When it comes to protecting your business from cyberthreats, the basics still matter. A lot. In fact, according to IBM’s 2023 Cost Of A Data Breach Report, 82% of breaches involved data stored in the cloud, and most of them could’ve been prevented with simple, foundational safeguards.

You know the saying: You get what you pay for. And nowhere is that more obvious than in IT.

On the surface, a cheaper managed IT services agreement might seem like a win: lower monthly costs, basic support, maybe even some cybersecurity tools thrown in.

Many small business owners operate under the misconception that regulatory compliance is a concern solely for large corporations. However, in 2025, this belief couldn’t be further from the truth. With tightening regulations across various sectors, small businesses are increasingly in the crosshairs of compliance enforcement agencies.

Most of us carry our phones everywhere, trusting them with everything from passwords to private business conversations. But here’s the unsettling truth: phone tracking is far more common – and easier – than most people realize.

Whether it’s a jealous partner, a disgruntled employee or a cybercriminal targeting your business, anyone with the right tools can monitor your location, read your messages or even access sensitive business data without you ever knowing.

Power outages, cyberattacks, hardware failures and natural disasters rarely arrive with a warning, and when they hit, the impact on small businesses can be devastating. Many assume that having a backup is enough, but the truth is, restoring a file isn’t the same as staying operational.

Your employees might be the biggest cybersecurity risk in your business – and not just because they’re prone to click phishing e-mails or reuse passwords. It’s because they’re using apps your IT team doesn’t even know about.

This is called Shadow IT, and it’s one of the fastest-growing security risks for businesses today. Employees download and use unauthorized apps, software and cloud services – often with good intentions – but in reality they’re creating massive security vulnerabilities without even realizing it.

If I asked you to name the biggest cybersecurity threats in your office, you’d probably say phishing e-mails, malware or weak passwords. But what if I told you that your office printer – yes, the one quietly humming in the corner – could be one of the biggest vulnerabilities in your entire network?

Planning a vacation this year? Make sure your confirmation e-mail is legit BEFORE you click anything!

That’s right, summer is right around the corner and cybercriminals are exploiting travel season by sending fake booking confirmations that look nearly identical to e-mails from airlines, hotels and travel agencies. These scams are designed to steal personal and financial information, hijack your online accounts and even infect your device with malware.

A client recently asked me, “What mistakes do you see business owners making the most when it comes to IT and cybersecurity?”

Oh, where to begin…