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10 cybersecurity tips to help protect your business and clients

Having an online presence is a must to run and grow a business. With that necessity and convenience also comes some risk and the responsibility to protect your business and clients' information. Not taking the proper online security steps could expose your business and clients to professional criminals trying to steal credentials or personal information, ransom the data or infect your computer network with malware for their financial gain. 

Cyberattacks on small businesses surge

While you may think large organizations are the ones that should worry the most about cyberattacks, small- to medium-sized organizations are just as vulnerable. Advanced software and emerging technology have turned the table, making small businesses today鈥檚 primary target for cybercrime. Why? Small businesses often don鈥檛 have as much money in their budgets for sophisticated security systems or they may believe they鈥檙e less vulnerable because their size. 

In terms of ransomware, it鈥檚 become less expensive and easier for attackers to target a large volume of small businesses quickly for lower ransom from each organization. 

Not only can it be more profitable than trying to attack one large Fortune 500 company with more controls in place, but advanced tools criminals have today allow them to learn what tactics are effective almost immediately and change strategies if necessary.

 43% of all cyberattacks each year are targeted at small businesses, specifically the ones with under 500 employees.²

The top industry experiencing data breaches in 2025 鈥� financial (banking, insurance and investment companies). Cybercriminals know smaller organizations may not have the required resources to take the same cybersecurity measures as a much larger business. Unfortunately, criminals aren鈥檛 afraid to exploit the situation.

Cybercrime and AI

As more businesses adopt AI platforms for efficiency, the technology can also put them at risk for more targeted, sophisticated phishing emails, scams and malware that鈥檚 able to bypass security systems. Interestingly, 97% of organizations that reported an AI-related security incident lacked proper AI access controls.⁶  

AI-generated text in malicious emails has doubled over the past two years3, and machine learning has made AI-powered malware especially hard for traditional security measures to detect because it can mimic legitimate system activity.4 The threat doesn鈥檛 stop there. Attackers are using AI to create deepfake audio and video that has been used to mislead people into transferring funds or revealing their company鈥檚 sensitive data.⁵

Cybersecurity costs climb higher for the U.S.

The average data breach cost for the United States rose by 9% to $10.22 million in 2025 鈥� a record high for any global region surveyed. For a small business with under 500 employees, the average cost of a data breach has reached $3.31 million.⁶

The has developed 10 cybersecurity tips to help you recognize vulnerabilities that could strike your business and help reduce the risks they pose.

1. Security first

Consider how data collection will be managed for departments of your business 鈥� personnel, sales, accounting, information technology, etc. Keeping these guidelines in mind could help reduce the risk of the data being compromised: 

• Only collect personal information you need.
• Retain it for only as long as there鈥檚 a legitimate business need.
• Control who has access. 

2. Control data access

If there鈥檚 a legitimate business need to keep sensitive data, there鈥檚 a responsibility to secure. It鈥檚 important to protect it from outsiders, but don鈥檛 forget about your own employees. 

Not everyone on your staff needs unrestricted access to your network and information stored on it. Limiting access to sensitive data on a 鈥渘eed to know basis鈥� can help lower the risk of a data breach. For your network security, consider steps such as separate user accounts to:

• Restrict access to where personal data is stored and who can access it.
• Limit administrative access to employees whose job it is to make system-wide changes.

3. Require secure passwords and authentication

If personal information is stored on your network, strong authentication procedures and good password hygiene can help protect it from hackers. Trying tips from the FTC could help reinforce data security and lower the risk your practice is the victim of a cyberattack:

• Require your employees to use complex, unique passwords, passphrases or multifactor authentication. 
• Institute a secure password storage policy.
• Don鈥檛 allow employees to use the same password for their personal and professional online accounts. 
• Suspend or disable accounts after repeated login attempts. 
• Prevent employees from using passwords that have been compromised in previous data breaches.
• Test for common vulnerabilities in your databases to prevent your organization鈥檚 authentication system from being bypassed.

4. Store sensitive personal information securely and protect it during transmission

Collecting sensitive client information is part of your business. Fortifying security practices during the information鈥檚 lifecycle can help protect your business and your clients. Depending on the type of information collected, how you collect it and how it鈥檚 processed, these methods may help: 

• Use strong cryptography to store sensitive information.
• Encrypt sensitive data during transmission using industry-tested methods.
• Properly configure encrypted data.

5. Segment your network and monitor who's trying to get in and out

When designing your network, consider using tools like firewalls to segment your network, which limits access between computers in your network and between your computers and the internet. 

6. Secure remote access to your network

If you give employees, clients or service providers remote access to your network, take steps to secure those access points. Limit access to only what's needed for getting the job done.

7. Apply sound security practices when developing new products

Say there鈥檚 a new app in the works to give clients a convenient way to connect with you. Early in the development process, think through how they will most likely use it. 

• Consider if clients would store or send sensitive information.
• Make sure the app can handle that data securely. 
• Test privacy and security features for common vulnerabilities before rolling out the platform to your clientele.  

8. Make sure your service providers implement reasonable security measures

Keep a watchful eye on third-party service providers 鈥� for example, companies you hire to develop apps or process personal client information. These steps can help protect everyone:

• Select providers that can implement and verify appropriate security measures. 
• Monitor providers to make sure they鈥檙e meeting your requirements. 
• Write required security protocols into your contract with them.

9. Implement procedures to keep your security current and manage vulnerabilities as they arise

Securing your software and networks is an ongoing process that requires diligence to stay protected. If you use third party software anywhere on your networks:

• Apply software updates and patches when they鈥檙e issued.  
• Pay attention to credible security warnings. 
• Move quickly to fix vulnerabilities.

10. Secure paper, physical media and devices

Securing information stored on your network won't protect your clients if the data has been stolen through the device that collects it. Think through all points where sensitive data could be accessed:

• Keep your office secure.
• Securely store documents.
• Follow safety standards for laptops, external hard drives and mobile devices you or others use on the road.
• Securely dispose of sensitive data:
  • Shred, burn or otherwise destroy documents to make them unreadable.
  • Leverage available technology to wipe devices that aren鈥檛 in use.

The time is always right to improve security

In addition to these 10 tips, the FTC has more resources to help small businesses safeguard their networks and sensitive information. Try these tips, along with the FTC鈥檚 online cyberplanner tool and Cyber Security Planning Guide, to build a custom plan that can help protect your business and your clients.

Insights on 桔子视频 Connect. Tips, tools and resources to help grow your business by helping clients retire with confidence.

¹Annual data compromises and people impacted in U.S. 2005-2024, Statista, July 14, 2025.
²鈥滳yber Attacks on Small Businesses: What You Need to Know,鈥� DeepStrike, August 7, 2025.
³鈥�2025 Data Breach Investigations Report,鈥� Verizon Business, accessed August 26, 2025.
⁴鈥漈he Growing Threat of AI-powered Cyberattacks in 2025,鈥� Cyber Defense Magazine, June 15, 2025.
⁵鈥滳yber Attacks on Small Businesses: What You Need to Know,鈥� DeepStrike, August 7, 2025.
⁶鈥滳ost of a Data Breach Report 2025,鈥� IBM, accessed August 28, 2025.