Cyber Security Checklist: Practical Steps Every Business Should Follow

cyberhusky
December 20, 2025

Smaller companies are under attack. Hackers are increasing their efforts to impact operations, steal customer data and cause damage to your company. Protect yourself with our cybersecurity checklist for small businesses.

We’ll explain how to avoid being a target of attacks by following industry best practices.

Why Cyber Security Checklists Matter More Than Ever

Anyone can exploit a weakness in your security. AI has made it possible for even people with lower skill levels to try and infiltrate your systems. Complex attacks take less time, including initial penetration tests.

And if this wasn’t concerning enough, below are stats that show why following a cybersecurity checklist for small businesses is more important than ever:

Costs invested in security are expected to rise to $12 trillion by 2031.
71% of chief risk officers expect severe disruptions to their operations.
65% of companies agree that AI increases overall security risks.

If you’re not investing in your security, it’s time to begin.

Small proactive measures can transform you from a prime target of attacks to being less vulnerable.

Do Small Businesses Need Cyber Security? Understanding the Real Risks

If you have any data online or even a website, you need some level of security. Your systems are less complex, which means it’s a good time to protect yourself.

A few of the risks you face are:

Financial Exposure

Did you know that 60% of small businesses close within a six-month period after being hacked? An IT security checklist prevents you from financial exposure, which is monumental:

Average breaches cost $3.62 million.
Small attacks still reach $120,000 per breach.

Since most companies fail due to a lack of cash flow, this level of monetary loss can quickly turn a growing small business into a failed one.

Operational Downtime

Lost revenue also comes in another form. One of the reasons to follow a cybersecurity checklist for small businesses is due to operational downtime. Recovery can take:

8 to 24 hours for websites to come back online
24+ hours to recover from a breach

For a small business without a lot of free cash flow to begin with, operational downtime and a tarnished reputation cannot be overcome.

Human Error and Social Engineering

In addition to hardening your systems, there is another reason for a cybersecurity compliance checklist: human error.

Your employees require education and training to protect against:

Phishing attacks
Downloading malicious files
Social engineering

If you’re not training your team already on the best practices, it’s a good time to start. You should also use the list below.

The Core Cyber Security Checklist Every Business Should Use

Experts take a multi-layer approach to security. But your basic IT security checklist must include the following:

Access and Identity Controls

Who can open what files, documents and programs? Access controls limit:

Hackers’ access to important files
Internal attacks

Device and Endpoint Protection

Devices are weak links in your cybersecurity checklist template. Endpoints are your:

Laptops
Desktops
Phones
Servers

Securing each device, or endpoint on the network, prevents breaches.

Network Hardening

Your cybersecurity checklist template must harden your entire network. A few tips to achieve this are:

Segment your network
Adopt a zero-trust mindset
Install and configure firewalls and traffic control
Secure network devices
Add encryption protocols
Enable logging and monitoring

Work with a professional service provider to create a well-rounded network hardening protocol.

Secure Backup Strategy

One of the items on every cybersecurity best practices checklist is to create a robust way to restore your systems. Secure backups that you test and verify will help you get systems back up and running after an attack.

Maintain multiple backup copies, on-site and off-site, for an extra layer of protection.

Additional Layers That Strengthen Cyber Security

A foundational cybersecurity checklist covers the basics. But true resilience comes from multiple layers of security architecture.

This includes:

Zero Trust Architecture. The “never trust, always verify” philosophy. It focuses on least privilege access, continuous verification and network segmentation.
Managed detection and response. Active threat hunting through continuous monitoring and rapid containment.
Vulnerability management. Automated scanning of your systems and applications to detect known weaknesses.

How to Audit Your Cyber Security Checklist Regularly

A free cybersecurity checklist is a great start. But it needs to be audited regularly to ensure it’s still relevant. Threats and regulatory requirements are constantly changing.

Quarterly:

Run vulnerability scans. Look for new weaknesses in your infrastructure.
Check software versions. Are there new patches? Has it reached the end of its life?

Annually:

Review your checklist against the latest versions of relevant standards
Update policies to reflect the current landscape
Make sure your incident response plan is still relevant

After an incident:

Review the checklist sections that failed and update them to prevent future incidents
Run a targeted audit to ensure new components are secured

Signs Your Cyber Security Checklist Is Outdated

An outdated cybersecurity compliance checklist gives you a false sense of security. It may be time for an update if:

You recently faced an audit that resulted in penalties or non-compliance findings
New technologies aren’t covered
Your checklist lacks controls for ongoing maintenance
Your current plan doesn’t address ransomware, phishing or more sophisticated attacks

How IT Support Providers Like Cyber Husky Help Businesses Stay Compliant

Compliance isn’t just a checkbox. It’s continuous security.

Staying compliant is a resource-intensive job that often exceeds the capacity of an in-house team.

At Cyber Husky, we provide the specialized expertise and continuous monitoring you need to make compliance a natural part of your daily operations.

We help you achieve this through:

Adherence to SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, FedRAMP and other regulations
24/7 monitoring to scan devices day and night for threats
Endpoint detection and response that includes strict application control, device encryption, patch management and other protocols
The installation and setup of firewalls

Our team takes the stress out of compliance and cybersecurity.

A Checklist Is Only Effective If You Use It Consistently

A cybersecurity checklist for small businesses can only be effective if it’s:

Continuously updated
Consistently applied
Diligently audited

The greatest risk to your business isn’t the threat itself. It’s the gap between knowing what to do and consistently doing it.

Make sure that you revisit your checklist when:

New vulnerabilities arise
Regulations change

FAQs

What Is The Most Effective Security Measure I Can Implement Right Now?

The one thing that should be at the top of a free cybersecurity checklist is multi-factor authentication. MFA prevents about 99.9% of automated account compromise attacks.

Every account that supports MFA should have it enabled. It’s especially important for bank, email and remote access tools.

What Is The "3-2-1" Rule For Backups, And Why Is It Critical?

This rule is the golden standard for data recovery – particularly against ransomware. Here’s what it stands for:

3 copies of your data (two backups and one primary)
2 different storage media (for example, one on a local drive and one in the cloud)
1 copy kept offsite (physically separated)

It’s critical because it helps protect against data loss if:

Your office burns down
Your data gets locked by ransomware
You’re the victim of a data breach

What Is "Least Privilege" And Why Does it Matter?

Least privilege is something that is commonly found on a cybersecurity checklist. It gives employees access only to files and systems they need to do their specific job and nothing more.

Protocols like this matter because they reduce the ability to access sensitive data.