--- title: "Cybersecurity for Toronto Businesses: What Good Looks Like at 25–100 Employees" description: Discover essential cybersecurity standards for Toronto businesses with 25–=-100 employees. Assess your security posture and gain insights into best practices. image: https://blog.starport.ca/hubfs/Cybersecurity%20for%20Toronto%20Businesses.webp --- [Skip to content](https://blog.starport.ca/cybersecurity-for-toronto-businesses#main-content) [![Starport Managed Services](https://blog.starport.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Starport%20Logo.png?width=200&height=59&name=Starport%20Logo.png)Homepage](https://starport.ca) - [All Posts](https://blog.starport.ca) - [Back to Site](https://starport.ca) Get started - [All Posts](https://blog.starport.ca) - [Back to Site](https://starport.ca) Get started ![](https://blog.starport.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Cybersecurity%20for%20Toronto%20Businesses.webp?width=1200&height=797&name=Cybersecurity%20for%20Toronto%20Businesses.webp) Managed AI Hatz AI # Cybersecurity for Toronto Businesses: What Good Looks Like at 25–100 Employees ![Starport](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Starport October 13, 2026 "Are we secure?" It's a fair question for a business owner to ask. The problem is most don't have a clear answer. Nobody has told you what the bar should be. You probably have some security in place. Maybe antivirus on computers. Maybe passwords on accounts. Maybe some cloud services. But do you have enough? Is there a standard you should be meeting? How do you know if you're protected against threats? Security is marketed as either "you're fine" or "you're doomed," with nothing in between. Insurance companies, consultants, and vendors have their own benchmarks. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS) [publishes one that's public, free, and specifically designed](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/baseline-cyber-security-controls-small-and-medium-organizations) for small and medium organizations. If you run a [25–100-person business in Toronto](https://blog.starport.ca/managed-it-services-for-small-business-what-25-100-employee-companies-get), you have a responsibility to know what good security looks like. This guide defines it. More importantly, you get a checklist to score yourself against it. ## **What the Baseline Means** The CCCS baseline controls are designed to assist organizations with defending against common, high-impact cyber threats. They aren’t abstract best practices. They reflect weaknesses attackers look for, from [compromised passwords](https://blog.starport.ca/password-management-at-your-business) and unpatched software to broad access, untested backups, unsecured devices, phishing exposure, and limited visibility into suspicious activity. For a growing business, the baseline can be understood in three broad areas. **Foundation controls** are the basics of reducing avoidable exposure before something goes wrong. This includes having an incident response plan, [using multi-factor authentication](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/steps-effectively-deploying-multi-factor-authentication-mfa-itsap00105), hardening employee devices, and keeping software patched. These controls help the business prepare for the first steps of a cyber incident and minimize the chance a stolen password, outdated application, or unsecured laptop becomes an easy entry point. **Access and boundary controls** focus on who can access company systems and how the environment is protected. Employees should only have the access they need for their role, and that access should be removed quickly when someone leaves. Backups should be reliable and tested, [sensitive data](https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/) should be encrypted, and the network should have clear protections such as firewalls, DNS filtering, secure Wi-Fi, and separation between guest and employee access. **Detection and response controls** help the business identify suspicious activity and respond before a problem grows. Email and web filtering can lower phishing and ransomware exposure. Security awareness training helps employees recognize and report risks. Logging, monitoring, application controls, and secure mobility practices give the organization improved visibility into what is happening across devices, systems, and remote access. Taken together, the baseline controls create a clearer cybersecurity floor. They don’t make a business immune to attack, but they help reduce the most common risks and give leadership a more structured way to understand what is protected, what needs attention, and where stronger support may be required. ## **What Sits Above the Baseline** Once the baseline controls are in place, the next layer of cybersecurity becomes more specialized. The business may need stronger detection, more formal testing, clearer governance, or controls tied to its industry, contracts, or risk profile. At this stage, security is less about adding random tools and more about understanding where the organization needs deeper oversight. Advanced threat detection can help identify unusual activity after an attacker has entered the environment. Security testing, such as vulnerability scanning or penetration testing, can reveal weaknesses before they’re exploited. Threat intelligence can help the business recognize which risks are relevant to its sector or region. As the organization grows, [security decisions need more structure](https://blog.starport.ca/the-business-leaders-guide-to-creating-an-it-roadmap-that-supports-growth). Policies, assigned ownership, and documented review processes help leadership understand who is responsible for security decisions and how those decisions are being managed. Some businesses may also need sector-specific controls, especially if they handle sensitive data, operate in regulated environments, or have client contracts with additional security requirements. For a 25–100-person business, the baseline should come first. The next layer becomes relevant when the business handles more sensitive information, faces stronger compliance expectations, or needs to prove a higher level of security to clients, insurers, or partners. ## **Scoring Yourself: The Maturity Checklist** Use this checklist as a quick way to assess where your organization stands today. For each item, mark: **Yes:** in place, documented, and maintained **In Progress:** underway, with expected completion within 90 days **No:** not yet started ### **Foundation Controls** 1. [Incident response plan](https://www.cyber.gc.ca/en/guidance/developing-your-business-continuity-plan-itsap10005) exists and has been reviewed in the past 12 months 2. Multi-factor authentication is enabled for email and critical applications 3. Computers and laptops use full-disk encryption 4. Operating systems and key applications are patched on a regular schedule ### **Access and Boundary Controls** 1. User access is documented and reviewed at least annually 2. Employee access is removed on the day someone leaves 3. Critical data is backed up daily 4. Backup restoration has been tested in the past 12 months 5. Firewall, DNS filtering, and secure Wi-Fi controls are in