Everything You Need to Know About Business Cybersecurity
Kalamazoo, MI | August 21, 2025
This article at a glance:
- Most SMBs aren't prepared to face a cybersecurity threat
- You can create a basic cybersecurity policy for your SMB, even without much IT skill
- The best cybersecurity for SMBs is provided by managed cybersecurity services
Every business needs a robust cybersecurity policy—but not many have one.
In fact, only 50% of small businesses have any cybersecurity plan in place at all.
Why? Well, two reasons:
Most SMBs underestimate their risk
Most SMBs see cybersecurity as too expensive or complicated
But what most SMBs don’t see is that they can make a big difference with just a shoestring budget and a little elbow grease. And today, I’ll show you how.
I’m giving you a crash course in everything you need to know about business cybersecurity and how to set up your own basic cybersecurity plan.
Table of Contents
Why Is It Important to Learn About Cybersecurity?
It’s important to learn about cybersecurity because keeping an organization safe is everybody’s responsibility.
Here’s the truth: it’s easier to fool a person than a firewall, and hackers know this. That’s why most data breaches are a result of social engineering.
Social engineering is when someone manipulates individuals in order to gain access to secure systems. And according to Yale’s Information Security department, social engineering accounts for 98% of all cyber-attacks.
That’s right—data breaches are a human problem, not a machine problem.
“Data breaches are a human problem, not a machine problem.”
The greatest tools that hackers have are people. Hackers know how to get sensitive information from their victims in seconds. In fact, many victims of cyber-attacks will never even know they’ve been breached. But once a hacker has one employee’s information, your entire system is compromised.
So, I’ll say it again: keeping an organization safe is everybody’s responsibility.
But if that doesn’t convince you, here are some statistics to keep in mind:
Financial Loss: Data breaches cause small businesses to lose an average of $120,000 in downtime, incident response, and more (IBM Cost of Data Breach Report, 2025).
Reputation Loss: 61% of SMBs reported that reputation damage from a data breach would significantly damage their business (Risk Management Magazine, 2025).
Legal Compliance Loss: In 2024, one small healthcare provider was fined $1.5 million by the Department of Health and Human Services for having insufficient data protection (SMB Technologies, 2025).
Business Continuity Loss: 60% of small businesses that experience a cyber attack go out of business within 6 months (Qualysec, 2025).
On top of that, a whopping 43% of all cyberattacks target small businesses.
But here’s a question: what do those cyberattacks look like? Let’s explore that below.
7 Types of Cybersecurity Threats Facing SMBs
So, we know that cybersecurity for SMBs is essential. But what do cybersecurity threats actually look like?
Technically, a “cyberattack” is any malicious attempt to access a digital device or network. That said, most cyberattacks fall into 7 categories:
Phishing. Emails or texts designed to trick employees into sharing credentials (usually usernames, passwords, or other login information).
Ransomware. Malicious software that steals company data until you pay a ransom.
Malware. Software programs that attempt to gain unauthorized access to a digital device or network. Most malware is designed so you never even know you downloaded it.
Insider Threats. Employees or contractors mishandling or stealing data. Most often, these are employees who want to show off examples of previous work at a new job. But sometimes, angry employees might reveal sensitive data out of revenge.
Business Email Compromise (BEC). Also known as “CEO Fraud,” these are impersonation scams that trick employees into making fraudulent payments.
DDoS Attacks. A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack attempts to disable your network by overwhelming it with too many requests. Your online systems are kind of like a doorway—when too many people try to get in at once, everyone gets stuck. DDoS attacks try to flood your system’s “doorway” with too many people to purposefully make sure no one can get through.
Cloud Security Breaches. Poorly secured cloud services (such as DropBox, Google Drive, or OneDrive) give hackers access to your company’s data, often with very little effort. Read more about a recent example of this by viewing our article on the Tea hacks in July.
If you don’t have a high-quality cybersecurity plan set up already, then it’s extremely likely that your organization is vulnerable to one or all of the attacks above.
How do I know this? Well, because only 14% of SMBs reported that they’re prepared to face cyberattacks.
Luckily, you can set up a solid cybersecurity plan, even if you’re starting from scratch.
Next, I’ll walk you through how to set up a cybersecurity framework for your business.
How to Set Up Cybersecurity for SMBs
Setting up cybersecurity for SMBs comes down to three main steps:
Identifying your current cybersecurity setup
Implementing a new cybersecurity policy
Monitoring for potential vulnerabilities
1. Identify Your Current Cybersecurity Setup
Before you make any changes, you’ll need to get a full account of your current cyber setup.
Assess Your Current Cybersecurity Policies.
Start by asking yourself: “What are the cybersecurity policies I have in place already? And, are people following them?” It’s one thing to create a policy for your employees, but enforcing it is tough. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself about how closely each policy is being followed.
