Last updated: 6 – 29 – 2026
We believe in being upfront about how we make money. This page explains our use of affiliate links in plain terms, in line with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and similar rules elsewhere.
The short version
Some links on SMB Security HQ are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, we may earn a commission — at no additional cost to you. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or not.
These commissions help fund the testing and research that keep this site free to read. We’re genuinely grateful when you use our links — but you’re never obligated to.
How affiliate links work
When you click an affiliate link, a small tracking reference tells the merchant that the referral came from us. If you then make a purchase (sometimes within a set time window), we receive a percentage of the sale or a flat referral fee. This involves no extra cost and, in most cases, passes no personally identifying information to us — see our Privacy Policy.
Programs we participate in
SMB Security HQ participates in affiliate and partner programs that may include:
- Security software and service vendors (for example, antivirus, EDR, password managers, VPNs, backup, and email security providers we review).
- Cyber insurance and managed-security partners.
- [Amazon Associates Program]
Our promise: independence comes first
This is the part that matters most:
- Commissions never influence our reviews, rankings, scores, or recommendations. We rate products on merit using a fixed testing process.
- We recommend the right tool — including free or cheaper options — even when it earns us nothing.
- Partners cannot pay for a better review, a higher ranking, or favourable coverage.
- We only recommend products we believe are genuinely worth your money for a business your size.
If we ever can’t recommend a product, no commission will change that.
How to identify affiliate and sponsored content
- We include this disclosure site-wide and, where appropriate, a short note near affiliate links or comparison tables.
- If a piece of content is ever sponsored or paid (distinct from standard affiliate links), we will label it clearly as such.
Display advertising
Where we show ads served by third-party networks [e.g., Mediavine, Raptive, Google AdSense], those are also a source of revenue. Like affiliate links, advertising has no influence over our editorial content. See how ad-related data is handled in our Privacy Policy.
Questions
If anything here is unclear, or you’d like to know whether a specific link is an affiliate link, just ask: [hello@smbsecurityhq.com].
Thank you for supporting independent, small-business-focused security guidance. See also our editorial standards and Privacy Policy.