Small Business Cybersecurity Checklist for Texas Offices

You run a small office and you want to know if your computers and data are covered. Here is the list I walk through with owners across DFW and the rest of Texas. Work down it, and mark what you can prove, not what you hope is true.

I do all of this remotely. If you would rather have the policies and checklists already written, the Security Readiness Kit below starts at $49.

Call 469-248-5463 DIY Kit

The ten item cybersecurity checklist

Most small office breaches start with something on this list. None of it needs a big budget. It needs someone to sit down and check.

  1. Turn on MFA. Start with email, then remote access, then every admin account. Partial coverage does not count.
  2. List what you own. Computers, phones, servers, cloud accounts and who uses each one. You cannot protect what you forgot about.
  3. Back up and test. Keep one copy offline or separate from your network, and restore a file now and then to prove it works.
  4. Patch on a schedule. Turn on automatic updates. Replace anything the maker no longer supports.
  5. Use a password manager. No shared logins, no sticky notes, no reusing the same password.
  6. Protect every device. Run endpoint protection on each computer and turn on disk encryption on laptops.
  7. Train your staff. A short session on phishing a few times a year, with a sign in sheet to show it happened.
  8. Limit admin rights. Nobody should read email from an admin account.
  9. Write a one page incident plan. Who to call first, who to call second, and where your insurance policy number lives.
  10. Close the door when people leave. Shut off accounts and take back devices the same day.

Where Texas offices usually get stuck

Dental and medical offices, CPA and tax shops, law offices, insurance agencies and property managers all run into the same three walls.

  • The owner is the IT department, and security is the job that never reaches the top of the list.
  • The tools are bought but not switched on, or switched on for some people and not others.
  • Nothing is written down, so a client, a lender or an insurer asks for proof and there is none.

The checklist fixes the first two. Writing it down fixes the third. If you carry cyber insurance, expect the same items on the application. See how to get through a cyber insurance renewal questionnaire.

Turn the checklist into paper

The Security Readiness Kit below gives you ten security policies and four checklists as editable Word templates. The Starter Kit covers the list above, including password and MFA, backup and recovery, email and phishing, and a new hire and termination checklist. Fill them in for your office and you have something to hand an insurer or a client.

Want me to look at your real settings instead? The Cyber Insurance Readiness Check is a remote review with a fixed price by seat count. Ask for a quote at lonestarcomputersecurity.com. Or work the list one piece at a time: Microsoft 365 security setup and ransomware protection go deeper on the two biggest items.

Watch the 30 second overview

Two ways to get your office ready: do it yourself with the kit, or have me check it for you.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What should a small business cybersecurity checklist include?

At minimum: MFA on email and admin accounts, tested backups, patching, endpoint protection, staff training, limited admin rights, a written incident plan and a way to shut off accounts when people leave. The ten items above cover those.

Do small businesses in Texas need cybersecurity?

Yes. Attackers do not check office size. Small offices hold client records, bank logins and payroll, and often have less protection than a big company. Clients, lenders and insurers also ask for proof more often than they used to.

How long does it take to work through the checklist?

A small office can usually get through the first pass in an afternoon. Fixing the gaps takes longer, depending on how many items come back not yet true. Start with MFA and backups, since those matter most.

Can you check my office for me?

Yes, remotely. I review your Microsoft 365 or Google settings, devices and backups and give you a written list of what passes and what needs work. I do not do on site work. Call 469-248-5463 and I will tell you what fits.

Is the kit legal advice?

No. The kit is templates only. Have your attorney, insurer and compliance advisor review the documents before you adopt them.

DIY Security Kit

Start Today With a Security Readiness Kit

Prefer to work at your own pace? Our editable Word templates put your policies and checklists on paper in plain English. Every tier includes an explainer video.

Starter Kit

$49

Ten ready to customize security policies and four checklists, as editable Word templates in plain English.

Buy the Starter Kit
Best Value

Professional Kit

$99

Everything in Starter, plus a cyber insurance readiness checklist pack and a 30 day implementation guide.

Buy the Professional Kit

Complete Kit

$199

The full kit, plus HIPAA and WISP template add on packs and IRS references for tax preparers.

Buy the Complete Kit

See every document in each tier in the full Security Kit details.

Templates only, not legal advice. Digital download. All sales are final, no refunds.

Talk to Scott

Call 469-248-5463. Remote service for DFW, Texas and anywhere in the US. Scott has 28 years in IT and holds CompTIA Security+ CE.