The security market is full of products that are priced and designed for large enterprises. Small organisations need a different approach – fewer tools, lower complexity, and a focus on clear outcomes.
This article highlights categories of tools that can deliver strong value for small organisations without requiring a large budget or a full time security team.
1. Password managers
Password managers help staff maintain unique, strong passwords across many services.
- Encourage staff to store work related credentials in a company approved manager.
- Use shared vaults or collections where teams need to access common accounts.
- Integrate with SSO or MFA where available.
2. Endpoint protection
Modern endpoint protection goes beyond traditional signature based antivirus and adds behavioural and exploit detection capabilities.
- Deploy a consistent platform across your fleet rather than mixing free products.
- Use central management where possible to see the status of your devices.
- Ensure updates are applied automatically.
3. Backup tools and services
Backup tooling needs to be reliable and straightforward.
- Use tools that support both scheduled and on demand backups.
- Encrypt backups and store at least one copy offsite.
- Test restore on a regular basis, not only after incidents.
4. Email security and filtering
Email remains a primary vector for phishing and malware.
- Use the built in protections of your email platform or a dedicated secure email gateway.
- Enable advanced spam and phishing detection options where available.
- Monitor quarantine reports and adjust policies as needed.
5. Basic logging and monitoring
You do not need a full SIEM platform to gain value from logging.
- Enable logging on VPNs, admin portals, and key servers.
- Use simple dashboards or reports to track failed logins and unusual access patterns.
- Store logs for a reasonable period to support basic investigations.
6. Web application and network protection
For public facing sites and services, lightweight protection can make a real difference.
- Use content delivery networks or web application firewalls where appropriate.
- Enforce HTTPS and redirect all HTTP traffic to secure endpoints.
- Limit direct exposure of admin interfaces to the public internet.
Choosing fewer tools and using them well
The main risk for small organisations is not the absence of tools. It is the presence of too many poorly configured or unmanaged tools. The Baseline Security Sprint concentrates on selecting and configuring a small set of effective tools that align with your size, risk profile, and internal capacity.
Next step: if you would like an independent review of your current tool set with recommendations for consolidation and improvement, a structured assessment can provide a clear, vendor neutral action list.