Common policies might include:
Locking computer screens when away from the desk
Ensuring passwords are of a certain strength
Limiting software downloads to certain programs
Security guidelines for working remotely
Inventory All Hardware, Software, and Network Connections.
Write down the amount and type of each item in your organization:
Hardware: Computers, laptops, monitors, servers, and routers.
Software: Commercial “Off-the-Shelf” software (such as Microsoft applications), custom software, cloud services, and subscription-based services. If you have a website (or more than one website), make sure to write those down, too.
Network Connections: Wired connections (ethernet, DSL, cable internet) and wireless connections (Wi-Fi).
Audit User Access Levels and Password Hygiene.
Over time, it’s easy for employees to get access to things they don’t really need. This can be a critical cybersecurity risk. Figure out who has permission to which programs, then figure out if they really need it.
Evaluate Third-Party Vendors and Their Security Protocols.
Vendors with bad cybersecurity are almost as dangerous as bad in-house cybersecurity. The next time you get a chance, ask your vendors:
What is your cybersecurity policy?
What are you doing to protect my information?
What is your incident response plan?
Do you do penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, or any other routine security assessments?
2. Implement a New Cybersecurity Policy
Now that you’ve completed each step above (or at least most of them), you should have a pretty good idea of your current IT system. Just by doing this inventory, you should already notice a few flaws in your cybersecurity.
If so, then don’t panic—below, I’ve outlined a solid cybersecurity strategy that anyone can implement.
(Re)Train Employees Regularly.
In every type of security, just one training isn’t enough. Over time, people will always forget details, feel security isn’t a priority, or simply get lazy if they feel like no one’s watching.
Recommendation: Perform cybersecurity training (at minimum) once per year for all employees. If you handle more sensitive data (such as insurance, medical, financial, or legal information), then you should shoot for quarterly or even monthly training.
Disable Accounts for Unnecessary Users.
If an employee never uses a certain account, then that creates an unnecessary security risk. Why? Well, because if an employee gets hacked, then the hacker has additional access to systems that the employee didn’t even need. So, it’s always best to make sure that everyone with account access absolutely needs it.
Recommendation: Let your employees know in advance that you’re disabling access to unnecessary accounts, and tell them that it’s for your cybersecurity policy. That way, you won’t create any confusion when the time comes.
Enforce Strong Password and MFA Requirements.
Despite over 80% of hacking-related breaches are caused by weak or stolen passwords, weak passwords are still rampant at most SMBs. But even if a password is stolen, it’s useless to a hacker without multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Recommendation: Make sure all passwords across the organization are at least 10-12 characters and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. For accounts with access to sensitive data, enable MFA.
Establish Incident Response and Escalation Procedures.
Sometimes, cybersecurity breaches are an inevitability. After all, it only takes one employee clicking a suspicious link to compromise an entire organization. That’s why it’s essential to have a plan—because cybersecurity isn’t about if, it’s about when.
Recommendation: Establish a chain of communication so everyone essential stays informed when a breach occurs. Then, restrict permissions for all affected accounts and assess the damage.
3. Monitor for Potential Vulnerabilities
This one is a little tougher if you don’t have IT experience (or someone in your organization who does). That said, you can still make a big difference with very little IT knowledge.
Here are three easy ways anyone can check for cybersecurity vulnerabilities:
Enforce Weekly Computer Shut-Downs. You wouldn’t believe how many people never turn off their work computer. And while it’s okay for your computer to run for days at a time, computers can’t update core software unless they restart. That’s a problem. When software is outdated, it’s much easier for hackers to break in. To fix this, just make sure everyone shuts down their computer once per week—most people choose Friday.
Monitor Phishing and Suspicious Activity. Many email providers—like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace—actually have built-in security dashboards that report on blocked and suspicious emails. Make sure to check these reports a few times per month. If you notice any sudden increases in phishing attempts, make sure to tell your employees and remind them to “pause before you click”.
Let Automated Tools Do the Hard Work. Antivirus software like Malwarebytes and Bitdefender will send you alerts about some security issues without all the technical gibberish. In fact, they can even help you through solutions that don’t require technical troubleshooting. It’s no replacement for a human cybersecurity professional, but it definitely helps.
Stay Safe with Managed Cybersecurity Services
If you’ve followed this guide and implemented some of these changes, then you’re already much closer to business cybersecurity.
Still, it’s important to remember that cybersecurity isn’t something you just do once.
That’s why SMBs work with managed cybersecurity services like ours at Omega. Because they get benefits like:
High-quality IT at lower prices than in-house
24/7 monitoring, security updating, and incident response
Guaranteed compliance with industry regulations
Peace of mind
Even if you’re just curious about what working with a managed service provider means, we’re always happy to answer your questions. For more information, click here to contact us today!
