Would you know if your business email had been hacked?
Take our free 20-point checklist. Tick what is true for your business and see exactly where the gaps are.
- Tick what is true, in about ten minutes
- See your score and your list of gaps
- Printable PDF included
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- Brisbane IT business
- Onsite and remote support
- No contracts, no callout fee
- Your details are never sold
The 20 points, in five groups
Each point is a plain statement. If it is true for your business, you tick it. If it is not, it goes on your list of gaps. You get it as a tick-as-you-go page and as a printable PDF.
- 01 Lock the front doorStolen or guessed logins are behind most small business breaches. 4 points
- 02 Keep software currentAttackers use known holes for which a fix was released months ago. 4 points
- 03 Email and payment fraudThe costliest small business attacks are fake invoices and changed bank details, not viruses. 4 points
- 04 Limit the damageYou cannot stop every attack, so make sure one does not take the whole business with it. 4 points
- 05 Be readyThe first hour after you notice a problem decides how bad it gets. 4 points
For example: “Multi-factor authentication is on for email, cloud storage, accounting software and online banking.”
Why every small business needs a cyber security checklist
Small businesses are targeted because they hold money and customer data but rarely have anyone watching. The common attacks are not clever: a fake invoice, a login page that looks like Microsoft’s, a staff member’s reused password from some other breach. The defences are mostly habits and settings, not expensive tools.
The checklist follows the priorities in the Australian Signals Directorate’s small business guidance and its Essential Eight, translated into things a business owner can check. Tick what is true. Anything left unticked is a gap you can close, usually in an afternoon.
Made for you if:
- You handle customer details, invoices or payments by email, and a hacked account would hurt
- You have heard of “multi-factor authentication” and “phishing” but are not sure you have them covered
- You want a practical list to work through, not a 60-page report
Cyber Security Checklist FAQs
- Is this the same as the Essential Eight?
- It follows the same priorities in plain language: multi-factor authentication, patching, backups and limiting admin access. It is a practical checklist, not a formal Essential Eight assessment.
- Do small businesses really get targeted by cyber attacks?
- Yes. Most attacks are automated and go after whoever is easiest. Small businesses hold money and customer data but often have few protections, and most attacks start with a fake email or a reused password.
- Where do I report cybercrime in Australia?
- Report it through ReportCyber, run by the Australian Cyber Security Centre, at cyber.gov.au.
- Is it really free?
- Yes. The checklist is free, and you are under no obligation to buy anything or book anything. If you would like help with what it turns up, we can do that as pay-as-you-go work, but that is your call.
- What happens to my details?
- We use them to send you the checklist and to follow up about it. We do not sell or share your details. See the Privacy Policy for the full version.
- Do I need to be an Afford IT customer?
- No. The checklist works for any small business, whoever looks after your IT today.
- Who is Afford IT?
- A Brisbane IT support business with a workshop in Indooroopilly. We support small businesses on a pay-as-you-go basis: no contract and no monthly minimum, onsite across Brisbane, Ipswich, Moreton Bay and Logan, and remotely for the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Ten minutes now can save you a bad week later.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 1800 851 816, Mon–Fri 8:30am–4:30pm or Sat 9am–2pm.
Get it free. Instantly.
The 20-point checklist opens straight away, with a PDF to print.