Executives — from operations to finance — are finding themselves responsible for cybersecurity simply because there’s no one else to do it. A COO or CFO tasked with security now has a second job but often lacks the expertise and time to do it right.

If you’re in this position, there’s good news: the fundamentals of security aren’t complicated. You don’t need to understand every tool or threat facing your organization — you need to know how to protect what matters most, and the rest can follow. 

Here are the core concepts every business leader should know when developing a cybersecurity strategy.

1. Prioritize What’s Important to You

If you’re not sure where to focus your efforts, start by figuring out what matters most for your organization. Maybe it’s protecting PHI or financial information. Think about it like this: If a hacker got access to X, what would that do to your organization?  What would it cost in dollars and damage to your company’s reputation?

Once you can answer those questions, you’ll know which systems and information you need to protect first. From there, you can avoid wasting time and money on tools that don’t safeguard your high-priority assets.

2. Human Error Happens, but It Doesn’t Have to Incite Chaos

Security issues almost always come down to human mistakes. Someone clicks a link they shouldn’t have or opens an attachment that wasn’t legitimate. You can’t prevent every mistake, but you can make sure a single error doesn’t take down your entire environment. 

Implementing basic safeguards like access management, endpoint protection, email filtering, and tools that detect suspicious activity goes a long way toward preventing accidents from turning into full-blown, costly incidents. 

3. Make MFA Non-Negotiable

If you only make one security improvement this year, make it multi-factor authentication (MFA) — and use phishing-resistant MFA, not the older push-based type. 

Hackers can bypass traditional MFA through “MFA spamming,” where attackers bombard employees with approval requests until someone clicks yes by mistake. Modern, phish-resistant, push-based MFA requires users to enter a number from their screen, which makes accidental approvals much less likely.  This is a good interim step towards a true, phish-resistant MFA solution.

4. Verify Your People 

Alongside MFA, every organization needs a way to verify that employees are who they say they are. This tactic can be as simple as having employees provide HR with a passphrase or something else each person must provide to verify they are who they say they are. You can also purchase a dedicated system that is designed to verify your employees.

Social engineering attacks are increasing, with hackers using AI to scrape publicly available information like out-of-office messages, social media posts, corporate news releases, and company websites to impersonate employees. An employee verification procedure or solution helps keep attackers from talking their way into your systems.

5. Use Role-Based Access Control

A common misconception, especially among small organizations, is that “we’re too small to be a target.” That’s not how attackers think. If you’re a supplier or partner to a larger organization, attackers may target you first because you’re easier to compromise — and once they’re in, they can pivot to the real target.

This is why role-based access control matters, no matter your size. When everyone has access to everything, one compromised account can lead to a complete system takeover. Limiting access to only what someone needs for their job reduces the impact of a breach. 

GuideIT: Your Trusted Security Partner

Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be overwhelming — even if it’s your job when it shouldn’t be. When you have a firm grasp on the basics, you can make confident decisions, avoid unnecessary noise, and focus your efforts on what actually reduces risk.

Still not sure where to start? My team at GuideIT can work as your always-on security partner. You get advanced tools, 24/7 monitoring, and support from a team of experts to help you stay compliant and ahead of threats without adding more work to your plate. We also offer virtual CISO services. Book a free consultation today to learn more.