Cybersecurity Basics Every Small Business Needs

You don’t need a massive security budget. You need to get the basics right.

The Reality for Small Businesses

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: small businesses are targeted by cyberattacks constantly. Not because you’re a high-profile target, but because attackers know small businesses tend to have weak defenses. They’re not after your trade secrets — they’re after easy money through ransomware, business email compromise, and credential theft.

The good news? The basics stop the vast majority of attacks. You don’t need enterprise-grade security tools. You need to do the fundamentals well and consistently.

The Checklist

1. Keep Everything Updated

This is the single most impactful thing you can do. Software updates and patches fix known security vulnerabilities. When you skip them, you’re leaving known, documented holes in your defenses.

  • Operating systems (Windows, macOS)
  • Business applications (Office, accounting software, etc.)
  • Web browsers
  • Firewall and router firmware
  • Any other connected devices

Set things to auto-update where possible. For everything else, put it on a regular schedule.

2. Use Strong, Unique Passwords

“Password123” is not fooling anyone. And using the same password for everything means one breach compromises all of your accounts.

  • Use a password manager (like Bitwarden, 1Password, or similar)
  • Every account gets a unique, generated password
  • Minimum 14 characters for anything you have to type manually
  • Never reuse passwords across services

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA means you need something beyond your password to log in — usually a code from an app on your phone. It stops the overwhelming majority of account takeover attacks, even if your password gets stolen.

Enable MFA on:

  • Email (this is the big one)
  • Cloud storage and file sharing
  • Financial and banking accounts
  • VPN and remote access
  • Any system with sensitive data

4. Secure Your Email

Email is how most attacks get in. Phishing, malicious attachments, business email compromise — it all comes through the inbox.

  • Enable spam and phishing filtering
  • Train your team to spot suspicious emails
  • Verify financial requests by phone, not email
  • Use email authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) to prevent spoofing of your domain

5. Back Up Your Data

Ransomware encrypts your files and demands payment. If you have good backups, ransomware is an inconvenience instead of a catastrophe.

  • Back up regularly (daily at minimum for critical data)
  • Keep at least one backup offline or in a separate cloud account
  • Test your restores — a backup you can’t restore is worthless
  • Follow the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, with 1 offsite

6. Protect Your Endpoints

Every laptop, desktop, and server needs endpoint protection — modern antivirus that does more than scan for known viruses. Today’s endpoint protection monitors behavior, blocks suspicious activity, and can even roll back ransomware encryption.

The built-in Windows Defender has gotten much better, but business-grade endpoint protection tools offer centralized management and better detection.

7. Secure Your Network

  • Change default passwords on routers and firewalls
  • Use a separate Wi-Fi network for guests
  • Enable your firewall and make sure it’s properly configured
  • If you have a VPN for remote access, keep it updated

8. Train Your People

Technology can only do so much. Your team needs to know what phishing looks like, why they shouldn’t click suspicious links, and how to report something that seems off.

Security awareness training doesn’t have to be painful. Short, regular sessions are more effective than a yearly marathon.

What This Costs

Here’s the thing — most of this checklist is either free or very low-cost. Password managers are a few dollars per user per month. MFA is free on most platforms. Keeping things updated costs nothing but time and discipline.

The investments that do cost money — endpoint protection, backup solutions, security training — are typically in the range of $10-30 per user per month. Compare that to the average cost of a ransomware incident for a small business, and it’s not even close.

Where to Start

If you’re looking at this list and thinking “we’re not doing most of this,” don’t panic. Start with the highest-impact items:

  1. Turn on MFA for email — today
  2. Make sure backups are running and tested
  3. Get endpoint protection on every device
  4. Start patching consistently

Everything else can follow. Progress beats perfection.

Want help figuring out where you stand? We’ll do a quick assessment and tell you what to prioritize. No scare tactics — just practical advice.