Security for businesses that aren't security companies
Most small-business incidents in East Tennessee aren't sophisticated. They're a stolen password with no MFA behind it, an invoice email that looked real, a laptop that hadn't been patched since spring, or a backup that turned out to be empty when the ransomware note appeared. The fix for all four is the same: a handful of layers, set up properly and kept up.
The layers Workflow IT puts in place
- Multi-factor authentication everywhere it matters. Email, remote access, banking and line-of-business apps. Enforced, not suggested.
- Endpoint detection and response. Modern endpoint protection that watches behavior, not just signatures, on every computer and server.
- Email security. Filtering for phishing and impersonation, plus the DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) that stop other people from sending mail as you.
- Patching on a schedule. Operating systems and the third-party apps attackers actually use to get in.
- Backups with tested restores. Local and off-site copies of what matters, and a periodic restore to prove they work.
- Password management. A business password manager so nobody is reusing the one from 2014.
- Security awareness training. Short, regular, non-condescending training and simulated phishing so staff recognize the obvious traps.
- Least privilege. Staff run as standard users. Admin rights are for administering.
Cyber-insurance questionnaires
If your insurer or a customer has sent you a security questionnaire, you've probably noticed it asks about exactly the list above: MFA, EDR, backups, patching, training. Workflow IT implements those controls and helps you answer the form accurately. If you're a subcontractor to a federal prime, particularly around Oak Ridge, the technical basics here are also most of what a NIST 800-171 self-assessment asks about.
Workflow IT is not a compliance auditor and doesn't certify anyone against a framework. If you need a formal assessment, we'll say so and point you to someone who does that work.
Security reviews for non-clients
You don't have to be on a managed plan to get a security review. A one-time review covers your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace configuration, endpoint protection, backups, remote access and the state of your firewall, and gives you a plain-English list of what to fix first.
Questions people ask about this
Is my business really a target?
Yes, because attacks are automated and don't care how big you are. Small businesses are targeted precisely because they tend to have weaker controls and pay ransoms to get back to work.
We already have antivirus. Isn't that enough?
Traditional antivirus catches known files. Modern attacks often use legitimate tools and stolen credentials, which is why endpoint detection and response, MFA and tested backups matter more than the antivirus brand.
Do you help with HIPAA?
Workflow IT implements the technical safeguards a medical or dental office needs, such as access controls, encryption, backups, logging and workstation security, and helps document them. Formal HIPAA risk assessments should be done by a compliance specialist, and we can point you to one.
What happens if we get hit anyway?
Isolate, restore and recover in that order. Clients with tested backups and endpoint protection typically lose hours rather than weeks. That's the entire argument for the layers above.
Not sure where you stand?
A one-time security review gives you a plain-English list of what to fix first.