9 Ways to Secure Your Company Data in 2026

Table of Contents

• 1. Implement Strong Password Policies and Management
• 2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication Across Your Systems
• 3. Establish Regular Data Backups and Recovery Procedures
• 4. How to Prevent Data Breaches in the Workplace
• 5. Cyber Security Best Practices for SMEs
• 6. UK GDPR Compliance Checklist for Small Business
• 7. Use Encryption and Secure Remote Access
• 8. Monitor and Classify Your Sensitive Data
• Frequently Asked Questions

Last Updated: September 18, 2026

According to Termly’s 2026 data privacy analysis, 64% of businesses are identified as needing to improve data privacy measures to meet modern standards. Yet many small business owners still treat cybersecurity as an afterthought, assuming their data isn’t valuable enough to target. That assumption is dangerous. This guide from Ibertech Solutions covers 9 ways to secure your company data, practical, actionable steps that protect what matters most to your business.

Data breaches don’t discriminate by company size. Whether you’re running a manufacturing firm in Norfolk or an e-commerce operation in Suffolk, your customer data, financial records, and intellectual property are targets. The good news: securing your company data doesn’t require expensive enterprise solutions or a dedicated security team. It requires consistency, the right tools, and a clear understanding of where your vulnerabilities actually are.

1. Implement Strong Password Policies and Management

The foundation of any security strategy starts with passwords. Weak passwords remain one of the easiest entry points for attackers, yet many teams still use variations of the same phrase or reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

A strong password policy enforces three critical rules: minimum length (at least 12 characters), complexity (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, symbols), and uniqueness (no reuse across systems). But enforcing a policy is only half the battle, teams need a way to manage these passwords securely.

Password managers like 1Password (starting from £4.55 per user per month) and LastPass (from £3.40 per user per month) eliminate the need for employees to remember complex passwords. They generate, store, and autofill credentials, reducing both human error and the temptation to simplify passwords for convenience. For teams managing multiple accounts, a centralised password vault also means IT can enforce access controls and audit who accessed what and when.

The real benefit emerges when you combine strong policies with password managers: employees stop writing passwords on sticky notes, IT gains visibility into credential usage, and compromised passwords trigger alerts before damage occurs.

2. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication Across Your Systems

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds a second verification step beyond the password, typically a code from a mobile app, a text message, or a hardware key. According to the Information Commissioner’s Office guidance on IT security for small organisations, MFA is identified as a primary defence against automated account access attacks.

Even if an attacker steals a password, they cannot access the account without that second factor. This single measure blocks the vast majority of account takeovers.

Implement MFA across your most critical systems first: email accounts, cloud storage, financial software, and any system containing customer data. Microsoft 365 users can enable MFA through Azure Active Directory. For other platforms, most SaaS tools now offer MFA natively or integrate with authenticator apps like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.

The initial rollout requires communication, explain to staff why it matters and how to use it. After the first week, adoption becomes routine. The inconvenience is minimal compared to the protection gained.

3. Establish Regular Data Backups and Recovery Procedures

A backup is only useful if you can actually recover from it. Many businesses back up data but never test whether they can restore it. When a ransomware attack or hardware failure strikes, they discover their backups are corrupted, incomplete, or incompatible with their current systems.

The ICO’s data security advice for small organisations identifies data backups as a priority for maintaining security. Establish a backup routine that follows the 3-2-1 rule: keep 3 copies of your data, on 2 different types of storage media, with 1 copy stored offsite.

For cloud-based systems like Microsoft 365, backups happen automatically, but Microsoft’s backups protect against accidental deletion, not ransomware. Add a third-party backup layer like Veeam or Backblaze to ensure you can recover even if your cloud provider is compromised. For on-premises servers, schedule nightly backups to external storage.

Test your recovery process quarterly. Simulate a data loss scenario and measure how long it takes to restore. This practice reveals gaps before a real incident occurs.

4. How to Prevent Data Breaches in the Workplace

Data breaches rarely result from a single vulnerability. They typically chain together multiple weaknesses: an employee clicking a phishing link, unpatched software, weak access controls, and a lack of monitoring. Breaking that chain at any point prevents the breach.

Start with the human layer. According to the ICO’s guidance on small organisation IT security, small organisations should prioritise staff awareness of suspicious emails. A single phishing email can compromise your entire network if an employee enters their credentials into a fake login page.

Conduct monthly security awareness training. Show real examples of phishing emails. Test staff with simulated phishing campaigns and track which departments need additional training. This isn’t about blame, it’s about building a culture where security is everyone’s responsibility.

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Next, patch your software regularly. Attackers exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated systems. Enable automatic updates on all devices. For critical systems, schedule patches during maintenance windows to avoid disruption.

Finally, implement least-privilege access: employees should only access the data and systems required for their role. A finance team member doesn’t need access to customer databases. A warehouse worker doesn’t need access to financial records. This limits damage if an account is compromised.

5. Cyber Security Best Practices for SMEs

Small and medium-sized enterprises face a unique challenge: they have security needs comparable to larger companies but fewer resources to address them. The difference between a secure SME and a vulnerable one often comes down to prioritisation and consistency rather than budget.

Start by identifying your crown jewels, the data and systems that would cause the most damage if compromised. For an e-commerce business, that’s customer payment data and inventory systems. For a manufacturing firm, it’s design files and supply chain data. For a service business, it’s client contracts and financial records. Protect these first.

Implement role-based access controls. Document who needs access to what. Remove access when employees leave. Audit access quarterly to catch orphaned accounts. This takes time but prevents former employees or contractors from retaining access to sensitive systems.

Establish an incident response plan before you need it. Document what to do if you suspect a breach: who to contact, what to preserve, how to communicate with affected parties. Assign responsibility. Test it annually. When an incident occurs, a clear plan reduces panic and improves outcomes.

Consider cyber insurance. It won’t prevent breaches, but it covers forensic investigation, notification costs, and legal liability if customer data is exposed. For SMEs, this safety net is often more affordable than building an in-house security team.

6. UK GDPR Compliance Checklist for Small Business

The UK GDPR places specific obligations on businesses handling personal data. Non-compliance carries fines up to £17.5 million or 4% of annual turnover, whichever is higher. For small businesses, that’s existential.

Start with a data audit. Map where personal data flows through your business: customer databases, email systems, cloud storage, backups. Document what data you hold, where it’s stored, who can access it, and how long you keep it. This exercise alone reveals many gaps.

Next, ensure you have a lawful basis for processing each category of data. Consent is one option, but only if it’s freely given, specific, and informed. For customer data collected through a website, your privacy notice must clearly explain what you’re collecting and why. Many businesses fail here by using vague language or burying terms in lengthy policies.

Implement data subject rights. Under UK GDPR, individuals can request a copy of their personal data (a Subject Access Request, or SAR). You must respond within 30 days. Document your process for handling SARs.

7. Use Encryption and Secure Remote Access

Encryption converts readable data into an unreadable format that only someone with the correct key can decrypt. It protects data in two states: in transit (moving across networks) and at rest (stored on devices or servers).

8. Monitor and Classify Your Sensitive Data

You can’t protect what you don’t know about. Many organisations store sensitive data without realising it, customer records in old spreadsheets, financial data in shared folders, design files in email attachments. This sprawl creates risk.