A bakery in Bendigo. A farm supplies store in Horsham. An accounting practice in Shepparton. All hit by cyber attacks in the past year. All thought “it wouldn’t happen to us.”

I’m not trying to scare you, but regional small businesses are increasingly targeted. Criminals know that smaller businesses often have weaker security and less ability to recover. Here’s how to protect yourself without needing an IT department.

The Basics That Actually Matter

Strong, Unique Passwords

Yes, I know you’ve heard this a thousand times. But password reuse is still the number one way small businesses get compromised.

If you’re using the same password for your email, banking, and business software—stop. Today.

The solution: A password manager like Bitwarden (free) or 1Password (paid). It generates and stores strong unique passwords for every account. You only need to remember one master password.

Setting this up takes maybe an hour. It’s the single most impactful thing you can do.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

This means proving your identity with something beyond just a password—usually a code sent to your phone or generated by an app.

Enable 2FA on:

• Email (critical—if attackers get your email, they can reset everything else)
• Banking
• Any software containing customer data
• Social media accounts

Most services now offer 2FA. If a service you use doesn’t, consider whether you should trust them with your data.

Regular Backups

Ransomware encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them. The best defence is having recent backups that weren’t connected to your network when the attack happened.

The 3-2-1 rule: Keep 3 copies of important data, on 2 different types of storage, with 1 copy stored off-site.

For most small businesses, this means:

• Your working files on your computer
• An automatic backup to cloud storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox)
• A weekly backup to an external hard drive that you disconnect and store separately

If you get ransomware, you can wipe everything and restore from backup rather than paying criminals.

Software Updates

I know update notifications are annoying. But those updates often fix security vulnerabilities that attackers actively exploit.

Enable automatic updates for:

• Operating system (Windows, Mac)
• Web browser
• Business software
• Router firmware (check this quarterly—it rarely auto-updates)

An outdated system is like leaving your front door unlocked.

Email Awareness

Most attacks start with a phishing email that tricks someone into clicking a bad link or opening a malicious attachment.

Train yourself (and any staff) to:

• Hover over links to see where they actually go
• Be suspicious of unexpected attachments
• Verify unusual requests (especially payment-related) via phone
• Check sender email addresses carefully (attackers use lookalike domains)

“Your CEO emailed asking you to urgently buy gift cards” is always a scam. Always.

Slightly More Advanced Steps

Separate Business and Personal

Use different devices or at least different accounts for business and personal activities. If your teenager downloads malware on the family computer, you don’t want it accessing business files.

Limit Access

Not everyone needs admin access to everything. Staff should only have access to what they need for their job.

Secure Your WiFi

Change the default router password. Use WPA3 (or WPA2 if your router is older). Consider a separate network for customer WiFi.

Check Your Business on haveibeenpwned.com

This free service tells you if email addresses have been exposed in data breaches. Check regularly and change passwords for any compromised accounts.

When Things Go Wrong

Despite precautions, incidents happen. Be prepared:

1. Know who to call. Have a trusted IT contact you can reach in an emergency.
2. Report it. Report cyber incidents to the ACSC at cyber.gov.au.
3. Don’t pay ransoms. Payment doesn’t guarantee recovery and funds criminal operations.
4. Be honest with customers. If their data may be compromised, tell them promptly.

Getting Help

If this feels overwhelming, consider:

One-off security audit: An IT consultant can assess your setup and recommend improvements. Budget maybe $500-1000 for a small business.

Managed IT services: Monthly service that includes security monitoring. More expensive but hands-off.

Free resources: The Australian Cyber Security Centre has excellent guides for small businesses. Business Victoria also provides cybersecurity resources tailored for Victorian businesses.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be harder to attack than the next business.

Criminals go for easy targets. If you have strong passwords, 2FA, regular backups, and updated software, you’re already better protected than most small businesses.

That hour setting up a password manager could save your business. Do it today.