In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, small businesses face a myriad of security challenges. From safeguarding sensitive patient data to ensuring email communications are impervious to threats like business email compromise, it’s a never-ending task to stay protected. We understand that managing these complexities can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve curated a comprehensive collection of security checklists tailored specifically for small businesses. Whether you’re navigating CMMC compliance or strengthening your cybersecurity posture, these checklists are your roadmap to a more secure environment.
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Cybersecurity Checklist
Every day we seem to hear a new story on the news about large organizations becoming a victim of cybercrime – such as the 2023 Okta breach that wiped out more than $2 billion in market cap. While large enterprises get a lot of media coverage, small organizations are just as susceptible to cyber attacks.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), 45% of US small business owners have experienced a security or data breach. What’s worse, more than 40% struggled to understand what happened and why – making it impossible to proactively prevent future cyberattacks. Because small businesses often lack the resources needed to implement a robust cybersecurity program, our cybersecurity experts recommend that small businesses focus on implementing foundational security measures.
Use this cybersecurity checklist to quickly evaluate whether your organization has the solutions in place to protect your future. If you find that your security posture is lacking after you complete the checklist, visit this page to learn how to build a create a cybersecurity program.
Does your organization have the foundational security solutions implemented? Evaluate your cyber readiness in just 10 minutes with this checklist.
Business Email Compromise Checklist
Proactively safeguarding your organization from falling prey to business email compromise (BEC) is essential. In fact, the FBI reported that BEC scams were the second most costly cybercrime in 2022 – with losses of over 2.7 billion. Fortunately, there are several best practices that you can implement to mitigate the risks your organization faces.
These practices are not only simple to follow but also highly effective. Share the best practices below with your entire team – from interns to CxOs – to help protect your organization from this prolific attack.
Email Security Checklist
Implementing email security best practices is paramount to small business cybersecurity because email remains one of the primary channels for cyber threats. Small businesses often become targets for cybercriminals who exploit vulnerabilities in poorly secured email systems, leading to phishing attacks, malware distribution, or even ransomware incidents.
Your small business can achieve great things by fortifying your email security. In fact, you can significantly minimize the likelihood of a successful attack by making small changes, like:
- Conducting regular security awareness training for employees.
- Implementing multi-factor authentication.
- Monitoring email traffic for suspicious activities.
- Keeping software and systems up to date.
Use this email checklist as a starting point to enhance the security of your organization. With the right setup, you will enhance your security against BEC and other email threats.
Discover the proper setup, strategies, and tools you need to take control of your email security to prevent business email compromise.
HIPAA Compliance Checklist
Data breaches that expose protected health information happen more often than is comfortable for patients and their families. And when they do happen, they’re costly. A recent example is the agreement from a 2019 healthcare data breach which affected 1.5 million Americans – including over 100k Minnesotans. The settlement of this data breach includes $1.4 million to be divided amongst the affected states and a compliant information security program.
As a healthcare business, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on your patients’ lives – from elevated care to data security. By prioritizing HIPAA compliance, you can ensure that their personal information is kept safe. Use this HIPAA compliance checklist to self-assess your organization – to safeguard patient information and foster a strong reputation as a trusted healthcare provider.
Safeguard patient information and foster a strong reputation as a trusted healthcare provider with this self-assessment.
CMMC Compliance Checklist
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a set of guidelines that were created to keep national security information secure when it is shared between the Department of Defense (DoD) and its contractors and subcontractors. But with so much information out there on CMMC compliance, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
That’s where our guide comes in. You’ll have everything you need to know, from understanding the purpose and benefits of the certification to preparing for your CMMC audit. You’ll also learn about the different maturity levels and get a pre-assessment compliance checklist to ensure you’re on the right track.
In addition, the guide also discusses how managed IT services can help DoD contractors meet their CMMC requirements. With this guide, you’ll have all the information you need to empower your company with CMMC knowledge and achieve compliance.
Empower your company with CMMC knowledge. This guide covers the process, benefits, maturity levels, and how to prepare for your CMMC audit.
If you find that you’re still unsure about how to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) after reading the guide, Teal’s expert team can assist you in developing a CMMC compliance program. Learn more about our CMMC services – including our CMMC QuickStart option.
Enhancing Small Business Security One Checklist at a Time
In our digital age, small businesses confront numerous security issues, ranging from protecting sensitive data to fortifying email communications against threats. These guides serve as essential tools to enhance overall cybersecurity and compliance. If you still need help to create a secure environment for your business, we recommend you partner with a sophisticated managed IT service provider (MSP). Learn more about how an MSP can help your business succeed.
