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 that 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 pursuing compliance requirements, your cybersecurity strategy needs to support and change with 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, 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 smaller 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.