Essential Cybersecurity Practices for Women-Owned Small Businesses: Building on Your Business Expertise

As I sit down to write this, I'm thinking about conversations I've had with women business owners over the years. One theme consistently emerges, though you may not believe it at first: you already have the foundation for strong security - it's built into your business expertise.

It might surprise you that being a cybersecurity expert isn't a prerequisite for protecting your business. What matters most is your deep understanding of your business operations, your customers, and your goals. That knowledge is your superpower in building effective security practices.

As women entrepreneurs, we face unique challenges. We often bootstrap our businesses, wear multiple hats, and have to be strategic about where we invest our resources. I've been there, both as a security professional and as a business owner. That's why I'm passionate about helping you leverage what you already know to protect what you've built.

Understanding Your Security Landscape: It's Simpler Than You Think

Think about how you assess business risks every day. You evaluate potential partnerships, make decisions about investments, and protect your brand's reputation. This same intuition applies to cybersecurity. Start by asking yourself: What's most valuable in my business? What would hurt most if compromised?

For most small businesses, critical assets include customer data, financial information, and operational systems that keep your business running. You don't need complex security frameworks to identify these - you already know what's essential because you work with it every day.

Smart Protection Strategies That Make Business Sense

Let's talk about practical, cost-effective security measures. Cloud services have revolutionized how small businesses can protect themselves. Many of the tools you're already using - like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace - have built-in security features. The key is knowing which ones to activate and how to use them effectively.

For example, enabling two-factor authentication across your business accounts is free and reduces the risk of unauthorized access by over 99%. That's the kind of high-impact, low-cost solution that makes sense for small businesses.

Creating a Security-Aware Business Culture

Your team is your first line of defense. But forget about dry, technical training sessions. Instead, connect security to what your employees already care about - serving customers well and keeping the business running smoothly. Share real examples of how security incidents could impact their daily work and the business's success.

Simple policies work best. Focus on clear, actionable guidelines that align with how your team actually works. Remember, the most effective security measures are the ones that people will actually follow.

Practical Data Protection: Keep It Simple

Data backup doesn't have to be complicated. Think of it like insurance - you hope you'll never need it, but you'll be grateful to have it if something goes wrong. Start with automated cloud backups of your critical business data. Test these backups periodically to ensure they're working.

Email security is crucial because it's often where threats enter your business. Train your team to spot suspicious emails, but also implement basic technical protections like spam filters and email authentication.

When Things Go Wrong: Have a Plan

Every business should have a basic incident response plan. Think of it as your business continuity playbook. It doesn't need to be complex - just clear steps about who does what if something goes wrong. Keep a list of key contacts (IT support, legal counsel, insurance provider) readily available.

Remember, the goal isn't to prevent every possible incident - that's unrealistic. The goal is to recover quickly and minimize disruption to your business.

Growing Your Security with Your Business

As your business grows, your security needs will evolve. You have options: Do It Yourself (DIY), Do It With You (DIWY) where you work with security partners, or Do It For You (DIFY) where you outsource security entirely. There's no one-size-fits-all approach - choose what works for your business model and resources.

The key is to build security into your growth plans from the start. When you're considering new technologies or expanding operations, make security part of the conversation - not an afterthought.

Moving Forward Together

Remember, you don't need to become a cybersecurity expert. Your expertise is running your business - let that guide your security decisions. Start with the basics, focus on what matters most to your business, and build from there.

In future posts, we'll dive deeper into each of these areas, starting with a simple risk assessment framework that builds on your business knowledge. Until then, take one small step to improve your security today. Even something as simple as updating your passwords or setting up two factor authentication can make a significant difference.

Your business expertise is your foundation for strong security. Trust it, build on it, and protect the amazing business you've created.

Cybersecurity Quick Wins Checklist

• Enable two-factor authentication on all business accounts

• Update passwords across critical business platforms (let a password manager create and store the passwords for you)

• Review and update privacy settings on business social media

• Set up automated cloud backups for critical data