Cyber criminals don’t discriminate—they go after the easiest targets. And too often, businesses leave obvious gaps that attackers can walk right through. That’s why Guardian Technology Group built the 10-Point Cyber Checklist: a field-tested, no-nonsense guide to securing your business against today’s most common threats
1. Backups You Can Restore
Daily backups, offsite storage, and quarterly restore testing. If you can’t prove you can restore data today, you don’t really have a backup.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA on email, payroll, banking, and sensitive systems. One stolen password shouldn’t be enough to break your business.
3. Endpoint Protection
Modern, monitored antivirus and EDR. “Set it and forget it” doesn’t cut it against ransomware.
4. Patch and Update Everything
Not just PCs. Printers, routers, firewalls, and cloud apps need updates too.
5. Staff Cybersecurity Training
Quarterly training on phishing, BEC scams, and AI-driven deepfakes. Your employees are your first line of defense.
6. Access Control
Give employees only the access they need. Remove access immediately when someone leaves. Lock down admin rights.
7. Incident Response Plan
Have a written, tested plan. Assign roles for technical response, communication, and decision-making.
8. Secure Remote Access
Require MFA, VPNs, and secured business devices. Don’t let home PCs be your attack vector.
9. AI and Deepfake Voice Verification
Criminals are already using AI voices to trick staff. Implement “no exceptions” verification policies.
10. Cyber Insurance Readiness
Make sure your policy covers ransomware, BEC scams, and forensic response. Don’t find out the hard way that you’re not covered.
Pro Tip: Work one item a week. In just 10 weeks, your business will be significantly harder to hack
At Guardian, we don’t just hand you a checklist—we help you lead through it. Because cybersecurity isn’t an IT function anymore. It’s a leadership responsibility.
Guardian: Veteran-owned. Mission-ready. Leadership-driven.
