Mastercard will roll out new tools to help small businesses defend themselves against cyber threats.

Mastercard said the tools will help organisations assess their security, uncover hidden risks and automate defences for all web-facing assets.

The tools will provide real-time, accurate views of cyber posture, offering a security rating based on several checks such as exposed infrastructure and third-party risks.

Using the tools, businesses will be able to monitor their digital presence by discovering any internet-facing domains or software stacks running on the web, it added.

The payment services company has extended its partnership with cloud connection company Cloudflare to develop the technology.

While emerging technologies and tools offer opportunities for organisations to innovate at speed and find creative ways to scale their businesses, Mastercard said that these often involve new vendors, shadow IT and outsourced services.

When layered into a business environment, Mastercard pointed out that the attack surface becomes unknown, presenting a potential visibility gap which could allow threat actors to gain the upper hand.

The payments giant said the new tools will help protect small businesses by eliminating blind spots.

“With small businesses accounting for about half of the world’s GDP, closing the resilience gap is critical to securing the foundation of our global economy,” said Johan Gerber, global head of security solutions at Mastercard. “Our collaboration with Cloudflare propels our mission to secure the digital ecosystem in partnership with governments and other key players, empowering businesses to focus on what matters most: their productivity and growth.”

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