Your IT is probably fine. Until the day it is not, and by then it is already too late.
In February 2026 the Australian Signals Directorate’s cyber security centre joined CISA, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and others to warn about active exploitation of widely used business networking equipment. Those alerts were aimed at larger organisations, and the same attack methods are being used against small businesses right now.
The Australian Signals Directorate puts the average self-reported cost of a cybercrime report at $56,600 for a small business and $97,200 for a medium one, and small business costs rose 14 per cent in a year. Industry surveys released early in 2026 put the share of Australian small businesses that saw at least one attempted cyber incident in the previous 12 months at around 58%. Most owners did not see it coming.
Here are five signs your business might be more exposed than you think.
1. You are still using the same passwords from three years ago
If your team reuses passwords, relies on combinations like Summer2023, or has
not turned on multi factor authentication, the front door is wide open. Multi
factor alone blocks over 99% of automated account attacks, and it takes about
five minutes to switch on.
2. Your software has not been updated in a while
Out of date software is not just slow, it is a security hole. Unpatched systems turn up again and again in the 2026 advisories as the way in. If you are running old versions of Windows, your accounting software or your browser, you are exposed.
3. You have never actually tested your backups
“We back up to an external hard drive at the office.” That is not a backup strategy, it is a false sense of security. If ransomware hits, that drive gets encrypted along with everything else.
A proper backup is automated, held offsite, and tested regularly to confirm it works on the day you need it.
4. Everyone in your business has access to everything
If every staff member can reach every file, system and account, that is a problem waiting to happen. One click on a phishing email from a junior employee hands an attacker the keys to the whole operation. Restricting access to what each person actually needs is one of the simplest and most effective fixes in security.
5. You have never had a proper security review
When did somebody last actually look at your setup? Not “it seems to be working”, but a genuine review of vulnerabilities, access controls, software versions and backup status. For most small businesses on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane, the honest answer is never.
Three things you can do right now
- Turn on multi factor authentication across every account that supports it, especially email, banking and accounting software.
- Run your updates. Ten minutes today making sure Windows, your browser and your key business apps are current.
- Book a security review. Ask your IT provider when they last did a proper check of your systems. If they cannot answer clearly, that is your answer.
If you want a sense of where you stand before talking to anybody, the free two minute risk check scores your setup and ranks the gaps. The Security Snapshot is the thorough version of the same thing.
Need a security health check for your Gold Coast or Brisbane business? Coast IT makes it straightforward. Get in touch.