Essential Small Business Cybersecurity Checklist for 2023

Key Highlights

• This cybersecurity checklist has steps that help small business owners keep the company safe.
• To protect your small business, please keep your computer networks safe, take care of your data, and make sure your offices are secure.
• Use strong passwords and turn on multi-factor authentication. These steps help stop unauthorized access.
• Teach your workers about small business cybersecurity often. This gives them the tools they need to find and block common kinds of cyber threats, like phishing.
• A good backup plan for data and a way to act fast if there is a data breach can make the problem smaller after it happens.
• To keep your security measures working well, check them often and change them when there is something new.

Introduction

For small business owners, small business cybersecurity can feel hard to manage. Cyber threats keep changing all the time. If you do not have a big security team like the large companies, you may feel you could get attacked. The good news is, there are easy things you can do to keep your company safe. This guide offers an important checklist for small businesses. It lists simple security measures that can help you make a strong defense against common online risks. By taking these steps, you can keep your small business safe and help protect customer data.

Understanding Small Business Cybersecurity Risks

As a business owner, you should know about the security risks that your company can have. A lot of people who do bad things on the internet feel small businesses are weaker. They think it’s easy to get in and do damage. The goal is not always about money. Sometimes, they use your company to go after your partners as well.

If your security breaks, it can cause real problems. You may lose money. You or your company could also get a bad name that is hard to fix. The first step you should take is to learn about common cyber threats. This can help you make a way to protect your work and life.

Identifying Common Threats (Malware, Phishing, Ransomware)

Many big cybersecurity threats are after your business every day. A type of software called malware can get into your computers. It takes information from you and makes things not work right. A big risk is phishing emails. These are fake emails that try to trick you and your team. They want you to give up important details like passwords and money info.

A ransomware attack is when bad software locks your files. It makes your business feel trapped until you pay money. A data breach can also hit you and this can hurt your money and how you do business. With this kind of attack, you may lose all your information.

To keep your business safe, you should know about these common threats:

• Malware: This is bad software. Someone makes it to hurt your device or get into it without you seeing it. The attacker can use the malware to get to your sensitive data or gain unauthorized access to your files.
• Phishing: These are fake ways, mostly using email, that trick you. Someone will try to steal your sensitive data like your password or account information. You can lose your data when they get unauthorized access.
• Ransomware: This is a type of malware. It will lock your files or take over your device. You cannot get to your files unless you pay money. A person may use ransomware to take your sensitive data and only let you have it if you pay.

Impact of Cyber Incidents on Operations and Reputation

A cyber incident can hit your business in many ways. It does not just make you lose money fast. When business systems stop, you may not keep working. You cannot help your customers. This means you will not make money. If your point-of-sale system is down, you cannot sell anything. If you lose access to your customer database, your business cannot run.

Other than having to stop your job, long-lasting harm can happen to your name. If there is a data breach with customer data, people lose trust in you. They may take their money and look for another place. You also may find it hard to get new people to believe in what you do. Reports show that about 60% of small businesses have to close down within six months after a cyberattack.

The chance of losing all your data, spending a lot of money, and hurting your name shows that you need good cybersecurity. It is not just something extra. Protecting your business helps keep its future safe.

Creating a Tailored Cybersecurity Checklist

A basic cybersecurity checklist might not be enough for your own business. You need to have a plan that fits your own business. It should also be right for your budget and any rules you have to follow. When you tailor your security measures, you use your resources in a good way. This will help your own business get more from what you do.

This way, you can focus on the risks that matter most to your business. You will not spend time on things that do not help you or your team. In the next parts, you will learn how to make a checklist that fits your business. It will begin with steps that cost less. After that, you will see how to add steps that deal with rules your company must follow.

Checklist Essentials for Limited Budgets

Even if you do not have a lot of money to spend, small business owners can still make sure to have good security measures. A lot of the basic steps are free or cost very little. They use easy ways and not high-priced tools. You can start by getting free cybersecurity resources from government agencies. One good tool is the FCC’s Small Biz Cyber Planner. It helps you set up and keep track of your security goals.

Focus on the basics to help you stay safe. Keep all your software and systems up to date with the latest security updates. Make sure you use strong endpoint protection. You can use free or low-cost antivirus software as well. These steps are a good way to protect yourself.

Here are some things that you should have on your checklist. These items do not cost a lot.

