Key points
How to Create a Small-Business Cybersecurity Checklist
- Group security into domains: Keep the checklist organized by focusing on 4-5 core areas such as accounts, devices, data, networks, and people.
- Start with quick wins: Highlight simple, high-impact actions such as enabling MFA, auto-patching, and backups.
- Use plain language: Write instructions that non-technical staff can understand and act upon.
- Add visual cues: Use traffic-light colors and icons to make progress and priorities clear at a glance.
- Review regularly: Build reviews and accountability into QBRs, assign responsibilities, and track improvements.
- Automate where possible: Use tools like NinjaOne for patching, backups, alerts, and documentation.
Most cybersecurity checklists are designed for large enterprises or compliance audits, making them overwhelming for Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Small businesses often lack dedicated IT staff, work with tight budgets, and rely on Managed Service Providers (MSPs) for basic security.
A small-business cybersecurity checklist provides a simple way to implement high-impact protections that reduce risk without overcomplicating operations. This guide shows you how to build a small-business cybersecurity checklist that works in practice.
Steps to build a small-business cybersecurity checklist
Before starting, confirm your assets, roles, compliance needs, and client risk tolerance. Here are the prerequisites for building a cybersecurity checklist for small businesses:
📌 General prerequisites:
- Awareness of the small-business regulatory environment (HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR, depending on industry)
- Asset inventory and endpoint visibility (servers, laptops, mobile, SaaS apps)
- Defined roles/responsibilities for SMB staff (owner, office manager, external MSP)
- Agreement with clients on risk appetite and budget thresholds
Step 1: Identify core security domains
Begin by defining the core areas your business needs to protect. This step helps you group security tasks into domains so the checklist can be better organized and easier to follow.
Instructions
Break your checklist into clear, business-friendly categories as in the examples below.
- Accounts and Access: Strong passwords, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), role-based access control
- Devices and Endpoints: Antivirus protection, regular patching, device encryption
- Data Protection: Automated backups, retention policies, and restore testing
- Network and Cloud: Firewalls, Wi-Fi security, SaaS access policies
- People and Training: Phishing awareness, role-based responsibilities, ongoing training
Avoid overloading the checklist with too many categories. Keep it lean. Small teams without dedicated IT support will find it easier to manage.
Deliverable
A checklist outline structured around a few clear domains (makes it easier to prioritize, assign, and review security tasks without getting bogged down in technical details)
Step 2: Prioritize high-impact, low-complexity items
Cybersecurity doesn’t need to be complex or expensive. Some of the most effective improvements come from simple, low-cost changes. In this step, you filter your checklist to highlight easy-to-implement actions that deliver strong protection.
Here are some checklist items you may want to prioritize:
- Apply MFA to email, financial accounts, and cloud apps.
- Enable auto-patching for Windows, macOS, browsers, and apps.
- Back up critical files weekly and test restores. Use cloud backups or external drives.
- Require staff to use password managers. Select tools that simplify the use of secure passwords.
Deliverable
A Quick Wins section placed at the top of your cybersecurity checklist (to be clearly marked and easy to act on)
Step 3: Use plain-language instructions
Cybersecurity can feel intimidating if instructions are filled with technical jargon. People need to understand what they’re being asked to do, especially in small businesses without dedicated IT. In this step, you rewrite complex terms into clear, everyday language that anyone can follow. This makes your checklist usable.
📌 Use Case: Making cybersecurity accessible to non-technical users.
Instructions
- Identify technical jargon.
- Review instructions written in IT or compliance terms.
- Rewrite in plain language.
- Use short sentences, simple verbs, and clear actions.
- Example:
- ❌ “Implement identity federation with conditional access policies.”
- ✅ “Require a code sent to a phone or app (MFA) when logging in.”
- Avoid acronyms or explain them clearly.
- If you must use acronyms, spell them out the first time.
- Example: “Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add a second layer of login security.”
- Provide a glossary or quick reference guide.
- Define terms such as encryption, firewall, phishing, and other common security concepts in simple, everyday language.
Deliverable
Each action in the checklist should include a brief glossary or simplified explanation so that it’s understandable and doable by someone with no technical background.
Step 4: Add visual cues for risk and priority
Make your checklist easier to use by adding clear visual cues. In this step, you apply indicators that show the status and urgency of each item. This helps business owners and teams see at a glance what is complete, what is pending, and what needs immediate action.
Instructions
- Apply traffic-light indicators to each item.
- Example:
- 🟢 Green = Implemented
- 🟡 Yellow = In progress
- 🔴 Red = Needs immediate action
- Example:
- Add icons or labels for accessibility and clarity.
- Example:
- ✅ for completed
- ⚠️ for needs attention
- ❌ for not started
- Example:
- Apply cues consistently across domains.
- Use the same system throughout the checklist to avoid confusion.
Deliverable
A one-page visual checklist that uses color-coded indicators and icons to show risk and priority
Step 5: Integrate reviews and accountability
Make your cybersecurity checklist effective by regularly maintaining and reviewing it. In this step, you embed the checklist into business review cycles, assign ownership, and track progress. This ensures the checklist stays current and actionable.
📌 Use Case: Maintaining cybersecurity hygiene over time
Instructions
- Schedule regular reviews.
- Conduct reviews during quarterly or semi-annual business reviews (QBRs).
- Update the checklist status, reprioritize items, and assess new risks.
- Assign responsibilities clearly.
- Mark which items are client responsibilities and which belong to the MSP or IT provider.
- Log progress and improvements.
- Keep a version-controlled document of the checklist to track updates.
- Record completed items with dates and notes.
- Use sign-off lines or digital approvals for accountability.
Deliverable
A version-controlled checklist with sign-off lines for both client and MSP that provides a clear record of responsibilities, review history, and measurable improvements over time.
Best practices summary table
| Practice | Value delivered |
| Domain grouping | Keeps the checklist organized and manageable |
| Quick-win prioritization | Speeds up adoption with immediate results |
| Plain-language instructions | Helps SMB decision-makers understand actions |
| Visual cues | Makes progress easy to track |
| Integrated reviews | Turns the checklist into a governance tool |
Automation touchpoint example
You can connect your SMB cybersecurity checklist to automation tools to reduce manual work and ensure consistency. Below are checklist items that can be automated using NinjaOne.
NinjaOne-Enabled checklist items
- Automated patch management for Windows and macOS endpoints
- Keeps devices updated without manual effort
- Scheduled backup and restore validation reports
- Confirms backups are running and restorable
- Custom alerts for unencrypted or outdated devices
- Flags devices that need attention
- Documentation of checklist completion in NinjaOne Documentation
- Tracks progress and supports accountability
NinjaOne integration
MSPs can use NinjaOne to connect checklist tasks with automation, reporting, and documentation.
| NinjaOne services | How NinjaOne supports |
| Patch management | Automates baseline protections, including patching, AV monitoring, and encryption checks |
| Reporting dashboards | Tracks checklist compliance and shows status through clear reports |
| Documentation | Stores checklist versions and updates in NinjaOne Docs for audit readiness |
| QBR support | Attaches checklist results to QBR reports for client transparency |
| Scheduled tasks | Creates recurring tasks tied to checklist items, such as quarterly backup testing |
Build a small-business cybersecurity checklist to protect core operations
A cybersecurity checklist only works if small businesses can use it. Keep the language simple, focus on high-impact actions, and add visuals and reviews. This turns a static list into a practical tool that MSPs can use to guide and support SMB clients.
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