Protect your business from cyber threats. Practical security guide for entrepreneurs and teams.
Cybersecurity is no longer just for big corporations or banks. Today, any business that uses email, a website, or stores digital data is a potential target. The good news? You don't need to be a technical expert to protect your business.
Cyber attacks have evolved dramatically. We're no longer talking about simple viruses, but sophisticated operations targeting businesses just like yours.
Phishing: The most common attack method. Emails that appear legitimate but are fake. Example: you receive an email apparently from your bank asking you to verify your account. Click the link and you've given your credentials to attackers.
Ransomware: Malware that encrypts all your files and demands ransom in Bitcoin. Ransomware attacks have increased by 67% in the past two years. Average cost: €25,000-100,000 for small businesses.
Social Engineering: Psychological manipulation. An attacker calls saying they're from IT and asks for a password for "urgent maintenance". Your well-meaning employee provides the password.
Data Breach: Leaks of sensitive data. Customer data, financial information, confidential documents end up on the dark web. Consequences: GDPR fines, loss of customer trust, lawsuits.
There's a myth that hackers only attack large corporations. The reality:
Let's make it concrete. A graphic design studio, 8 employees:
Could it have been prevented? Yes. With proper backups and minimal employee training.
You don't need to implement everything at once. Start with the fundamentals:
The right mindset: Cybersecurity is not a one-time project, but a continuous process. But once the foundations are in place, maintenance is minimal - 1-2 hours per month.
81% of security breaches start with weak or stolen passwords. It's literally the most important security measure and, paradoxically, the most ignored.
These passwords crack in seconds:
Why don't they work? Attackers use "dictionary attacks" and "brute force" with supercomputers that test billions of combinations per second. Your Facebook data (name, birth date, city) is used to guess passwords.
Example of an excellent password: Tr!mb1t@-Gr33n-Fl!es-S0up-B!g
Why is it good?
Reality: you need 50+ unique passwords. It's impossible to remember them all. The solution: password manager.
What a password manager does:
Recommended for business:
1Password: Best for teams. $7.99/user/month. Features: shared vaults, granular access, security reporting, integrations.
Bitwarden: Open-source, cheaper ($3/user/month). Similar functionality, slightly less UI polish.
You remember one ultra-strong master password. The manager handles the rest.
Even if someone steals your password, 2FA blocks access. It's a second verification step.
Types of 2FA (from weakest to strongest):
Where to enable 2FA immediately: Email (Gmail, Outlook) - maximum priority, Banking and PayPal, Your password manager, Business social media accounts, Hosting, domains, Cloudflare, CRM, accounting, any tool with sensitive data.
If you have employees, establish clear rules:
Real case: A business lost access to its main domain because it was registered on a former employee's personal email, with a forgotten password. They recovered it after 3 weeks and €2,000 in legal consulting.
Phishing is responsible for 90% of data breaches. Why does it work? Because it attacks the human, not the technology. The best firewall in the world won't protect you if the employee gives away the password themselves.
Forget the obvious emails with grammatical errors and the Nigerian prince. Modern phishing is sophisticated.
Real example (happened in 2024):
Email from apparently "office@dhl-delivery.com" (the real domain was dhl-delivery.com.tracking-dhl.net - notice the subtlety?):
Result: 1,200 people gave their card details in a single week.
1. Check the REAL sender address:
Display name says "PayPal Security" but the address is "noreply@paypa1-secure.tk". Notice: "paypa1" (number 1 instead of L) and ".tk" (free suspicious domain).
2. Artificial urgency:
"Your account will be suspended in 24 hours if you don't confirm!" - the classic psychological pressure technique. Legitimate companies don't work this way.
3. Subtle errors:
4. Hover over links (DON'T click): The text says "www.amazon.com" but when you put the cursor over it you see "amaz0n-security.ru".
5. Unusual requests: Your bank will NEVER ask for your password via email. PayPal doesn't ask you to confirm card details via link.
Spear Phishing: Targeted attacks. The attacker researches the victim on LinkedIn/Facebook and personalizes the message.