• Make sure all your devices have automatic security updates turned on.
• Get antivirus software for your systems and make sure it stays updated.
• Teach people who work for you to watch out for phishing emails.
• Use tools like the Small Biz Cyber Planner to help with your plans.

Customizing Steps for Compliance and Regulations

Your cybersecurity checklist should cover all compliance requirements that apply to your industry. The rules change based on the type of sensitive information you have. There may be laws that come from government agencies or industry groups. If your business works with data from people in the European Union, you must follow GDPR.

As business owners, you have to understand your duties with sensitive data. First, find out what sensitive data you are taking from customers. This can be their money records or health facts. Then, check laws to see how you should deal with that data.

Adding these compliance requirements to your checklist will help keep your business safe. The guidelines also stop you from getting any fines and legal trouble. You need rules for things like data encryption, data storage, and who can get to the data. Write down these rules and follow them at all times.

Strong Passwords and Authentication

The first step for small business cybersecurity is to watch who can use your business systems. A weak password or one that is stolen can be a big reason for security trouble. You keep your business accounts safe by using strong password rules. Also, use up-to-date ways for people to sign in. This step will help protect small business systems from most attacks.

Using a password manager lets your team make and keep track of strong passwords. These passwords are hard for other people to guess. The team does not have to remember all the strong passwords on their own. You can also add extra steps when signing in. With these steps, it is much harder for someone who should not be in your accounts to get in.

Setting Up Robust Password Policies

A password policy helps your people know what to do to keep your systems safe. It helps them build good habits too. A strong password should be long. You need to use big and small letters, numbers, and symbols to make it stronger. But now there is new advice. Most say it is better to make passwords longer rather than only making them complex. A longer password is often safer and easier to remember.

To make things simple, you can let everyone use a secure password manager. A password manager can be given to your team or suggested to them. This tool will create strong passwords and keep them safe for every employee. It also stops people from using the same password for many sites, which is a big risk. Your rules should also say that passwords need to be changed every so often. This is very important for those who have administrative privileges. If passwords get changed often, their accounts stay safe even if their information gets out.

Key elements of a strong password policy include:

• The password should have at least 12 to 14 letters.
• You have to change your password every three months.
• You are not allowed to use the same password again.

Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a top security measure you can use. It asks a person to show one more proof that the account is theirs. You do this on top of using a password. A code from a phone app or a simple security key can be used for this. When you take this step, you can block most tries to get into an account, even if someone else finds out the password.

You should turn on MFA for all user accounts and business accounts that matter. This is important for email, financial software, and cloud services. Some people think it is a little hassle. But taking this extra step makes your security posture stronger.

Tell your team why there is a need for MFA. Show them how to use it. When you make MFA a rule for getting into key systems, it helps block big problems. Even if someone learns a user’s password, MFA will help. This keeps one weak spot from letting a hacker get into all of your company’s data.

Securing Your Network and Devices

Attackers can use your company’s network and any device that links to it to break in. You need to keep your internet safe. You also need to take care of your business systems to guard your data. It is not enough to just put a password on your Wi-Fi. You must set up your network in the best and safest way you can.

Every part of your network should be safe. That starts with the wireless access point and goes to each computer you have. If you put access controls in place and use the right security settings, the network will be stronger. This keeps threats from outside out.

Protecting Wi-Fi and Internet Connections

Your Wi-Fi can be the entry point for cyber threats. It is important to keep your private network safe. You should use WPA3 encryption because it is the latest way to protect your Wi-Fi. A strong passphrase is needed. It has to be long, and you should not use one that people can guess quickly. Change the default network name, known as the service set identifier. Choose a name that does not tell anything about your business. This will help you and your network stay safe from people who try to get in.

Make a guest network just for your visitors. This keeps the guest internet traffic away from your main business network. It stops visitors from getting to your sensitive files or systems. You need to teach employees to not use public networks for work. They can use a VPN if they have to be on public networks.

Every time you leave a connection without safety, it can lead to trouble. When you keep your Wi-Fi safe and watch how people at work get on the internet, you give fewer chances for bad people to get in. This keeps the system safe, and it also helps keep your data protected.

Installing Firewalls and Antivirus Tools

A firewall works as a guard for your network. It watches the traffic going in and out. The firewall stops anything that looks strange or risky. A firewall made for a business gives better safety than the ones in home routers. You should set your firewall to block all traffic first. Later, only allow the connections you want to let in.

