Is your business making these cyber security mistakes?

Is Your Business Making These Cyber Security Mistakes?

🔐 Cyber Security Mistakes That Could Cost Your Business Everything

In today’s digital world, cyber threats are evolving faster than most businesses can react. From ransomware and phishing attacks to insider threats and unsecured devices, there’s no shortage of ways your business can be compromised — often due to simple, avoidable mistakes.

If you're a business owner or IT decision-maker, you might think you're safe because you have antivirus installed, or because your team “knows what to look for.” Unfortunately, cyber criminals are counting on that overconfidence.

In this guide, we’ll uncover the most common cyber security mistakes businesses make, why they’re dangerous, and how to fix them before it’s too late.

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Mistake 1: Thinking “We’re Too Small to Be Targeted”

One of the biggest cyber security myths is that hackers only go after large corporations. In reality, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are often the prime targets because:

• They typically have weaker defences
• Their teams are less trained
• They often don’t have dedicated IT or cyber support

According to a recent government report, over 38% of UK SMEs experienced a cyber attack in the last 12 months...many of which caused severe operational downtime, data loss, and financial impact.

Solution: Stop thinking you're too small to be attacked. Invest in a Cyber Security Audit to understand your risk areas. We can help.

Mistake 2: Not Having a Strong Password Policy

Let’s face it: people are terrible at creating secure passwords. Reusing “123456” or “CompanyName2023” across platforms is a gift to hackers.

Without a proper password policy, your staff may be unknowingly creating huge vulnerabilities, especially if your systems aren’t protected with multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Signs your business lacks a secure password policy:

• Employees use the same password across multiple systems
• There’s no requirement to change passwords regularly
• Passwords are stored in spreadsheets or sticky notes

💬 Solution:

• Enforce complex password policies
• Use a password manager like LastPass or 1Password
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all key systems
  Need help? Check out our Managed IT Support, we’ll sort this for you.

Mistake 3: Relying Solely on Antivirus Software

Traditional antivirus software is important...but it's not enough. Today’s threats are sophisticated and often bypass basic antivirus tools.

Modern cyber attacks often involve:

• Fileless malware
• Social engineering
• Insider threats
• Exploiting outdated software

💬 Solution: Upgrade to a multi-layered cyber security approach that includes:

• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
• Network monitoring
• Email filtering
• Data loss prevention
• Regular patch management

🎯 Explore our Cyber Security Services to modernise your defences.

Mistake 4: Failing to Train Staff on Cyber Security

Your people are your first line of defence — and your biggest vulnerability.

Over 90% of cyber attacks start with a phishing email. If your team doesn't know how to spot a suspicious link, spoofed email, or malicious attachment, they could unknowingly open the door to a ransomware attack.

Common training gaps:

• Not recognising phishing emails
• Clicking suspicious links
• Using personal devices for work without security
• Failing to report suspected breaches

🧮 Mistake 5: Not Having a Backup and Recovery Plan

No system is 100% immune to failure or attack. If your data is stolen, encrypted, or accidentally deleted — and you don’t have recent, secure backups — recovery could be impossible.

Key backup mistakes:

• No regular backup schedule
• Backups stored on the same device/network
• No testing to confirm backups actually work
• No clear disaster recovery plan

💬 Solution:

• Use offsite or cloud-based backup solutions
• Automate daily or real-time backups
• Test backup recovery quarterly
• Create a business continuity plan

🔐 We provide business-grade backup and recovery solutions to ensure you're covered when the worst happens.

📲 Mistake 6: Letting Staff Use Unsecured Devices

Remote and hybrid work is here to stay — but if you haven’t secured how your team works remotely, you’re inviting risk.

Allowing staff to use personal phones, laptops, or even shared family PCs for work (without encryption or secure access) exposes your business to:

• Data leaks
• Malware
• Unauthorised access

💬 Solution:

• Roll out Mobile Device Management (MDM)
• Require VPN access to business systems
• Restrict logins to approved devices only
• Offer company-managed laptops and devices

Mistake 7: Not Updating Software and Systems

Software updates exist for a reason — they fix bugs and patch security vulnerabilities. But too many businesses put off updates due to "downtime" or “it’s working fine as it is.”

This gives hackers an open door. Cyber criminals often target known vulnerabilities in outdated versions of Windows, Office, or popular third-party tools.

💬 Solution:

• Enable automatic updates wherever possible
• Regularly patch all systems and third-party apps
• Replace unsupported software (e.g. Windows 7, old routers)

📄 Mistake 8: No Formal Cyber Security Policy

If your staff don’t know what’s allowed — and what’s not — they’ll guess. That leads to inconsistency, poor data handling, and easy entry points for attackers.

What a good cyber security policy includes:

• Device usage rules
• Password and MFA requirements
• Data access and sharing protocols
• Incident reporting procedures
• BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) guidelines

💬 Solution: Get a tailored cyber security policy drafted for your business. Our Helpdesk can help you implement this in days, not weeks.

⚙️ Mistake 9: Not Monitoring Your Systems

You can’t secure what you can’t see. If no one’s watching your network, devices, or accounts, then breaches might go undetected for days or weeks.

Even if you have security software installed, it won’t help if no one checks alerts or investigates threats.

💬 Solution:

• Set up real-time monitoring
• Use a Security Operations Centre (SOC) service
• Review activity logs regularly

📊 Our managed services include full monitoring, alerting, and incident response. Contact Sonar IT today

🚨 Bonus Mistake: Ignoring Regulatory Compliance

GDPR. Cyber Essentials. ISO 27001. If you're not compliant — or unsure whether you are — you risk hefty fines, damaged reputation, and lost trust.

💬 Solution:

• Audit your data handling processes
• Map where sensitive data lives
• Implement appropriate controls

🧠 Final Thoughts: Cyber Security is Not Optional

Most cyber attacks happen because of preventable mistakes.

The good news? Every mistake in this list can be fixed. But the longer you wait, the higher the cost, in downtime, customer trust, lost data, or even legal penalties.

If you’re unsure where to start, we’re here to help.

🔧 Let’s Fix These Mistakes, Together

Our cyber security services cover everything from risk assessments and policy creation to endpoint protection and employee training.