The Small Business Cybersecurity Checklist (12 Items, Most Are Free)

Why attackers prefer small businesses

Nearly half of cyberattacks target small businesses — not because the payoff is bigger, but because the defenses are weaker. Attackers automate; your business gets scanned for open doors whether anyone is "targeting" you or not.

The free basics (do these this week)

1. Turn on multi-factor authentication everywhere — email first. 2. Use a password manager; kill password reuse. 3. Enable automatic updates on every device. 4. Turn on disk encryption (built into Windows and Mac). 5. Separate guest Wi-Fi from business Wi-Fi. 6. Set up automatic cloud backups — then actually test a restore. 7. Remove ex-employee accounts the day they leave.

The paid layers that earn their cost

8. Business-grade firewall with current rules. 9. Endpoint protection on every machine (beyond default antivirus). 10. Email security filtering — phishing remains the #1 entry point. 11. An annual vulnerability assessment to find what you missed. 12. Phishing awareness training, because your team is the real perimeter.

A professional assessment prioritizes all of this against your actual exposure. RKD Software Innovations runs vulnerability assessments and penetration tests that tell you exactly where you stand — before an attacker does.