10 High-Impact, Low-Cost Cybersecurity Practices for SMBs

For a small or medium-sized business (SMBs), a cyberattack isn't just an inconvenience — it’s a threat to your reputation, your clients' data, and your company as a whole. Our IT-ISAC 2025 IT Sector Cyber Threat Report shows that nearly 80% of threat actors are now using targeted spearphishing and "living-off-the-land" techniques to bypass traditional defenses. When the economics of security favor the attacker, SMBs must work smarter, not necessarily harder.

The good news? Effective defense doesn't require a Fortune 500 budget. Our recently published Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Cybersecurity Playbook provides a blueprint for high-impact, low-cost practices that turn your organization into a more difficult target for cybercriminals.

Here’s an overview of our ten practices to defend your business. Want a deeper dive with technical how-tos? Download the full Playbook here.

1. Reduce Your Attack Surface

Every open door is an invitation. For an SMB, good digital hygiene means shrinking the number of entry points an attacker can exploit. Take an inventory of your assets. If a software application or network port doesn't have a clear purpose, disable it. Remove administrative rights from standard users so a single mistake doesn't compromise the whole system.

2. Stop Data from Leaving

Keeping attackers out is priority one, but keeping your data in is just as vital. Whether it's a hacker or an employee accidentally cc’ing the wrong person, data loss is expensive. Use built-in features in your current workspace to set data loss prevention (DLP) rules. Ensure all company laptops use encryption so that if a device is stolen, the data remains unreadable.

3. Prevent Phishing

Phishing targets people, not software. With nearly 80% of IT sector adversaries using spearphishing, your team needs to be ready for more than just suspicious senders. Enable external email warning banners in your mail client and use free DNS filtering services to block known malicious websites automatically. If an employee clicks a bad link, the filter acts as a safety net. Check out our blog post on defending against phishing tactics to learn more.

4. Manage Insider Threats

Not every threat comes from the outside – some already have a key. This includes both disgruntled former staff or negligent current employees. Enforce the Principle of Least Privilege. Only give staff access to the systems and data they need for their daily tasks. And create a strict offboarding checklist to revoke all access the moment an employee leaves.

5. Upgrade Your Malware Detection

Traditional antivirus software is no longer enough because hackers now use AI to create "signature-less" viruses. You need tools that watch for behavior, not just file names. Upgrade to endpoint detection and response (EDR). Several suites already have these tools baked into their features  — make sure they’re actually turned on and configured.

6. Evict the Adversary

If an attacker gets in, they often dwell in your system for weeks or longer to gather information. You need to kick them out and keep them out. If you suspect a breach, don't just change one password. Perform a global password and session reset. This kills the digital tokens that allow attackers to stay logged in without needing a password.

7. Know Your Vendor Risk

Your security is only as strong as your weakest vendor. If a third-party tool has a backdoor into your network, you are at risk. Never grant always-on access to vendors. Only enable their VPN or remote access when they are actively performing maintenance, then shut it off immediately after. Ask your vendors as many questions as you need to ensure their security – and yours.

8. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Passwords are a baseline, but MFA is your high-security vault. It can block over 99% of unauthorized access attempts. Move beyond SMS text codes, which can be intercepted. Standardize on authenticator apps or physical security keys (like YubiKeys) for your most sensitive accounts. Check out our CSaaS SIG’s one pager on the topic for more information.

9. Patch Fast and Often

The time to exploit — the window between a patch being released and a hacker finding the entry point — has shrunk to less than 24 hours. Automate everything. Enable automatic updates for operating systems and browsers. If you can't patch a system immediately, isolate it from the rest of your network to prevent infiltration by an attacker.

10. Train Employees into Assets

An untrained employee is a liability. Move away from boring annual PowerPoints or long videos. Use microlearning — five-minute monthly briefings on current trends like deepfake audio or AI scams. Foster a culture where employees feel safe reporting mistakes immediately rather than hiding them.

Cybersecurity is a continuous cycle. By implementing even a few of these steps, you drastically change the math for an attacker, making your SMB a much less attractive target.

Every proactive step you take strengthens both your own posture and the stability of the entire network. Sharing knowledge helps to create a more secure landscape for the sector as a whole. Cybersecurity is a team sport and the best defense is a connected one. Download our full SMB Cybersecurity Playbook to get the technical details and start securing your business today.