Surrey’s business community is under increasing pressure to strengthen digital resilience. The county’s economic mix – professional services, healthcare, manufacturing, property, retail and public-sector organisations – makes it an attractive target for attackers who see SMEs as easier entry points into wider supply chains.
Investing in stronger protection is no longer optional; it is a commercial necessity. The following ten steps outline how organisations across the region can uplift their defences with a structured, business-led approach to cyber security for Surrey businesses.
1. Conduct a comprehensive security audit
Every improvement plan starts with clarity. A full security audit identifies weaknesses across networks, devices, user accounts, cloud platforms and operational systems. For Surrey businesses that have grown quickly or adopted hybrid working, audits often reveal legacy gaps—unused accounts, unpatched servers, unmonitored applications or unmanaged endpoints.
Working with a local specialist in cyber security for Surrey ensures the review reflects the threat landscape facing organisations in the county, including rising phishing attempts and targeted social-engineering attacks.
An audit not only highlights risks but provides prioritisation. This ensures budgets are deployed where they achieve the greatest risk reduction, supporting stronger board-level decision-making.
2. Strengthen access controls and identity protection
Compromised credentials remain one of the biggest contributors to breaches. Multi-factor authentication should be enforced across all business-critical systems, especially Microsoft 365, CRM platforms, finance tools, remote desktop gateways and VPNs.
Surrey-based organisations operating in regulated sectors should go further by adopting conditional access policies that restrict logins by location, device type or risk level.
Zero trust principles—verifying every access request rather than relying on implicit trust—are increasingly vital as teams work from home, coworking spaces or client sites across the county. Implementing identity governance also prevents privilege creep, where long-serving staff retain permissions they no longer need.
3. Apply robust patching and system updates
Unpatched software offers attackers a direct route into your organisation. Automated patch management ensures servers, endpoints, network hardware and cloud applications remain protected against the latest vulnerabilities. For businesses with limited internal IT capacity, outsourcing patch cycles is a sensible step, ensuring updates are applied consistently without disrupting operations.
Surrey organisations using operational technology, manufacturing equipment or building management systems should audit firmware and embedded devices too. These often fall outside standard update routines, leaving hidden risk exposure.
4. Upgrade endpoint protection and deploy MDR
Traditional antivirus tools are no longer sufficient. Modern threats require active detection capable of analysing behaviour, identifying anomalies and isolating compromised devices.
For organisations that need 24/7 oversight, Managed Detection and Response (MDR) offers expert-led monitoring, incident investigation and rapid action. MDR is particularly valuable for Surrey SMEs that cannot justify an in-house security operations team but still require round-the-clock protection.
When combined with advanced logging, MDR becomes a powerful foundation for cyber security Surrey businesses can rely on to counter ransomware and insider threats.
5. Bolster email and collaboration security
Email remains the number one attack vector. Deploying layered email security—AI-driven filtering, impersonation detection, attachment sandboxing and real-time link scanning—significantly reduces the risk of malicious content reaching users.
Surrey organisations using Microsoft 365 should activate features such as Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing policies. Collaboration platforms like Teams and SharePoint should also be governed with strict sharing controls.
This step is fundamental given the prevalence of invoice fraud, CEO impersonation and business email compromise attempts targeted at companies in the region.
6. Train staff to recognise modern cyber threats
Human error continues to be the weakest link. Regular security awareness training ensures employees understand the latest tactics used by attackers, including spear phishing, social engineering, malicious adverts and fraudulent phone calls. Simulated phishing exercises help identify training gaps and reinforce good habits.
Surrey’s service-driven economy means many organisations manage sensitive customer or financial information. Equipping staff with practical skills—spotting suspicious requests, reporting incidents promptly, using strong passwords, and avoiding risky downloads—directly supports regulatory compliance and reduces organisational risk.
7. Implement network segmentation and advanced firewall policies
Flat networks allow attackers to move freely once they gain access. Segmenting networks by department, function or sensitivity prevents lateral movement and helps contain breaches. Modern next-generation firewalls provide deep inspection, threat intelligence integration and intrusion prevention capabilities.
Surrey businesses operating across multiple sites—from Guildford to Epsom to Woking—benefit from centralised firewall management, allowing consistent rule enforcement and rapid response to emerging threats.
For teams using cloud infrastructure, virtual firewalls and secure landing zones offer similar segmentation benefits.
8. Secure mobile devices and remote working environments
Remote and hybrid working has reshaped security requirements. Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions ensure laptops, smartphones and tablets connecting from homes, coffee shops or coworking spaces comply with security policies.
Key controls include device encryption, enforced screen lock, remote wipe capabilities and restricted access to sensitive data on unmanaged devices. Given the number of small professional services businesses across Surrey, protecting consultant and contractor devices is critical to maintaining customer trust and meeting client-driven compliance obligations.
9. Establish backups and a formal incident response plan
Reliable backups provide the strongest safety net against data loss, ransomware, or operational disruption. Surrey organisations should follow the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of data, on two different media, with one stored off-site or in the cloud.
Pairing backups with a tested incident response plan ensures that, when an attack occurs, teams know exactly how to react. This includes defined roles, communication protocols, forensic steps and recovery procedures. Fast, coordinated response can be the difference between a manageable disruption and a costly operational shutdown.
Incident response rehearsals—tabletop exercises—help validate readiness and build confidence across the organisation.
10. Partner with a specialist in cyber security for Surrey
Many small and mid-sized organisations lack the internal expertise or bandwidth to manage every aspect of cyber security. Partnering with a Surrey-focused specialist provides access to threat intelligence, sector-specific insight and certified technical expertise.
A trusted provider can deliver ongoing monitoring, compliance support, penetration testing, risk assessments and security strategy development. This ensures cyber protection remains aligned with business objectives, legislative requirements and local threat trends.
For Surrey’s competitive business environment, this partnership approach ensures sustained resilience without the overheads associated with building an internal security function.
Why These Steps Should Matter For Security-Conscious Surrey Businesses
Cyber threats evolve constantly, and attackers increasingly target smaller organisations that lack enterprise-grade defences.
The county’s economic profile – rich in supply chain connections and professional service firms 0- creates high-value targets with limited internal protection. Adopting a structured, multi-layered approach positions businesses to operate with greater confidence, reduce operational risk and demonstrate due diligence to clients, regulators and insurers.
Strengthened cyber resilience also enhances customer trust, supports digital transformation initiatives and reduces the likelihood of costly downtime. By investing in cyber security Surrey organisations are not only protecting data but safeguarding service continuity, financial stability and brand reputation.
Akita delivers cyber security for Surrey businesses to increase their resilience and proactively remove reduce threats. Get in touch for more:
