Cyber security York: A practical guide for businesses (10–200 staff)
If you run a business in York with 10–200 people, cyber security isn’t an optional extra — it’s part of how you keep the lights on, invoices paid and reputation intact. This guide is written for busy owners and managers who need clear priorities, not jargon or a sales pitch. Think of it as the local route map: useful whether you’re five minutes from the Minster or on the industrial estates south of the city.
Why this matters for York businesses
Local businesses are attractive targets. Your customer data, supplier contracts and payroll details are all worth something to criminals. An attack can mean downtime, regulatory headaches and a dented reputation — and for businesses of your size, recovery is often harder than prevention.
We’ve seen (in meetings, at networking groups and while walking through Stonegate) that owners often underestimate how a single compromised account or a missed patch can cascade into lost days and nervous calls to staff and suppliers. The good news: many of the most damaging incidents are preventable with straightforward, sensible action.
Where to start (priority checklist)
Here are the practical first steps to reduce risk quickly and without breaking the bank.
- Know what you’re protecting — Make a short list of your crown jewels: payroll records, client files, financial systems, supplier contracts, and any personal data. You don’t need a huge audit; a one-page map is often enough to guide protection efforts.
- Backups that work — Regular, tested backups are the single best protection against ransomware. Backups should be automated, stored separately from your main systems, and tested occasionally to prove you can restore.
- Patch promptly — Keep operating systems, servers and business applications updated. Patch windows once a week if you can; delaying creates obvious holes attackers will use.
- Passwords and MFA — Require strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all business-critical accounts. MFA stops many credential-based attacks cold.
- Access control — Limit administrator rights. If someone only needs to use accounting software, don’t give them system admin privileges.
- Incident plan — Have a written, simple plan: who to call, how to isolate affected systems, and where your backups are. Rehearse it once a year. It’s less theatre, more insurance.
People are both your biggest risk and your best defence
Most breaches start with human error: a phishing email, a misconfigured file share, or an insecure home Wi‑Fi connection. Invest in short, practical training for staff: how to spot suspicious emails, how to handle data, and what to do if something looks off.
Make reporting easy and blame-free. If your receptionist or a sales rep reports a dodgy email, thank them. It’s a culture thing: quick reporting reduces containment time and often prevents bigger problems.
Technology that gives ROI — don’t buy the shiny thing
For businesses in the 10–200 staff range, buy-for-purpose tools that solve clear problems:
- Endpoint protection that blocks known malware and flags unusual behaviour.
- Email filtering to reduce spam and phishing attempts.
- Cloud services with proper admin controls — use vendor security features rather than relying on ad hoc workarounds.
Keep things simple. A small number of well‑configured tools will do more for security than a long list of half-used subscriptions.
Legal and regulatory basics
Remember: if you hold personal data, you have obligations under data protection laws. That doesn’t mean complex legalese — it means reasonable steps to protect personal information and a plan for responding to breaches. Having records of what you did to protect data can make a huge difference in the event of an investigation.
How to budget for cyber security
Cybersecurity shouldn’t be a line item you ignore until something goes wrong. For most businesses of your size, think in terms of risk-based spending: prioritise the things that reduce the highest-impact risks first (backups, MFA, patching), then allocate remaining budget to monitoring and staff training. You don’t need to spend a fortune; you need to spend wisely.
Working with external help
If you choose to outsource, look for partners who explain things in plain English and focus on outcomes (uptime, reduced risk, fewer interruptions). Ask about incident response roles: who will do what if something happens? Also ask for a simple onboarding plan — if it looks like a tech shopping list without impact measures, walk away.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Assuming cloud equals safe — cloud services can be secure, but only when configured correctly.
- Relying on memory for backups — if it’s not tested, it’s not a backup.
- Ignoring low-level staff as a source of risk — cleaners, temp staff and third parties often have access and are forgotten in policies.
Practical next steps for this week
- Identify your most important systems and verify backups exist and are restorable.
- Enable MFA on email, admin accounts and cloud services.
- Patch critical servers and endpoints, or schedule a patch window and stick to it.
- Run a short, focused staff briefing on phishing and how to report incidents.
FAQ
How much should a small business expect to spend on cyber security?
Costs vary by need and existing setup. Rather than a fixed figure, think in priorities: spending on backups, MFA and patching yields much higher returns than buying every security gadget on the market. Budget for prevention, plus a small reserve for response if things go wrong.
Is cyber insurance worth it for a 50-person company?
Insurance can be useful but it’s not a substitute for basic controls. Insurers increasingly expect you to have certain defences in place, so check policy requirements before buying. Consider insurance as part of a wider risk-management plan, not the first line of defence.
Can a small IT team manage this without outside help?
Yes, often they can — especially if they focus on high-impact items and use managed services for routine tasks like patching or monitoring. The key is prioritisation and realistic workload planning; don’t pile it onto a team that’s already stretched thin.
What should we do if we suspect a breach?
Act quickly: isolate affected devices, preserve logs if possible, and follow your incident plan. Notify the right people internally, then consider whether you need professional incident response. Communicate clearly with affected customers if personal data is involved — clarity reduces reputational damage.
Wrapping up
Cyber security for York businesses is practical, local and, mostly, about sensible choices rather than drama. If you start with a small list of priorities — backups, patching, MFA and a simple incident plan — you’ll cut exposure significantly. That means less downtime, fewer urgent calls at 3am, and a steadier reputation with customers and partners.
If you’d like to talk next steps, focus on outcomes: we can help you reduce downtime, free up staff time, avoid unnecessary spend and restore calm to operations — without the tech-speak.
