource.com/resources) - [Who We Are](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are) - [About](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are/about) - [TotalPro Experience](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are/totalpro-experience) - [History](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are/history) - [Awards](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are/awards) - [Community Involvement](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are/community-involvement) - [Locations](https://www.totalprosource.com/who-we-are/locations) - [Contact](https://www.totalprosource.com/contact-us) Speak With a Solutions ExpertContact Menu**Close** ### Sales or General Inquiries Our business is built on helping you leveraging technology for strategic advantage. Contact our team to learn how our powerful, scalable, affordable technology solutions can transform how you do business. Contact a Solutions Expert ### Customer Support Our solutions are backed by dedicated support teams who are committed to your success. Whether you need IT support, software support, or hardware service, we've got you covered so you can get back to business. [Contact Support](https://www.totalprosource.com/support) [1.888.698.0763](tel:18886980763) ![](https://blog.totalprosource.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Prosource_August2020/images/close.svg) ### Contact a Solutions Expert # 3 Tools to Keep Your SMB Data Secure During the Holidays By: [Danielle Hoverman](https://blog.totalprosource.com/author/danielle-hoverman) December 17, 2018 You’ve decorated the office and planned the office holiday party. But have you taken the necessary steps to secure your business for the holiday season? While the holiday season is a great time to enjoy office festivities and spend time with family and friends, it’s also a time for phishing scams, hackers stealing information, and the loss of your online privacy. **\[You Might Also Like: Blog Article – “[How to Prevent Common Cyber Attacks](https://blog.totalprosource.com/how-to-prevent-common-cyber-attacks)[”](https://blog.totalprosource.com/how-to-prevent-common-cyber-attacks)\]** Whether your employees are online browsing or shopping, using public WiFi, or receiving emails, there are many tools to keep your SMB secure during the holidays – or anytime of the year. ![Business owner shopping online](https://blog.totalprosource.com/hs-fs/hubfs/iStock-870548340.jpg?width=2121&name=iStock-870548340.jpg) #### **Web Content Filtering & Security** It’s essential to have web filtering and security tools in place not only during the holidays but year-round. During lunch breaks, employees may be using that time to browse and shop online. Web browsers can be used as a data collection tool by third parties. Many website and advertising networks use cookies and trackers to collect your browsing history and online habits to deliver targeted ads. Aside from storing your browsing history, your web browser may also have private data saved through features such as autofill information or saved usernames and passwords from the sites you visit. Browsers can also be easily exploited by hackers and used to deliver malware, so it’s important to make sure you have privacy and security-enhancing add-ons enabled or installed. If you’re already using a web filtering product, you likely have secure browsing enabled. If you don’t currently have web filtering, some good options are [Privacy Badger](https://www.eff.org/privacybadger), [uBlock Origin](https://www.ublock.org/), and [HTTPS Everywhere](https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere). If you’re installing third-party add-ons to your browser, be sure that you do thorough research to make sure they’re safe and legitimate. #### **Virtual Private Network** A virtual private network (VPN) is a must-have privacy tool for SMBs. It allows you to create a secure, encrypted “tunnel” between your device and a VPN server. With employees out of the office for the holidays, some may choose to completely disconnect from work, while others will choose to use that time to get additional work done. If you have remote or mobile employees who may be using public WiFi networks such as those in cafes, hotels, or airports, a VPN is a must. Public WiFi networks expose users to security issues and leave devices vulnerable to [man-in-the-middle attacks](https://blog.totalprosource.com/6-common-types-of-cyber-attacks), traffic sniffing, and [malware](https://blog.totalprosource.com/5-common-malware-types). Not only do public WiFi networks pose security risks, network admins and third parties could also be collecting browsing history of everyone connected to the network. Using a VPN will encrypt your traffic, making your data and online activity unreadable to third parties. **\[You Might Also Like: Blog Article – [“How to Spot Common Cyber Scams”\]](https://blog.totalprosource.com/how-to-spot-common-cyber-scams)** #### **Antivirus Software** With the increased amount of ransomware attacks on SMBs, antivirus remains a critical tool for keeping data secure during the holidays. There are many ways your computer can become infected with malware. One popular holiday scam is to attach malicious files to e-card greeting emails. Having up-to-date and trustworthy antivirus software installed on all devices on your network is key to keeping your data secure. **\[You Might: Blog Article – [“What is Layered Security & How Does it Defend Your Network”\]](https://blog.totalprosource.com/what-is-layered-security-how-does-it-defend-your-network)** While there are many other tools you can use to keep your SMB data secure during the holidays, these three tools are critical to ensuring safe and secure online activities not just during the holiday season, but throughout the entire year. Interested in learning more about how your business can implement world-class network security and stay up-to-date on changing technology? **[Click here](http://www.totalprosource.com/about/contact/) to contact the Prosource team to learn more!** [Cybersecurity](https://blog.totalprosource.com/topic/cybersecurity), [Malware](https://blog.totalprosource.com/topic/malware), [Phishing](https://blog.totalprosource.com/topic/phishing), [Data Security](https://blog.totalprosource.com/topic/data-security), [Network Security](https://blog.totalprosource.com/topic/network-security) ## Read On ### [It’s Time to Break Your Bad Password Habits I have been on something of a password campaign for the last few years, preaching to my clients the...](https://blog.totalprosource.com/break-your-bad-password-habits) ### [National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2019: What's Your Role? Observed each October, National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is a collaborative effort...](https://blog.totalprosource.com/national-cyber-security-awareness-month-2019) ### [What is Layered Security & How Does it Defend Your Network? 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