Why January is the best time to review your cybersecurity strategy

The New Year is all about reflection, planning and fresh starts, so it’s the perfect opportunity for businesses to review their cybersecurity strategies to ensure they’re well prepared for the ever-increasing threat from cybercriminal activity.

Cyber threats don’t reset in January, they’re constantly evolving. Cybercriminals are continuously thinking of new ways to access your network and steal your data by taking advantage of new developments that leave last year’s technology weak and vulnerable to compromise.

Phishing, ransomware and credential theft are very really threats to businesses of all sizes so reviewing your cybersecurity approach early is crucial for staying safe and secure in 2026.

What’s changed over the past year?

A great place to start your assessment is to consider how things have changed for your organisation over the past year. Have you taken on new staff? Issued new devices or rolled out new software?

If so, it’s important to check that all new staff have received the correct training on your cybersecurity best practices, how to safely use their tech and whether procedures have been put in place to ensure that software is updated as soon as it can be.

Have you made any remote or hybrid working changes? If employees are taking their computers home with them and accessing files from personal networks, it’s important that they have safe and secure means of doing so.

Reviewing the expiration date of policies, licenses and systems is also important so that you can ensure the processes and technologies that depend on them are up to date and the staff know how to use and follow them correctly.

New budget, new plan

The new year is also the time when most companies renew their budgets. Use this time wisely to plan your security spend for the year ahead. If you lack any significant IT support, it would be worth weighing up the potential cost of a reactive approach over a protective investment in managed IT support.

It can be very difficult to predict the kinds of problems you’re going to face with your technology and the cost of making them right. That’s where outsourcing your IT support to a managed service provider can help.

Managed IT support providers like us offer greater peace of mind as you benefit from a continuously monitored approach to your technology. Your network, software and user access are regularly reviewed, fixing problems before they disrupt productivity or cause downtime for your business; all for an affordable monthly fee.

Staff awareness after the Christmas break

It’s also important to consider staff mindset at the start of the new year. After a busy and often distracting Christmas break, employees may return to work less focused and slower to spot potential threats. This period also sees a rise in phishing attempts, creating ideal conditions for cybercriminals to exploit small lapses in judgement. Even minor mistakes, such as clicking a suspicious link, can quickly escalate into serious security issues for your business.

With this in mind, January is the perfect time to run refresher awareness training for your staff. Short courses or onscreen guidance help keep common strategies at the forefront of their minds, which help make cyberthreats easier to spot.

What should a cybersecurity review include?

To stand the best chance of protecting your business, staff and reputation this year, your cybersecurity review should include the following:

Email security and phishing protection – Email is still the most common way cybercriminals target businesses. Having the right protections in place helps block suspicious messages before they reach your inbox. It’s also important to check these systems are up to date and working properly on every device your team uses.

Patch management and updates – Regular updates ensure your software and technology works as it should and strengthens any weak areas that cybercriminals can take advantage of. Make sure these are regularly taking place, especially on any new devices or software.

Backup and disaster recovery – If your systems go offline or you’re suddenly unable to access your data, a reliable backup can help you recover quickly and keep disruption to a minimum. It’s important to make sure backups are running regularly and that you know how to access them if they’re ever needed.

Access controls and passwords – Access control should be central, simple and effective. Make use of password managers for easier management of credentials and check that only appropriate and approved staff members have administrative control.

Endpoint and network monitoring – Being aware of where your devices are and what’s happening on your network is important for spotting signs of unapproved access and avoiding downtime. Run an inventory check of all your devices and ensure that only those with approved access can use them. It also helps to have a system in place that looks for unusual activity or technical issues on your network.

The cost of waiting too long

We regularly see the impact of putting off a cybersecurity review. Technical issues and cyber threats can occur at any time, so having a clear plan in place early in the year helps prevent problems being overlooked as day-to-day priorities take over.

Without an effective cybersecurity strategy, businesses risk downtime, data loss, and potential financial or reputational damage. Taking preventative steps now, and knowing how you would respond if something did go wrong, is far more effective than reacting under pressure later on.

Achieve more with greater peace of mind

January is the best time to review your cybersecurity strategy and act on any vulnerabilities in your network. Getting this done at the beginning of the year ensures everyone can focus on achieving their objectives without concern or distraction.

A review of your strategy doesn’t have to be disruptive. When carried out systematically, with regular communication with those involved, it can be achieved in just a matter of days or weeks (depending on the size of your organisation).

If you’d like to know whether your cybersecurity strategy is fit to protect you from today’s most common threats, speak to our team on 0333 9000 100 or email info@forthtech.co.uk.

We have helped many organisations to improve their cybersecurity defences and achieve greater peace of mind with proactive, affordable and effective solutions.

Don’t give cybercriminals a way in, review your cybersecurity strategy today and help your business achieve more this year.