The Complete Small Business Cybersecurity Playbook (2026 Edition)
This guide focuses on prevention and resilience. It does not provide instructions for wrongdoing.
Why small businesses get targeted
Attackers often look for weak security basics: poor access control, missing MFA, untested backups, and limited monitoring.
1) Identify what matters
- List critical systems and data (billing, customer records, operations)
- Map where data lives (cloud apps, devices, servers)
- Document who has admin access
2) Protect with security fundamentals
- MFA for email, admin panels, and cloud apps
- Least privilege access
- Patch critical systems regularly
- Secure backups (encrypted + tested)
3) Detect issues early
Basic logging, alerts for unusual logins, and reviewing key security events reduce “dwell time.”
4) Respond with a plan
Document roles, containment steps, and communication plans so incidents don’t become chaos.
5) Recover and learn
Practice restore tests quarterly and update your plan after every incident or near-miss.
Want help prioritizing improvements? Contact GedNet Security.
Written by Gerald Gedeon • Cybersecurity specialist focused on risk assessment and practical defense planning.