place ### **Detection and Response Controls** 1. Email filtering blocks known malicious messages 2. Employees receive security awareness training at least annually 3. Security alerts, system logs, or endpoint warnings are reviewed by an internal team or external provider ### **How to Read Your Results** **10–12 Yes responses:** Your organization is at or near baseline. Focus on documentation, testing, and regular review. **6–9 Yes responses:** Some foundation controls are in place, but important risks remain. Prioritize the items marked No, especially MFA, patching, backups, and access removal. **Fewer than 6 Yes responses:** Start with incident response planning, MFA, patching, endpoint protection, access control, and backup recovery. ## **What Cyber Insurance Underwriters Are Looking For** Insurance companies have become specific about what they expect. They don't just ask, "Do you have cybersecurity?" They ask whether you meet baseline standards. Underwriters evaluate companies against frameworks like the CCCS baseline controls. They want evidence: logs showing patches have been deployed, backup test records, training completion documentation, and written incident response plans. Companies that can provide this documentation get approved faster and with better terms. Many companies have some controls in place but can't prove it when asked. Documentation is as important as the control itself. Insurance also evaluates your response capability. If a breach happens, can you respond quickly? Do you have a plan? Can you minimize damage? Underwriters increasingly ask about this. ## **The Importance of Your Service Desk Being in Canada** When a security incident happens, response speed is crucial. Minutes of lost access to systems, or of attackers moving through your network, compound damage. If your IT support desk is offshore, the time zone delay alone can cost hours during incident response. A team based in Canada knows Toronto business hours, understands the regional context, and can escalate within your time zone. Incident response also requires familiarity with your systems and people. Offshore support can add friction when you need speed. ## **What a Managed Security Engagement Covers Day to Day** If a business chooses managed cybersecurity services instead of building every security function in-house, the scope should be clear from the beginning. At a baseline level, managed security should cover the following: - **Monitoring and maintenance:** reviewing security alerts, managing patches, checking backups, and keeping endpoint protection current. - **Access and response:** setting up new users correctly, removing access quickly when employees leave, reviewing permissions, and following a defined incident response process when something suspicious happens. - **Training and compliance support:** delivering employee security awareness training, tracking completion, and helping leadership understand which requirements apply to the business. - **Regular review:** meeting quarterly to review security posture, discuss new risks, confirm what has changed, and adjust priorities. For many 25–100-person businesses, this is the starting point. As the organization grows, handles more sensitive data, or faces stronger client, insurer, or regulatory expectations, the scope may need to expand. ## **What Comes Next** Good security requires having a standard, measuring yourself against it, and maintaining what you put in place. The CCCS baseline controls give you that standard. Use the checklist to see where you stand. If you're not sure how to implement specific controls or want guidance on prioritization, a security assessment with a provider who knows Toronto businesses can map out a path forward. Starport offers 15-minute discovery calls to help you understand where you stand and what the next steps look like. No pitch, no assumptions about what you already have. Book a call and get clarity on your baseline. ## **Frequently Asked Questions** #### **How much do cybersecurity services cost?** Cybersecurity service cost depends on headcount, number of devices, if you need on-site support, your specific compliance requirements, and whether you need 24/7 monitoring or business-hours-only coverage. A conversation with a provider who understands your business is the only way to get an accurate number. Budget range varies significantly based on risk profiles and industry. #### **What if we're not at baseline yet?** Start with the controls marked "No" on the checklist. Prioritize incident response planning, MFA, automatic patching, and backup and recovery. These are foundational. Most organizations implement the full baseline within 90 days if they're focused. #### **Do we need managed security or can we do this ourselves?** Depends on your internal IT capacity. Baseline controls require ongoing maintenance and monitoring. If you have a full-time IT person, you can manage much of this. If IT is part-time or you don't have internal staff, managed security is more realistic. Many organizations do a hybrid model using managed monitoring and incident response, with internal staff handling user support and device management. #### **How often should we test backups?** Quarterly for critical systems. If you restore from backup and it works in under 24 hours, you're in good shape. If you've never done a restore test, schedule one immediately. #### **What's the difference between what underwriters expect and what customers expect?** They align more than they used to. Major customers and regulators now reference the same frameworks that insurance companies do. If you meet what underwriters ask for, you're also meeting what most clients will audit against. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.starport.ca%2Fcybersecurity-for-toronto-businesses](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fblog.starport.ca%2Fcybersecurity-for-toronto-businesses) ## Keep reading ### [![](https://blog.starport.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Co-Managed%20IT%20Services-How%20Your%20Internal%20IT%20Team%20and%20an%20MSP%20Split%20the%20Work.webp?width=1200&height=784&name=Co-Managed%20IT%20Services-How%20Your%20Internal%20IT%20Team%20and%20an%20MSP%20Split%20the%20Work.webp) Managed AI Hatz AI Co-Managed IT Services: How Your Internal IT Team and an MSP Split the Work](https://blog.starport.ca/co-managed-it-services-how-your-internal-it-team-and-an-msp-split-the-work) ### [![](https://blog.starport.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/What%20Business%20Leaders%20Should%20Look%20for%20in%20an%20Enterprise%20AI%20Tool.webp?width=1200&height=633&name=What%20Business%20Leaders%20Should%20Look%20for%20in%20an%20Enterprise%20AI%20Tool.webp) Managed AI Hatz AI What Business Leaders Should Look for in an Enterprise AI Tool](https://blog.starport.ca/what-business-leaders-should-look-for-in-an-enterprise-ai-tool) [![Starport Managed Services](https://blog.starport.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Starport%20Logo.png?width=200&height=59&name=Starport%20Logo.png "Starport Managed Services")](https://starport.ca) - Home - Products - Pricing - Blog - Company --- Privacy Policy · Legal · © 2025. 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