Along with a network firewall, it is good to have strong antivirus software on each device in your network. Modern endpoint detection does more than regular antivirus software. It looks at how a program works to spot and stop new threats, like ransomware. These security measures keep malware away from every device.

Your checklist should include:

• Set up a business-grade firewall and adjust it as needed.
• Install antivirus software on every computer and server.
• Make sure that all security apps and other software are always updated.

Data Protection and Backup Measures

Keeping your sensitive data safe has to be one of the most important parts of a cybersecurity plan. You must stop anyone who should not get in. One way to help is by using encryption. A strong backup plan is also key. If you face a ransomware attack or your hardware fails, backups can be a huge help. They can make a big issue feel much smaller. A good backup plan will keep your business from stopping.

Backing up your critical data often can help you get your information back fast if you face data loss. When you use cloud services, it will do this job for you. You also pay a good price for it. This is a good way to keep your important files safe.

Encrypting Sensitive Data

Encryption turns your sensitive information into a secret code. This makes it harder for others to get to your important data. If a data breach happens, people who try to get in will not read the encrypted data. The data is useless to them. You should always encrypt your valuable data when you save it on your hard drive or server. You should also do this when the data moves across the internet. This helps keep your information safe from unauthorized access both when it is stored and when it is being sent.

Modern operating systems come with tools that help with encryption. If you are using Windows, you have BitLocker. If you are on macOS, you have FileVault. You should turn these tools on for all laptops and mobile devices that keep any important company data. This step is easy to do. It helps you get strong safety if any device is lost or someone takes it.

When you send data over your network or the internet, you should use a secure way to do it. A good way is to use HTTPS for all your web traffic. Using encryption is a key part of cyber security for you and your business today.

Scheduling Regular Automatic Backups

Backing up data by hand is not a good idea. You can forget to do it. It is better to set up automatic backups for your critical data. Many cloud services can do this for you. They give easy and low-cost ways to keep your backup data safe. The backups can run every day or even more often. You do not need to do anything. This keeps your backup data up to date all the time.

The 3-2-1 rule is a good way people can use to keep their data safe. To follow it, you need to save at least three copies of your data. You also have to store two of these copies on different types of media at your own place. The last copy must be somewhere else—not in the same spot. A cloud backup service is one simple way to store your data off-site. This helps keep your data safe if things like a fire or a flood happen at your local place.

Test your backups often. Try to bring back a file or your whole system. A backup that you do not check is not a good backup. This helps you know you can get your data back fast if data loss happens. When you do this, you also save time and keep your work safe from too much trouble.

Physical Security Measures

Cybersecurity is not just about stopping threats online. You need to care about physical security too, if you want full protection. If unauthorized individuals get into your office, they can take company devices, get into servers, or grab important papers. It does not matter how strong your digital defenses are if someone can still walk out with your hardware.

Putting basic access controls in your office helps a lot. It is an easy way to make things safer for you and your team. You should also make sure the place where you keep your devices is locked and safe. These steps help keep your sensitive data safe. They also protect your devices and what is on them.

Controlling Access to Company Devices and Offices

As business owners, you need to know who comes into your workspace. A good way to do this is to keep your doors locked. You can also set up a way so visitors can check in or say hello before they come in. If you have areas that are very important, like server rooms, you should use keycard access or digital locks. This helps make sure that only the right people get inside.

Good access management is important for all company devices. You should keep laptops, tablets, and smartphones safe at all times. Do not leave any of them in public places when you are not using the device. Make rules that say employees must lock their screens when they move away from their desks. This will help keep important information safe.

Checking who has administrative privileges on your devices and networks helps keep things safe. It is best to give admin rights to only a few people. If someone takes a device, there is less damage if the account does not have admin rights. These steps can help stop unauthorized access from anyone outside or inside your group.

Safeguarding Printed Documents and Storage

Not all sensitive information is kept on computers. Some important papers can have things like money records, customer names, or company plans. People can try to take these papers just like they try to take digital files. A good idea is to use a clean desk policy. This means everyone should put away all sensitive information and papers before they go home for the day.

