Cybersecurity Must-Haves in 2025

North Mondays Series: Episode 104

Protecting Your Digital Business

I know for a fact that you don’t leave your doors wide open at night, but what I don’t understand is why you’re leaving your business wide open for hackers and scammers alike. It’s 2025 and cybersecurity is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s essential. As long as you operate a business on Beyoncé’s internet, you’re exposed to daily risks.

From those who simply use WhatsApp Business to those with fully-fledged websites, teams in the cloud, customer data to protect, or online payments flowing in—everyone is a potential target. Every click, every login, every upload leaves a digital footprint. And unfortunately, not everyone who follows that trail has good intentions.

Times have changed. Cybercriminals are smarter and faster. But fear not—defense tools have evolved too. You just need to know how to use them properly.

What’s Getting Riskier

Gone are the days of noisy, obvious cyberattacks. These days, it’s giving “subtle thief in the night”. Modern attacks are silent, precise, and often go unnoticed until damage is done.

Common Threats in 2025:

• AI bots mimicking real users to bypass security
• Deepfake videos and calls, impersonating CEOs or vendors
• Ransomware, specifically targeting lean, busy teams
• Phishing emails that feel way too personal
• Supply chain attacks via innocent-looking plugins or browser extensions

Everyday Tools Now on the Risk Radar:

• Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Trello
• CRM platforms and customer support tools
• Online stores and payment gateways
• Employee devices—phones, tablets, and laptops
• Public Wi-Fi, outdated browsers, or insecure VPNs

One missed update. One forgotten setting. That’s all it takes for the wrong person to walk right in.

Your Team Is the Front Line

The truth is, most breaches aren’t caused by some elite hacker in a dark room. They happen because someone clicked the wrong link during lunch or used password123 for the fifth time.

Let’s face it:

• People still fall for suspicious links
• Weak passwords still make the rounds
• Clever impersonation still tricks staff

In 2024 alone, over 80% of data breaches were caused by human error. That stat won’t change unless we change how we train and prepare our teams.

Smart Security That Works for You

The best security setup in 2025? Quiet, smart, and always watching. It’s not about locking everything down and praying—it’s about creating a digital environment that sees trouble coming and deals with it before you even know something’s up.

Must-Have Tools:

Zero Trust Security
This isn’t paranoia; it’s policy. No device or user is trusted by default. Everyone and everything must prove itself, every time. It’s like asking for ID even if the person has a familiar face.

Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
All your devices–from your founder’s iPhone to your social media intern’s laptop–need watching. EDR tools patrol 24/7, isolate shady activity, and alert you fast enough to stop a threat in its tracks.

AI-Powered Threat Detection
You know how energy doesn’t lie? These tools pick up on the suspicious patterns, strange behavior, login attempts that don’t feel right. Services like CrowdStrike or Microsoft Defender are your sixth sense in the digital space.

Passwordless Access & MFA
We’re done with remembering 12-character passwords. Use biometrics or device-based access, and always layer it with Multi-Factor Authentication. It’s like having a secret knock and a password and a bouncer.

Ongoing Security Training
Monthly phishing drills. Real-life case studies. Quick, relatable videos. The point is to make cybersecurity normal—not a one-time seminar that gets forgotten.

Cloud Backups & Offline Storage
Don’t just back up. Back up smart. Encrypt your data. Store copies offline—away from your main system. Because if a hacker gets into your cloud and that’s all you’ve got, well… that’s a heartbreak waiting to happen.

What You Should Be Doing Now

Build a Security Culture
Cybersecurity isn’t just IT’s little problem. It’s a whole-company mindset.

• Make it part of onboarding
• Talk about real breaches and what they teach
• Include updates in team meetings and reports

Monitor Constantly

• Use tools that show you what’s happening now, not just what happened yesterday
• Log every login. Every update. Every permission change.
• Get alerts when something looks off

Back Up and Test Recovery

• Daily encrypted backups. External and secure.
• Run recovery drills. Don’t just assume your system will work
• Make sure everyone knows what to do when (not if) something goes wrong

Manage Vendor Risks
Vendors can open doors to your systems without meaning to.

• Request certifications (yes, even your cousin’s hosting company)
• Limit their access to what’s strictly needed
• Ask what their own breach plans look like

Bring in Experts When Needed

• Hire a virtual CISO if you can’t afford a full-time one
• Run penetration tests with ethical hackers
• Get annual third-party audits for a fresh perspective

Questions to Ask Your Team

These aren’t “IT team” questions. These are “survival of your business” questions:

• What connects to our systems?
• Who really has admin access?
• How quickly would we know if we were breached?
• How long would recovery take?
• Do we even have a breach response plan?

If you can’t answer these confidently, now’s the time to change that.

Take Action This Week

You don’t need a million-dollar cybersecurity budget. You just need intentional moves:

• Update all security tools
• Delete unused apps or old plugins
• Run a phishing test
• Introduce a password manager across your team
• Turn on multi-factor authentication for everything
• Review all vendor contracts for data protection clauses
• Add cybersecurity to your next team meeting agenda

North Mondays is where we sharpen our thinking and protect our progress.

From fintech startups losing millions to e-commerce brands getting hacked through simple phishing emails—we’ve seen how fast things can spiral when security is an afterthought.

This isn’t about fear.
It’s about readiness.

This Week’s Question

What’s one move you’re making this year to secure your digital hustle?

Let’s share, learn, and stay two steps ahead.