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Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Tips to Know for Businesses

Published on November 3, 2025

Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds businesses of all sizes to take a closer look at how they protect their digital assets. A single data breach or phishing attack can cause significant financial and reputational damage.

Now’s the perfect time to review your systems, update your safeguards, and make cybersecurity part of your everyday business routine.

Key takeaways

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a timely reminder for businesses to review their defences.
Common threats include phishing, ransomware, insider risks, and cloud vulnerabilities.
You can drastically reduce your risk by implementing measures like data backups, MFA, and employee training.
Creating a response plan ensures your business can act swiftly if an attack occurs.
Staying proactive and using our cybersecurity tips helps protect your data, your customers and your reputation.

What are the different types of cybersecurity threats?

Cybersecurity threats come in many forms—and often, small and mid-sized businesses are prime targets due to limited IT resources. Understanding what to watch out for is the first step to protecting your business:

Phishing attacks: These are fraudulent emails or messages designed to trick employees into revealing sensitive information or clicking malicious links. They often mimic legitimate companies or suppliers, making them hard to spot.
Malware and ransomware: Malware refers to any software that infects a device or network. Ransomware locks data until a ransom is paid. These attacks can halt business operations and result in costly downtime.
Weak passwords and credential thefts: Using simple or repeated passwords makes it easy for hackers to access accounts. Once credentials are stolen, attackers can move laterally through systems unnoticed.
Business email compromise (BEC): BEC attacks involve cybercriminals impersonating executives or vendors to request fake transfers or confidential information. These scams can be extremely convincing.
Insider business threats: Sometimes the threat comes from within. Disgruntled employees or contractors with access to sensitive data can misuse or leak information.
Cloud security risks: Cloud platforms are essential for flexibility and growth, but they’re not immune to cybersecurity threats. Misconfigured settings, weak access controls, or insecure integrations can expose sensitive data.
Unpatched software and systems: Hackers exploit vulnerabilities in outdated software or systems. Failing to apply updates can leave your business open to attacks that could’ve easily been prevented.
Mobile device and remote work risks: With more employees working remotely, unsecured Wi-Fi networks and personal devices increase exposure to attacks. Lost or stolen devices can also lead to data loss.
Social engineering: Cybercriminals use manipulation or deception to gain access to systems—for example, by pretending to be an IT technician or supplier.
Supply chain attacks: These occur when an attacker targets your vendor or service provider, gaining indirect access to your systems. This type of attack is becoming more common as businesses rely on multiple partners.
Data breaches: A data breach involves unauthorised access to sensitive information such as customer records or financial data, often resulting in significant reputational harm.
DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks: These overwhelm your website or server with traffic, making it temporarily unavailable and disrupting business operations.

Tips to avoid cybersecurity attacks

You don’t need a big IT department to boost your cybersecurity. Here, we’ll cover a few cybersecurity tips that can help keep your business protected and your data safe:

1. Create an incident response plan

An incident response plan outlines exactly how your business will respond if an attack occurs. This proactive approach minimises downtime and financial loss.

A good incident response plan should include:

A clear chain of command and communication process.
Steps for isolating affected systems.
Contact information for IT specialists and insurers.
Post-incident review and recovery measures.

By preparing ahead of time, your team can respond calmly and effectively to cybersecurity threats, so your business can get back to work quickly.

2. Back up data securely and regularly

Backups are a lifeline during ransomware attacks or data loss events. Storing copies of essential data offline or in a secure cloud environment ensures you can restore systems without paying a ransom.

To strengthen this approach:

Use automated backups for critical files and systems.
Test your backups regularly to confirm they’re working properly.
Store at least one copy offline or in a separate location.

Regular, secure backups mean you’re never completely at the mercy of cybercriminals.

3. Keep software and systems up to date

Software updates often include important security patches. Ignoring them leaves doors open for attackers to exploit.

Small business owners should:

Enable automatic updates on operating systems and software.
Regularly review and patch all devices connected to the network.
Replace unsupported or legacy systems that no longer receive updates.

Staying up to date is one of the simplest, most effective cybersecurity solutions available.

4. Train employees to spot phishing and scams

Your employees are your first line of defence. Training them to identify phishing emails, suspicious links, and fake login pages can dramatically reduce the risk of cyber criminal success. Regular refresher sessions (even short ones) help keep cybersecurity solutions at front of mind.

Here are some tips for training your team:

Include real-life examples of phishing attempts.
Encourage staff to verify unexpected requests before acting.
Reinforce that it’s okay to ask for help when something seems off.
Follow cybersecurity news regularly. It’ll help you spot new scams and attack methods before they reach your business.

5. Strengthen passwords and use multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Weak or reused passwords are one of the biggest security gaps for businesses. Encourage strong passwords and enable MFA to add an extra layer of protection.

For best results:

Use a password manager to create and store complex passwords.
Require staff to change their passwords every few months.
Enable MFA on all business accounts and platforms.

MFA ensures that even if a password is stolen, hackers can’t easily gain access.

Which businesses are most at risk to cyber attacks?

While every business faces cyber risks, some industries are targeted more frequently due to the sensitive data they handle or their reliance on digital systems:

Finance and accounting: Because these sectors manage high-value payment data and client records, cybercriminals see them as lucrative targets.
Healthcare: With vast stores of sensitive patient information and frequent legacy systems, the sector faces elevated exposure.
Retail and e-commerce: By processing large volumes of online transactions, these businesses accumulate customer data that attackers can exploit.
Professional services: Law firms, consultancies, and marketing agencies often handle confidential client information that cybercriminals want to exploit.
Manufacturing and supply chain: In highly connected operations, ransomware and downtime can halt production and cause major losses.
Education: Across schools and universities, extensive student/staff databases and tight budgets can create security gaps.
Hospitality and travel: With payment systems and a rotating workforce create more opportunities for cyber attacks.

As digital transformation continues to reshape business operations, safeguarding your systems and data is essential. With the right tools and awareness, you can keep your business secure.

To dive deeper into how cloud technology and cybersecurity intersect, explore QuickBooks’ guide around Cloud ERP and cybersecurity awareness.

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