The SMB Security Baseline: What You Actually Need by Stage

Small businesses don't need enterprise security. That's not a compromising statement — it's a recognition that risk profiles differ. A 15-person manufacturing company and a 5,000-person enterprise face fundamentally different threat landscapes.

But "no enterprise security" doesn't mean "no security." Here's what we recommend at each stage.

5-20 Employees: The Essentials

• Multi-factor authentication on every cloud service
• Endpoint detection on every company device (EDR, not just antivirus)
• Encrypted password manager for shared credentials
• Automated backups with tested restoration
• Annual employee security awareness training

**Estimated annual cost: $3,000-8,000**

20-75 Employees: Build the Foundation

• Everything above, plus:
• Formal incident response plan (one page is fine)
• Vendor risk assessment process
• Network segmentation for sensitive systems
• Regular vulnerability scanning (quarterly minimum)
• Written access control and acceptable use policies

**Estimated annual cost: $8,000-25,000**

75-200 Employees: Operationalize

• Everything above, plus:
• Dedicated security ownership (even if it's a fraction of one role)
• Penetration testing annually
• SOC2 readiness assessment if selling to enterprise customers
• Continuous monitoring and alerting
• Change management and change documentation

**Estimated annual cost: $25,000-80,000**

The Mindset

Security maturity isn't about spending more — it's about spending intentionally. Every dollar should map to a specific risk. Our job is to help you identify those risks and build the program that addresses them without the enterprise overhead you don't need.