Keep important printed documents in locked filing cabinets or a safe place. Do not just throw these papers in the trash if you do not need them anymore. Use a cross-cut shredder to get rid of them. This will help make sure unauthorized individuals cannot put the pieces back together.

These security measures are simple to use in your workplace. They help build layers of defense. You should keep paper records safe. This is important, just like you should protect your digital files.

Employee Training and Awareness

Your workers can be your strongest way to stay safe, or a weak point in your company. If you do not give them the best security awareness training, even the best tools will not keep cyber threats away. A simple slip can let something bad in. Everyone needs regular training about cyber threats. They should learn basic security practices. Security awareness training is one of the easiest ways to protect your business and does not cost much. When we all join in and follow these steps, we work together to cut down the risk.

When people in your company learn about social engineering and ways to keep data safe, they can help stop many problems. These smart workers are the first to protect your business. You do not have to hire special IT staff to keep everyone safe. You can build simple training that helps your team learn what to look for and how to keep things safe. This makes your group better at spotting problems and helping to keep everything secure.

Educating Staff on Cyber Threats

Ongoing security awareness training is key for your team to stay sharp. It’s important to talk with them about cyber threats they may face. One of the main risks is phishing emails.

You should teach your team how to spot the signs of a bad message. These signs can be strange links, urgent asks for sensitive information, or even emails with bad grammar.

A click on the wrong link can let malware into your network. This kind of link can be the entry point for many problems. Your training should be easy to follow and not full of hard technical terms. Use real cases to show what people should watch out for. You want to build a workplace where every person feels like they help keep the company’s information technology safe. It is important that everyone sees why this is important and knows what they can do to help.

Make sure to hold training sessions at least four times a year. This helps remind your team of important things, and tells them about new dangers. When your people know what to watch for, they can help stop cyberattacks.

Running Practical Security Drills

People learn better when they practice something for real. When you use practice security drills with phishing emails, you can check if your team stays alert in a safe way. These emails are not real or harmful. This helps you find out who will click on these phishing emails.

The results help you see who or which part of the company needs more training. Use practice drills to teach others, not to punish them. It is good to explain that the test is a lot like real social engineering tricks people use. Go over the right way to tell your IT staff or the chosen contact about any strange emails.

Doing these practice exercises often helps your team find real threats. It also makes your security posture stronger. These practice sessions help turn what you know in theory into a skill you can use. This means your business systems can handle big problems better.

Maintaining Secure Remote Access

Remote work lets people have more freedom with how they use time. But, it also comes with new security problems. When you use remote access to get into the corporate network from outside, you need to keep everything safe. Both your computer and the connection you use must be safe. If remote access is not set up right, your business could have big risks.

It is important to have clear rules and use the right tools to keep your data safe. A private network like a VPN helps you do this. Employees might use laptops or mobile devices to get on cloud services or work with your internal systems. You have to make sure their access is under control and you keep track of what they do.

Using VPNs for Remote Work

A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, helps you work from home or anywhere in a safe way. A VPN makes a safe tunnel between your device and the company’s private network. It works even when you are on the public internet. This stops other people from seeing or getting your data when you send it.

Tell all workers that they must use a VPN when they work outside the office. This is very important if they use public Wi-Fi, for example in coffee shops or airports. A VPN keeps all their internet traffic safe. The same goes when they get to cloud services or open files from the office system.

Choosing a good business VPN service is important. With this, you can manage all things in one spot. You can decide who can get safe access to the network. You can also watch the people who join your network. This tool is simple, but it is a big part of any remote access security policy.

Managing Mobile Device Security

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are now used by many people at work. But these devices can make security harder. If a device is lost or stolen, a data breach can happen if it is not locked properly.

So, there must be a clear rule for handling all mobile devices that connect to company data. This rule should cover both company and personal devices.

Your policy needs to make sure that every device has a password. Also, there should be security apps on all devices. Some of these tools let you delete all data if a device is lost or stolen. With this, you can remove all company data in less time when you need to. It is also good to keep a list of all devices. This will help you look over your gear and check if each device follows your security measures.

Key mobile security policies include:

• People need to use screen locks and good passcodes on all their devices.
• You should install security software. This helps you erase data from far away if you ever need to.

Reviewing Vendor and Third-Party Risks

Your small business cybersecurity plan needs to look at the risks that can come from your vendors and partners. When you let other people connect to your systems or share sensitive information with them, you open up your business to more risks. If one of your vendors has a problem with their security, your small business could also be at risk for a breach.

