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As we all know, New Year’s resolutions only work if you stick to them and don’t give up on them in February. The same philosophy applies to cybersecurity and your business. It’s fine to put procedures in place, but unless you are diligent in maintaining and adjusting your cybersecurity policies throughout the year, issues can arise. Our cybersecurity partner, OrbitalFire, offers this look at five resolutions to follow that will help ensure your security practices stay current and keep you protected.
Cybersecurity Resolutions That Actually Stick (and the Ones That Don’t)
January is prime season for resolutions. Eat better. Exercise more. Finally, “get serious” about cybersecurity.
And by February? Most of those resolutions are quietly forgotten.
Cybersecurity resolutions for small businesses fail for the same reason most business resolutions do: they’re vague, overly technical, or disconnected from how smaller businesses actually operate. This year, instead of aiming for perfection, aim for progress that sticks.
This article focuses on the cybersecurity resolutions that actually stick because they change behavior, not just tools.
Resolution #1: Who Should Own Cybersecurity in a Small Business?
Someone has to own cybersecurity, even if it’s not their only job.
In many smaller businesses, cybersecurity lives in limbo between IT, operations, and leadership. A resolution that sticks is clearly assigning accountability for:
- Risk decisions
- Policy updates
- Vendor security questions
- Incident Response Coordination
Ownership doesn’t mean doing the cybersecurity tasks or even creating the strategy. It means finding someone who can ensure the visibility, authority, and follow-through needed to make it happen.
For more on creating cybersecurity accountability in your organization, read: Why Cybersecurity Accountability for Small Businesses Starts with One Name
Resolution #2: How Often Should Employees Be Trained on Cybersecurity?
Annual training checks a box. It doesn’t build instincts.
What works better?
- Short, recurring AwarenessTraining reminders
- Real-world examples employees recognize
- Regular Phishing Simulations
Cybercriminals don’t attack once a year. Awareness shouldn’t either.
For more on Awareness Training, read: The Real Cost of Skipping Awareness Training
Resolution #3: Should Small Businesses Review Third-Party Risk in Cybersecurity?
Yes, and more often than they think.
Most small businesses vet employees carefully but rarely question vendors, contractors, or partners. Yet they all often have access to systems, data, or credentials.
A resolution that sticks is committing to basic vendor verification:
- What data do they access?
- How do they protect it?
- Who is responsible if something goes wrong?
You don’t need a long questionnaire. You need clarity around Third-Party Risk Management.
For more on Third-Party Risk, watch: Good Fences Make Good Neighbors: Managing Third-Party Cybersecurity Risk
Resolution #4: Why Is Incident Response Planning Important for Small Businesses?
Because the worst time to figure out what to do is during an incident.
An incident response plan doesn’t need to be perfect, but it should be a living document that continues to be updated and practiced. Even one Incident Response Tabletop exercise can uncover:
- Confusion around decision-making
- Missing contacts
- Gaps in escalation
Prepared teams respond faster and limit damage.
Learn More about Incident Response Planning, read: Crisis-Proof Your Organization: Build an Incident Response Plan That Works
Resolution #5: How Should Cybersecurity Align with Business Goals?
Cybersecurity that fights the business doesn’t last.
If you’re expanding, hiring, working with new vendors, or meeting compliance requirements, your cybersecurity strategy needs to support and adapt to those moves.
The most effective resolutions connect cybersecurity to:
- Revenue protection
- Customer trust
- Compliance readiness
- Business continuity
When security aligns with the mission, it stops feeling like friction.
What Is the Most Important Cybersecurity Resolution for Small Businesses?
Stop assuming your MSP is handling cybersecurity.
This is one of the most important and most overlooked resolutions smaller businesses can make.
Is an MSP enough for cybersecurity?
In most cases, no.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are excellent at keeping systems running; email stays up, laptops work, and networks stay connected. But cybersecurity is not the same thing as IT support. It requires a different focus, different tools, and different accountability.
Most MSPs:
- Prioritize uptime and availability, not risk management
- Respond to issues rather than planning for incidents
- Are not responsible for compliance, audits, or regulatory outcomes
- Are not structured to provide ongoing security oversight or governance
That gap often goes unnoticed until something goes wrong, or until a customer, insurer, or regulator starts asking hard questions.
For smaller businesses, the resolution that actually sticks is recognizing this early and deciding who truly owns cybersecurity oversight. That might mean clearly separating IT responsibilities from security responsibilities or bringing in a dedicated cybersecurity partner to fill the gap MSPs aren’t designed to cover.
At OrbitalFire, we specialize in cybersecurity for small and medium-sized businesses. We work alongside MSPs, not against them, providing the security leadership, planning, and execution they aren’t built to deliver.
We protect you from cybercrime, audits, regulations, and yourself by doing the hard work and keeping cybersecurity practical.
Start the Year with Progress, Not Promises
Cybersecurity resolutions don’t need to be dramatic. They need to be realistic, owned, and repeatable.
If you want help turning good intentions into security habits that actually stick, join our Orbit. We’ll help you build cybersecurity that fits your business and lasts well beyond January.
GTM’s Cybersecurity Practices
Security is integral to our operations. It’s at the core of what we do with multiple layers of protection embedded into our products, processes, and infrastructure.
Our state-of-the-art security measures are designed to safeguard your data from unauthorized access and cyber threats. We employ a robust combination of physical, administrative, and technical controls, including advanced encryption technologies, continuous network monitoring, and strict access controls, ensuring your data is protected around the clock.
GTM undergoes annual security assessments conducted by the New York State Department of Financial Services and adheres to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity standards. GTM also undergoes several third-party audits, including SOC 1, Nacha, and financial statement audits.
Cyber and Data Breach Liability Insurance
As an additional security measure, cyber and data breach liability insurance is available to cover costs in the event of a cyberattack or data breach. A cyber liability and data breach insurance policy can help if your business’s computers are infected with a virus that exposes private or sensitive information, your business is sued for losing customers’ sensitive data, or your business incurs public relations costs to protect its reputation after a data breach.
If you are interested in cyber and data breach insurance, the GTM Insurance Agency can discuss your options. Contact them for a free quote or more information.
