End-of-Year Security Awareness 2025

Why December Matters

Why December Is the Best Time to Review Security

By the time December rolls around, most businesses have spent the entire year adding tools, onboarding and offboarding employees, making changes, and putting out fires. A lot changes over 12 months—and a lot of small risks go unnoticed.

1

Small Issues Build Up Quietly

Old accounts, missed updates, new apps, and changed settings can slowly introduce risk. You may not notice them day-to-day—but attackers do.
2

December Is the Natural Pause

As the year winds down, there’s finally a window to review, clean up, and prepare for the next year—without the same level of daily urgency.
3

A Clean Start to 2026

A Year-End Security Check makes sure you don’t carry hidden problems into 2026. It’s IT spring cleaning… before the storms arrive.

What a Year-End Check Is (and Isn’t)

It isn’t a sales audit or a finger-pointing exercise. It’s a structured, practical review that gives owners and managers a clear picture of risk.

The goal: turn something big and vague—“cybersecurity”—into something concrete, understandable, and manageable.

What We Review

What a Year-End Security Check Actually Includes

A proper review focuses on the areas that matter most to everyday businesses—not just to large enterprises.

Accounts & Passwords

We look for old user accounts, weak passwords, shared logins, and admin access that should be locked down or removed.

Updates & Devices

We verify that servers and workstations are receiving critical updates, and flag unsupported or aging devices that increase risk.

Network & Firewalls

We review firewall rules, open ports, and exposed systems so you know what the outside world can actually reach.

Backups

We confirm that backups are running successfully and that there are recent restore points—before you ever need them.

External Vulnerabilities

We scan for openings attackers could use and highlight issues that should be fixed sooner rather than later.

Shadow IT & Apps

We look for unapproved apps, forgotten cloud tools, and personal software that has quietly become “business-critical.”

Real-World Findings

The Most Common Issues We Found in 2025

None of these examples are theoretical. They’re all based on real issues we’ve seen this year—with identifying details removed.

Former Employees Still Had Access

In one environment, four accounts from past employees were still active—with full access to files and systems.

Deprovisioning is easy to overlook, especially in busy seasons. A Year-End Check helps catch what slipped through.

Critical Updates Were Months Behind

Several workstations had not installed security patches in over 70 days, leaving well-known vulnerabilities wide open.

It’s not about blame—it’s about spotting gaps and getting them corrected quickly.

A Firewall Rule Exposed a Service

A temporary rule put in place for testing was never removed, unintentionally exposing a system to the internet.

Regular reviews catch these “set it and forget it” changes before they become real problems.

Backups Had Quietly Failed

In one case, a backup had not run successfully in over 40 days. Thankfully, we caught it during a review—not during a crisis.

The best time to discover a backup issue is during a routine check, not when you’re depending on it.

Practical Steps

Your End-of-Year Security Checklist

If you do nothing else this December, working through this list will dramatically reduce risk for most small and mid-sized businesses.

✓Remove old user accounts and revoke access for anyone who left the organization.
✓Enforce stronger password requirements and enable multi-factor authentication where possible.
✓Update all workstations and servers with the latest security patches.
✓Verify that backups have run successfully and that you have recent restore points.
✓Review firewall rules and remove any temporary or unused exposures.

✓Check admin and shared accounts to ensure they’re truly necessary and properly secured.
✓Identify unapproved or “shadow” apps in use and decide whether to formalize or retire them.
✓Document key changes made to systems and security during 2025.
✓Note any aging hardware that should be replaced or upgraded in 2026.
✓Review cybersecurity insurance requirements and make sure your controls match what’s required.

Looking Ahead

Preparing Your Business for 2026

Once the cleanup is done, December is the perfect time to make a simple, realistic plan for the coming year.

Plan Replacements Early

Identify systems that are nearing end-of-life and schedule replacements before they fail in the middle of a busy season.

Align with Insurance & Compliance

Many carriers and regulations now expect MFA, logging, and regular testing. Confirm where you stand before renewals.

Schedule Regular Reviews

Even one or two additional check-ins during the year can significantly reduce surprises and emergency calls.

Optional Help

Want Help Running Your Year-End Security Check?

If your business would like a structured Year-End Security Review, we can run the checks for you and provide a plain-English report of what looks good, what needs attention, and what to plan for in 2026.

Most reviews take less than a day, and you’ll walk away with a practical, prioritized roadmap—not a pile of jargon.

Request a Year-End Security Review

Your December Year-End Security Check
for a Safer 2026