You need to check the security steps of any partner you work with. Looking after these risks in the supply chain is very important. It helps keep your company safe from the things that come from outside and are not in your control.

Vetting Vendors for Security Standards

Before you work with new vendors, you have to look at their security steps first. For business owners, it is important that every partner who handles your data is up to your standards for security. You can get this done by asking vendors about their security rules, how they use data encryption, and what certifications for compliance they hold.

Checking third-party risk must always be included when you pick a vendor. You should feel okay to ask vendors for proof or papers to support what they say about security. The deal you make with the vendor needs to say what security steps they must take. It should also say who has what job if there is a security breach.

Here is a simple checklist for vetting vendors:

Monitoring Supply Chain Access to Data

After you add a new vendor to your team, the work is not over. You still have to watch out for your sensitive data. Make sure the right people get the right amount of access. You can do this by following the rule of least privilege with any third-party accounts. This means they can only reach the parts or systems they need for their job.

Set up strong access controls and review them often. If a vendor’s role changes, or the deal with them ends, remove their access right away. You need to check vendor accounts with the same care as worker accounts. This step is key for keeping your security strong.

If you do not know who is in your supply chain, you put your business at risk. When one of your vendors gets hacked and they have full access, there could be a data breach. This can undo all the work you do to keep your own systems safe.

Monitoring and Updating Technology

Cybersecurity is not a thing you set up once and forget. Technology keeps changing. The dangers that come with it also keep changing. You have to watch your software, systems, and devices all the time and make sure you keep them up to date. Updating them is important to keep your defenses good. Old software is easy for attackers to break into because it has weak spots.

You need to have a clear list of all devices in your business systems. Make sure you put in every update for your technology right when you get it. This stops anyone from getting into gaps that can be there in your security. When you make this a regular practice, your business systems stay safe over time.

Keeping Software and Systems Up to Date

Putting on security updates as soon as you can is a good way to keep your business systems safe from hackers. The people who make the software send out these fixes a lot to block problems that bad people may use. If you wait and do not update, your business systems will be open to these threats that others already know about.

Turn on automatic updates for your systems, web browsers, and other apps when you can. This helps make sure you get the latest security fixes right away. If you use software that does not update by itself, have a plan to check for updates and install them on your own at least once each week.

Updating your system often is a good habit for your small business. A system that is up to date keeps your small business safe. When you have all the updates, it is hard for attackers to get in. This is one of the best ways for small business cybersecurity. Using the right security measures will help keep your business safe.

Tracking Device Inventory and Usage

You need to know what you have on your network before you can keep it safe. A full list of all computers, servers, and mobile devices is important for small business security. Make sure to write down the device type, which operating system it uses, and who uses it most. This will help your small business stay safe.

This list can help you see if each device gets the right endpoint protection and is set up in the best way. You can use it for access management too. It shows you which devices can connect to your network. With usage checks, you can watch for things that do not look normal. This helps you find out if a device has been taken over by someone else.

Keeping a device list up to date helps you stay on top of your security posture. It lets you see all your devices in one place. This way, you can make and use the same rules for each one. If a device is lost or someone else gets into it, you can move fast and fix the problem.

Incident Response Planning

Even if you use the best defenses, there is still a chance for a data breach or another cyber problem to take place. A good incident response plan helps you know what steps to take when things go wrong. If you have this plan ready, you and your team can act fast. You will also make better choices during a hard time. This can lower the damage that might happen.

You may not get to have your own dedicated security teams. But having a plan that is simple and clear can help improve your security posture. A good plan helps you get ready for when bad things happen. It also shows everyone what they need to do. People know their job and which steps to follow. This helps keep the problem under control and brings things back to normal.

Checklist for Handling Cyber Breaches

When you think there might be a cyber breach, it can feel like things are out of your hands. A checklist will help you stay focused and know what you have to do next. The first step is to figure out what is wrong and stop it from spreading. To do this, you can take your affected business systems offline or unplug them from the network. This will help make sure things do not get worse.

Once you stop the threat, you need to remove it. Bring your systems back using safe backups. Check to see how much damage happened. You should find out if any data got out during the data breach. When you fix the problem, look back at what happened and think about what you can learn. This will help you make your defenses better.

