5 Simple Cybersecurity Steps Every Small Business in the North East Should Take Today
As a small business owner in the North East, you wear many hats—managing director, head of sales, HR manager, and chief tea-maker. But is “Cybersecurity Expert” one of them?
For most business owners, the answer is no. Yet, with cyber threats on the rise, having a basic security foundation is no longer optional. The good news is that you don’t need a huge budget or a dedicated IT department to make a massive difference to your company’s safety.
By implementing these five simple, high-impact steps, you can protect your business, your data, and your reputation.
1. Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Everywhere
If you only do one thing on this list, make it this one. A password alone is a weak lock on your digital front door. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) acts as a second, digital deadbolt. It requires a simple code from your phone or an app before granting access to your email or cloud services, even if a criminal has your password.
Action: Turn on MFA for all your critical accounts, especially your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace accounts.
2. Train Your Team to Spot Phishing Scams
Your employees are your first line of defence, but they can also be your biggest vulnerability. Phishing emails—where criminals pretend to be someone you trust to trick you into clicking a malicious link or revealing sensitive information—are the most common form of cyber-attack. Train your team to look for these red flags:
- An email address that doesn’t quite match the sender’s real address.
- A sense of extreme urgency or threats (e.g., “Your account will be suspended!”).
- Suspicious links (always hover your mouse over a link before you click).
3. Keep Your Software and Systems Updated
Those annoying “update available” notifications are there for a reason. Software updates don’t just add new features; they often contain critical security “patches” that fix vulnerabilities discovered by developers. Running outdated software is like leaving a window unlocked for burglars to crawl through.
Action: Set your computers and key software (like your web browser and antivirus) to update automatically.
4. Have a Solid Backup and Recovery Plan
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a disaster can happen—a ransomware attack, a hardware failure, or an accidental deletion. How quickly could your business recover? A reliable, automated backup of your critical data is your ultimate safety net. It means that no matter what happens, you can restore your information and get back to business with minimal downtime.
Action: Ensure you have an automated cloud backup system for all essential business data.
5. Use a Password Manager
Does your team use simple passwords, or worse, the same password for multiple services? This is a huge security risk. A password manager is a simple, secure app that creates and stores long, complex, and unique passwords for all your accounts. Your team only needs to remember one master password to access the secure “vault.” It’s the easiest way to massively upgrade your password security overnight.
Feeling Overwhelmed? Let’s Check Your Security Together.
These five steps are a fantastic start, but how do you know if they’re implemented correctly and if there are other risks you haven’t considered?
As an IT & Cybersecurity consultant for North East businesses, I’m currently offering a free, no-obligation IT & Cybersecurity Audit to local business owners. We’ll review your current setup against these points and more, giving you a clear picture of your security posture and a practical roadmap for improvement.