Data, privacy and safety
🗄️ Securing Your Small Business Data and Systems: A Guide for Owners and Office Staff
How a small business protects its local and cloud data in layers: accounts and two-step sign-in, computers and backups, SaaS and shared files, secure email and browsing defined, phones and mobile devices, the scams that target businesses, and an incident playbook for when something goes wrong.
- 1Your Data and Layered DefenseInventory what data a small business holds and where it lives, see why small firms get targeted, and learn the layered approach (prevent, detect, respond, recover) that the rest of the course builds.22 min
- 2Accounts, Passwords and Two-Step Sign-InGive every person their own login, use a business password manager, turn on two-step sign-in in the right strength, separate admin accounts, and run onboarding and offboarding checklists so access ends when a job does.24 min
- 3Computers, Local Data and BackupsInventory the machines, keep them updated and encrypted, tame file servers, USB drives and printers, dispose of old gear safely, and build a tested backup with an offline copy that survives ransomware.26 min
- 4Cloud, SaaS and Shared FilesUnderstand what the cloud and SaaS really are, who is responsible for what, how to set sharing, guest access and app connections in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, how to vet vendors, and how to back up and exit from the services your business runs on.28 min
- 5Secure Email and Secure BrowsingWhat secure email and secure browsing actually mean, how SPF, DKIM and DMARC stop people from faking your domain, and the mailbox and browser settings an office can fix in an afternoon.22 min
- 6Network, Wi-Fi and Remote WorkLock down the router and Wi-Fi, split guests and devices onto their own networks, handle remote access and home workers without opening the front door, and cover the physical basics: locks, visitors and a clean desk.22 min
- 7Phones, Tablets and Mobile DevicesCompany phones versus personal phones, the screen lock and update basics, what mobile device management is and the cheap versions you may already own, plus lost-phone steps, SIM-swap protection, text scams and leaving employees.22 min
- 8Scams Aimed at BusinessesThe fraud that actually costs small firms money: fake vendor bank changes, boss and payroll requests, tech support and domain-renewal invoices, QR codes, ransomware extortion, voice clones and fake job applicants. Each scam gets how it works, the tell and the control, plus a callback procedure, a dual-approval rule and a playbook for the person at the front desk.45 min
- 9Payment Cards, Customer Data and RecordsHow to take cards without storing them, what PCI DSS asks of a small merchant, how to keep customer and employee records lean, and how long to keep and how to destroy what you hold.24 min
- 10When Something Goes WrongA plain incident plan for a small shop: the signs of trouble, what to do in the first hour, day and week, who to call, what to keep, the facts on ransomware payments and wire recalls, Idaho breach notice basics and a one-page incident card.26 min
- 11Policies, Training and a 90-Day PlanA two-page security policy a 10-person shop can actually follow, 15-minute monthly training, kind phishing drills, cyber insurance basics, a vendor checklist, a 30/60/90-day plan, a rough budget table and a page of verified numbers and pictures.30 min