Security for businesses that aren't security companies
Most small-business security problems in East Tennessee aren't Hollywood hacking. They're a stolen password, a fake invoice email that looked real, a computer that missed updates for months, or a backup that turned out to be empty when it was needed. The fix for all of them is the same: a few protective layers, set up properly and kept up.
How we protect your business
- A second lock on every important account. With two-step sign-in, a stolen password isn't enough because the thief also needs your phone. We turn it on for email, remote access, banking and your business apps, and we make it required, not optional.
- Security software that spots suspicious behavior. Modern protection on every computer that watches what programs actually do, not just whether they appear on a list of known viruses.
- Email filtering. Catches fake invoices and phishing, blocks people pretending to be you or your vendors, and stops others from sending mail that looks like it came from your company.
- Software updates on a schedule. Closing the gaps attackers use to get in.
- Backups you can count on. Copies kept on site and off site, plus regular practice restores to prove they work.
- A password manager for the whole team. So nobody is reusing the one from 2014.
- Short, friendly staff training. Quick lessons and practice phishing emails that teach people to spot the obvious traps, without talking down to them.
- Only the access people need. Staff work as regular users, and administrator access is kept for administering, so one bad click does far less damage.
Under the hoodThe technical names for these protections
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforced across email, remote access, banking and line-of-business apps.
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR) on every computer and server, watching behavior rather than relying on signatures alone.
- Email security: phishing and impersonation filtering, plus SPF, DKIM and DMARC DNS records to prevent spoofing of your domain.
- Patch management for operating systems and commonly exploited third-party applications.
- Backups with local and off-site copies and periodic test restores.
- Business password manager with shared vaults and enforced strong credentials.
- Security awareness training with simulated phishing campaigns.
- Least privilege: standard user accounts for staff, separate administrative accounts.
Cyber-insurance and customer security questionnaires
If your insurer or a customer has sent you a security questionnaire, you've probably noticed it asks about the same things as the list above: two-step sign-in, security software, backups, updates and training. Workflow IT sets those protections up and helps you answer the form accurately. If you're a subcontractor to a federal contractor, particularly around Oak Ridge, these basics are also most of what a NIST 800-171 self-assessment (the federal security standard for contractors) asks about.
Workflow IT is not a compliance auditor and doesn't certify anyone against a standard. 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 monthly plan to get a security review. A one-time review looks at your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace setup, the security software on your computers, your backups, how people connect remotely 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 protections and often pay to get back to work.
We already have antivirus. Isn't that enough?
Traditional antivirus only recognizes threats it has seen before. Modern attacks often use stolen passwords and legitimate tools, which is why two-step sign-in, behavior-based security software and tested backups matter more than the antivirus brand.
Do you help with HIPAA?
Workflow IT sets up the technical protections a medical or dental office needs, such as controlled access, encryption, backups, activity logs and secured workstations, 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?
Contain it, restore from backup, then recover, in that order. Clients with tested backups and good security software typically lose hours rather than weeks. That's the whole argument for the layers above.
Not sure how protected you are?
A short call is enough to find out where you stand and what to fix first.