Cybersecurity Checklist for Small and Medium Businesses

Cybersecurity for a growing business is less about buying every security product and more about building a dependable baseline. The controls below address common weaknesses without assuming a large internal security team.

Protect accounts first

• Require multi-factor authentication for email, cloud platforms and administrative accounts.
• Remove accounts promptly when people leave.
• Avoid shared administrator logins.
• Use a password manager and unique passwords.

Keep systems updated

Operating systems, browsers, plugins, frameworks and business applications should have a defined patching process. Unsupported software should be identified and replaced or isolated.

Back up important data

Backups should be regular, protected from ordinary user accounts and tested. A backup that has never been restored is only an assumption.

Review cloud permissions

Cloud platforms can become over-permissive as teams grow. Review public exposure, privileged roles, service accounts and logging. Our Cloud Security Review focuses on these areas.

Secure employee devices

Use disk encryption, screen locking, endpoint protection and a clear process for lost devices. Remote work makes device security part of the business perimeter.

Know what you would do during an incident

Document who should be contacted, how access can be revoked, where backups are stored and how customers or partners would be informed if necessary. A short tested plan is more useful than a long plan nobody can find.

Review third-party access

Vendors, plugins and integrations may have access to business data. Remove unused connections and verify what permissions remain necessary.

Make security routine

A quarterly review of accounts, access, backups, vulnerabilities and cloud exposure is a strong starting rhythm. Markhor Global provides cybersecurity services for businesses that need help assessing and improving this baseline.