Your breach checklist should have the steps below:

• Containment: Keep the systems that are hit apart from others. This stops the breach from moving on to more systems.
• Eradication: Remove the threat from the network so it does not cause more harm.
• Recovery: Use your backups to bring back your data and systems.

Assigning Roles and Contacts for Emergencies

When something goes wrong, you may not have time to worry about who is in charge. Your plan for handling trouble should show who has each job. Even in a small company, you need one person to lead and guide the team. This person could be one of the business owners or the one who knows the most about tech in your team.

Make a list of emergency contacts and keep it offline. Put your IT support provider, legal counsel and any key authorities on the list. If you have a small business and do not have your own IT staff or dedicated security teams, it is very important to have small business tech support services ready to help.

Knowing who to call and what each person does helps you move fast. This lets you do things better when something happens. It can help you feel calm when you need help the most. A bit of planning saves both time and stress.

Regular Review and Checklist Updates

Small business cybersecurity is not a one-time thing. You have to keep working on it. The security measures you use will change as your small business grows and new problems come up. You need to look at your checklist often. Update your security posture to keep your small business safe. This is the best way to get good protection.

Here’s the rephrased text in simple spoken English, using the keywords:

Keep updating your checklists on a regular basis. This helps your defenses stay up to date. If you do this, you cover any new weak spots in your systems. It helps you get ahead of anyone who may try to attack your business. Also, this keeps your business safe over time.

Setting Update Intervals

To make sure your security measures keep working as they should, you need to set up times to update your cybersecurity checklist. Try to go over this checklist fully at least once every year. Some parts of the checklist might need you to check them more often.

For example, you can check user access permissions every three months. You should also look for important security updates at least once a week, or even every day. If you do these things on a set schedule, you make a routine for yourself. This way, you will not forget important security tasks.

Make sure to treat these checklist updates as something your business must do. Write down the day and time for when you will look at these reviews. Be clear about the person who will do them. This practice will help your security posture stay strong and can change as needed.

Verifying Each Checklist Item Is Addressed

A checklist can help to show if things are done. But it will work only if you use it. When you do your normal checks, look at every item on the list. Make sure each one is finished. Going through your list this way can help to find gaps or blind spots in your security.

For small business owners, it can be easy to feel like a task is all done. But you need to make sure it is really finished. For example, small business owners should not think their backups work just because they set them up. A good idea is to do a test restore and see if you can really get your data back. Do not just say your software is updated. A small business owner should check the version numbers to be sure. This is a good way to keep the small business safe.

This careful process helps make sure your best defenses keep working as they should. It changes your checklist from a regular document into something more useful. The checklist turns into a strong tool you can use each day. It helps you manage your company’s security in a better way.

Conclusion

To sum up, in 2023, it is very important for small businesses to have strong security measures. You can help keep your company safe by taking a few simple steps. Use strong passwords, turn on two-step security checks, and teach your staff what threats look like. Doing these things can cut risks by a lot. It is also good to review your cybersecurity checklist often. This helps you stay ready for new problems as they come up.

Remember, you have to think about security for both your computers and your office. If you feel unsure about anything, you should ask an expert or look for tools that boost your protection. Keep a close eye on things, update your systems often, and always put the safety of your business first. This can help protect your money and the hard work you put into your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should small businesses review their cybersecurity checklist?

You should look at your small business cybersecurity checklist at least one time each year. But there are some tasks that need to be done more often. For example, check for security updates and review who can get into your systems. A good idea is to do these each week or every few months. This helps your small business keep a strong security posture. It makes sure your best defenses are working.

What physical security steps are most important for small businesses?

The main things you have to do for physical security are very clear. You need to check who can come into your office. You be sure that company devices stay safe. You also have to watch out for sensitive data on any paper, so it does not go to the wrong people.

Use locks so unauthorized individuals are not able to come in. Tell all staff to lock up their laptops. When you have papers with sensitive information, shred them right away.

Are there affordable cybersecurity tools small businesses can use?

Yes, there are many good free and cheap cybersecurity resources that small business owners can use. You can use free antivirus software, password tools, and security apps to help keep your small business safe. The government also gives tools like the Small Biz Cyber Planner from the FCC. This tool gives small business owners simple steps to follow, and it does not cost anything. Using these free cybersecurity resources is a good way for small business owners to get a strong start with security.