Is your business cybersafe?

More than 600,000 businesses have experienced a cyber security breach in the past year, according to the government’s latest figures.¹

Small-to-medium businesses are particularly vulnerable as they are less likely to have sophisticated internal IT experts to monitor and deal with cyber risks on an ongoing basis.

As cyber security awareness month kicks off, we asked the St. James's Place’s (SJP) cyber security team for their top tips on how to keep your business cybersafe. 

Protect your emails...

Your email accounts will likely hold valuable information about your business and potentially your customers. Fraudsters who can hack your IT system could gain the opportunity to exploit sensitive information they find. For example, they could access financial data, gain access to other applications or pose as you – or your employees – to scam others.

Using a passkey such as fingerprint or face ID instead of a traditional password is an effective way to secure your email accounts. Even better, consider using two-factor verification which requires a one-time passcode every time you log in.

…and your devices

Keep the devices you use for business activity secure to keep bad actors out of your files. Passkeys can be effective, for example. If your computer only allows for traditional password login, make sure you choose a strong one, and change it regularly.

The National Cyber Security Centre recommends combining three random words to make a password. You should also use different passwords for different devices and be diligent when using them, especially if working in public spaces.

Back up your data

All it takes is a network failure, a hardware issue or a ransomware attack and the files stored on your devices could be lost forever.

Backing up your data means you’ll have a second – or third – version of all your files. You can use either online storage, physical storage or both.

Online storage (also known as ‘the cloud’) allows you to save files online. They can be accessed via your account on different devices at all times. Your operating system should have its own version of cloud storage for you to use - either for free or for a small cost.

Physical storage such as a USB stick, memory card or external hard drive may be more suitable if you often work offline.

The safest option is to use them both.

Check your firewall and anti-virus protection

A firewall monitors what comes into your network. If something seems unsafe, the firewall will block it from entering your system. Meanwhile, anti-virus protection monitors both external threats and what’s already in your network. If it identifies files, software or applications that may be corrupt it will remove them or clean them up.

Most modern computers already have these protections built in. However, you should check that this is the case for all of your devices and ensure it’s up to date and running. If it isn’t, you can purchase third party anti-virus 
software and install it on your device.

Educate yourself and your employees

Cyber security is a major risk for businesses, but often not enough is done to put protections in place. A cyber-attack or security incident can bring your business operations to a halt, harm your company’s reputation, and cost your business money.

Ensuring you and your employees understand the key risks and how to minimise them could be a sound investment. The 
National Cyber Security Centre, in collaboration with the government, offers a free ‘cyber action toolkit’ online for business owners. A specialised training programme may also be a worthwhile, particularly if you employ multiple people or your business operations are heavily reliant on online delivery.

Source
¹Cyber security breaches survey 2025/2026, UK Government, 30 April 2026