Example: "Hi Maria, I saw you work at CompanyX. I recommended you for a project. Can you fill out this form?" Link to fake page that steals credentials.
Whaling: Phishing targeting managers/CEO. Usually with big financial impact.
Example: Email apparently from CFO to accountant: "Urgent transfer €50,000 to the new supplier. IBAN attached."
Smishing: Phishing via SMS. "Your package: [link]" or "Card blocked, call urgently at 555..."
Vishing (Voice Phishing): Someone calls saying they're from IT support and asks for a password for "verification".
Golden rule: Never give passwords or 2FA codes over the phone. Hang up and call the official company number yourself.
Pretexting: The attacker creates an elaborate scenario.
Real example: Someone pretends to be a new employee, calls IT: "It's my first day, I can't access the system, can you reset the password?"
Tailgating: Unknown person enters the office right after you, taking advantage of you holding the door open.
If you clicked on phishing: Immediately change affected passwords, Enable 2FA if it wasn't enabled, Scan PC with antivirus, Monitor accounts for suspicious activity, Report to IT/security.
The question isn't IF you'll need backups, but WHEN. Hard drives die, ransomware encrypts, employees accidentally delete. Backup is your only safety net.
3 copies of your data:
2 different media: For example: external hard drive + cloud. NOT: 2 external hard drives (if the office catches fire, you lose both).
1 copy offsite (in another location): Cloud storage is ideal for this. Or a hard drive at a different physical address.
Concrete example for a small business: Copy 1: Your laptop/PC (productive), Copy 2: Time Machine on external hard drive in office (local backup), Copy 3: Backblaze/iDrive continuous backup in cloud (offsite).
MAXIMUM priority:
NOT necessary: Applications (can be reinstalled), Operating system (can be reinstalled), Duplicate or temporary files.
Think about it: How many hours of work can you afford to lose?
Automation is essential. Manual backup "when I remember" fails 95% of the time.
For individual PC/Mac:
Backblaze: $7/month, unlimited automatic continuous backup. Set it and forget it. Restore via download or they ship a hard drive.
iDrive: Cheaper ($79/year for 5TB), more features (versioning, sync), more complicated to set up.
For teams and servers:
Acronis Cyber Protect: Backup + antivirus + anti-ransomware. From €50/year per workstation.
Veeam: Enterprise standard for servers. Free for up to 10 workloads.
Cloud storage with versioning:
Google Workspace: Gmail, Drive with automatic backup, 30-day versioning (or infinite for Workspace).
Dropbox Business: 180-day version history, ransomware recovery.
An untested backup = no backup. Too many businesses discover during disaster that their backup doesn't work.
Test every 3-6 months:
Real horror story: A marketing agency backed up daily to NAS in the office. Fire destroyed everything. They discover the NAS hadn't been syncing effectively for 4 months - error ignored in logs. They lost 8 months of projects.
Modern ransomware looks for and encrypts your accessible backups. How do you protect yourself?
Recovery plan: Document step by step how to restore systems. In panic after an attack, you'll forget. A simple document with "How we restore everything" saves hours/days.
Browser and email are the most used tools daily and, paradoxically, the most vulnerable if not configured correctly.
What does HTTPS mean? HTTP + S (Secure). Data between browser and server is encrypted.
When you access an HTTP site (without S), anyone on the same WiFi network can see what you're doing: passwords, personal data, everything.
Check for HTTPS:
For YOUR site: SSL certificate is mandatory. Cloudflare offers free SSL. Let's Encrypt too. No excuse not to have HTTPS in 2025.
What a VPN does: Encrypts all your internet traffic and routes it through an intermediary server. ISP, public WiFi, websites - they only see you connecting to the VPN, not what you're doing.
When you MUST use VPN:
Recommended VPNs for business:
ProtonVPN: Based in Switzerland (strict privacy laws). From €4/month. Open-source, audited no-logs policy.
NordVPN: Cheaper (€3/month on long plan). Features: threat protection, meshnet. Good for small teams.
DON'T use free VPNs - many sell your data or inject ads.
Corporate VPN (for remote teams): Tailscale or ZeroTier - create private networks between team devices. Free for up to 100 devices.
