High-Impact New Years Cybersecurity Goals for SMBs in 2025
As we kick off a brand-new year, it’s a great time to take stock of your business’s cybersecurity practices. Cyber threats aren’t just for big corporations. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are just as likely to be targeted. The good news? A few simple steps can make a massive difference in protecting your business.
Here are five high-impact cybersecurity goals you can tackle this year, along with a few other tips to level up your defenses. No jargon, just practical advice to help you sleep better at night knowing your business is safer.
1. Implement a Password Manager
Are you still relying on sticky notes or reusing the same password across multiple accounts? It’s time to change that. A password manager helps your team create and store unique, strong passwords for every account they use.
With a password manager, you don’t need to remember complicated passwords—just one master password to unlock the tool. This drastically reduces the risk of breaches from stolen or weak credentials.
Bonus tip: Make sure the password manager you choose is from a reputable provider and offers strong encryption.
2. Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Everywhere
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to your logins. It’s like if your front door needed the key, and could also verify that it's you using the key. You’ll need your password and a second factor (like an authentication app or using Passkeys) to get in.
Even if someone gets ahold of your password, MFA makes it significantly more difficult for them to access your accounts. Start by enabling MFA on email, file storage, and any system that houses sensitive data.
3. Back Up Business-Critical Data
Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and they can lock you out of your own files. It's important to try to protect against this happening, but it's also important to have a plan for if it does happen.
That’s why it’s essential to have backups stored in a ransomware-resistant location — such as a cloud service with immutable versioning.
The goal is to ensure you can restore your data quickly and keep your business running, even in the worst-case scenario.
4. Improve Email Deliverability and Security with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC
Email spoofing and phishing scams are common tactics cybercriminals use to trick people. By implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC policies, you’re not just protecting your brand — you’re making it harder for attackers to impersonate your domain.
- SPF ensures emails are coming from your approved servers.
- DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails to verify authenticity.
- DMARC ties it all together, giving you control over how to handle unauthenticated emails.
This step also improves your email deliverability, so your legitimate emails don’t end up in spam folders. You can read more about that in our blog post about email deliverability - Your Guide to Email Security and Deliverability
5. Train Your Team to Spot Phishing Attempts
Technology can only do so much—your team is your first line of defense. Regularly train employees to recognize phishing attempts and suspicious links. Cybersecurity awareness training doesn’t have to be boring! Use real-world examples, short videos, or even gamified quizzes to make learning more engaging.
6. Review and Update Your Software
Outdated software is a goldmine for hackers because it often contains unpatched vulnerabilities. Set aside time this year to ensure all your software, from operating systems to business apps, is up to date. If possible, enable automatic updates to save time and effort.
Need Help? We’ve Got Your Back! 💻
If these goals sound overwhelming, don’t worry—you don’t have to tackle them alone. At 2Fifteen Tech, we specialize in helping businesses like yours implement practical, effective cybersecurity measures.
Whether it’s setting up a password manager, configuring MFA, or creating a ransomware-proof backup strategy, we’re here to help. Let’s chat about how we can make 2025 your most secure year yet.
