2026 Cybersecurity Checklist for Small & Medium Enterprises in Bath & Bristol

Introduction

Cybersecurity threats continue to accelerate across the UK, and SMEs in Bath, Bristol, and the wider South West are increasingly in the crosshairs. Automated attacks, AI‑driven phishing, and ransomware as a service now make smaller organisations just as attractive to cybercriminals as large enterprises.

Below is a practical, evidence‑backed cybersecurity checklist SMEs can act on immediately to improve protection, reduce business risk, and demonstrate strong security posture to customers and partners.

1. Get the Basics Right: Foundation Security Measures

The UK Government and NCSC continue to emphasise that simple, foundational controls prevent the majority of attacks. These include patching, secure accounts, staff training, and reviewing your cyber posture regularly.

Key actions:

Ensure all devices and systems are patched and updated.
Use a central management system for laptops, desktops, and mobiles.
Enable built‑in security features across Windows, macOS, and cloud platforms.

2. Embed “Resilience by Design” Across the Organisation

New UK legislation; including the Cyber Security & Resilience Bill, underscores the national push for better organisational resilience.

This means integrating security into:

Employee training and onboarding
Business operations
Product or service design
Supply‑chain relationships

With threats rising by 50% year‑on‑year in 2025, UK SMEs cannot afford complacency.

3. Strengthen Identity & Access Control

Most breaches begin with compromised credentials. Many SMEs in 2026 still rely on weak passwords or insufficient access controls, despite being one of the highest‑risk areas.

Recommended controls:

Enforce multi‑factor authentication (MFA) across email, cloud, finance tools, and remote access. Also known as two-step verification (2SV) on Google Workspace or two-factor authentication (2FA)
Use a business password manager to prevent password reuse.
Apply least‑privilege access. Do not provide admin rights unless absolutely essential.
Immediately remove access for former staff and contractors.

4. Secure Remote & Hybrid Work Setups

With Bath and Bristol hosting a high proportion of flexible‑working SMEs, securing remote users is critical. Priority measures:

Protect all remote access with MFA and/or a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Implement conditional access to block unusual or high‑risk logins.
Document and enforce hybrid working policies.

5. Defend Against Phishing & Email‑Based Attacks

Email remains the most lucrative attack vector, especially as attackers increasingly use AI to generate convincing, personalised messages. In 2026, SMEs must assume phishing attempts will be sophisticated. An easy give away for most AI written content is the use of “—” between sentences.

Key actions:

Enable advanced phishing and spam filtering.
Block risky attachments where possible.
Deploy SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to prevent spoofing of your domain.
Provide regular phishing awareness training.

6. Implement Security for Cloud, Collaboration & Devices

Cloud misconfigurations are now a leading cause of SME data breaches.

Checklist:

Ensure cloud services (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, etc.) are configured securely.
Restrict access so users only access what they need to access.
Enable encryption, firewalls, screen locks, and approved software controls on all devices.

7. Backup, Recovery & Business Continuity

Ransomware continues to grow, and immutable backups are becoming an essential defence. SMEs that can recover quickly face far less disruption and cost.

Key controls:

Maintain regular automated and securely stored backups, and test them frequently.
Use immutable and incremental backups to prevent tampering or deletion.
Define recovery times and test the disaster recovery plans.

8. Work Toward Cyber Essentials Certification

Cyber Essentials remains one of the UK’s most effective baseline frameworks.

Benefits:

Demonstrates to customers that you take cybersecurity seriously.
Helps win public‑sector contracts.
Provides a clear roadmap for essential controls.

Additional Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about how to protect a small business we have our 3-part series: IT Ops for Growing Businesses:

We have an article written on Password Management: Why It Matters More Than Ever

Of course you can always reach out to us too. We offer a complimentary consultation upon introduction. We would love to share insights on building a secure, consistent, and productive environment for your growing team.