Chrome/Edge:
Firefox: Enhanced Tracking Protection: Strict, HTTPS-Only Mode, Consider Firefox if you want more control and less tracking.
Recommended extensions (but minimal - every extension = risk): uBlock Origin: Ad blocker, but also anti-malware protection, Bitwarden/1Password extension: Secure auto-fill passwords, HTTPS Everywhere: Forces HTTPS (already built-in to modern browsers).
These three protocols protect your domain from spoofing (someone sends emails "from you" without being you).
SPF (Sender Policy Framework):
You declare which servers are allowed to send email on behalf of your domain.
Example: "Only Google Workspace servers can send email from @your-company.com"
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail):
Digital signature on every email, proving it comes from you and hasn't been modified.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication):
Tells what to do with emails that fail SPF/DKIM: reject, quarantine (spam), or none (just report).
Why does it matter? Without these:
How to set them up: If you use Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, they offer step-by-step guides. You add a few DNS records in your hosting/domain panel. Verification tool: MXToolbox.com - checks SPF/DKIM/DMARC configuration.
Gmail/Google Workspace: Excellent built-in filtering. Plus, you can set:
Advanced solutions for business: Proofpoint, Barracuda, Mimecast: Additional layer of protection. Analyzes attachments in sandbox, detects sophisticated phishing. From €3/user/month.
Simple but effective practices: DON'T open attachments from unexpected emails, Check the REAL sender, not display name, Hover over links before clicking, Use separate addresses: info@, sales@, admin@ - not everything on one address.
I hope you never need to use this chapter, but statistics say 1 in 3 businesses will have a security incident in a year. Preparation makes the difference between 2 hours of remediation and 2 weeks of chaos.
Indicators that you've been compromised:
DON'T panic. Breathe. You have a plan:
1. Isolate the immediate impact:
2. Quick assessment: Which account/system is compromised? What sensitive data is exposed? How many users/devices are affected?
3. Notify key team: Person responsible for IT, Management (owner, CEO), DON'T communicate details on compromised channels (if email is hacked, don't communicate via email).
Change ALL passwords (from a safe device!):
Revoke active sessions: Google/Microsoft/Facebook have "Sign out of all devices" options. Use them.
Enable/verify 2FA: If it wasn't enabled, enable it now on all accounts. If it was, verify they haven't added new 2FA devices.
Block cards if there's suspicion of financial fraud: Call the bank immediately. Better safe than sorry.
Malware scan (on a safe system):
Check: Startup programs (Windows Task Manager → Startup, macOS System Preferences → Users → Login Items), Browser extensions - delete everything you don't recognize, Scheduled tasks - malware can reinstall itself.
In severe cases: Format and complete reinstall. It's safer than hoping you cleaned everything.
Restore from backups (from before the incident):
Post-incident monitoring: Watch bank statements for suspicious transactions (next 3 months), Monitor unusual logins, Check haveibeenpwned.com with your emails.
If personal data of customers was compromised:
GDPR fines can reach 4% of turnover. Don't ignore the obligations.
Official position (FBI, Europol, CISA): DON'T pay.
Why?
Reality: If you don't have backups and data is critical for business survival, some companies pay. Consult a cybersecurity specialist and a lawyer before any decision.
After it's resolved, do an analysis:
Document everything in an Incident Response Plan: Step by step what each person does in case of breach. When panicking, you won't think clearly - a document saves precious time.
Consider cyber insurance: Companies offering cybersecurity insurance cover recovery costs, consulting, fines, and even ransomware payments (though they don't recommend it). From €500/year for small businesses.
Premium password manager for teams. Shared vaults, audit trail, integrations.
Open-source password manager. Cheaper, full functionality, optional self-hosting.
2FA authenticator with cloud backup. Sync between devices, more convenient than Google Auth.
Unlimited automatic cloud backup. $7/month per computer, set it and forget it.
VPN based in Switzerland with audited no-logs policy. Open-source, maximum security.
Free SSL, DDoS protection, CDN. Must-have for any business site.
Our experts can evaluate and improve your business security. We identify vulnerabilities and provide concrete solutions.