January makes people rethink their bad habits — sugar, soda, Netflix at midnight.

Your business needs the same reset.

The difference? Your bad habits don’t show up on the scale. They show up as ransomware, lost data, angry clients, and expensive downtime.

At ILER Networking & Computing, we see the same small business IT security habits wreck companies over and over. The scary part isn’t that these habits are rare — it’s that they’re completely normal.

Here are six small business IT security habits you need to quit cold turkey if you want a safer, more profitable 2026.

1. Skipping Updates Because “We’re Too Busy”

Every skipped update is a door left unlocked.

Those Windows, copier firmware, firewall, and application updates aren’t just adding features. They’re closing holes attackers already know about.

The infamous WannaCry ransomware attack didn’t use magic hacking skills. It exploited a vulnerability Microsoft had patched months earlier. The companies that clicked “Remind Me Later” paid millions.

Fix the habit:
Set updates to install after hours or let your IT partner manage them silently. Automated patching is a core requirement of healthy small business IT security habits.

2. Reusing the Same Password Everywhere

Your favorite password isn’t strong — it’s exposed.

Credential-stuffing attacks take leaked email/password combos from breaches and try them everywhere: banking, payroll, email, accounting portals.

If one site is compromised, your entire digital life is compromised.

Fix the habit:
Deploy a password manager like Bitwarden, 1Password, or LastPass company-wide. One master password. Unique passwords everywhere else. This single change eliminates more breaches than almost anything else.

3. Sharing Passwords Over Email or Text

Every time someone emails a password, they create a permanent security leak.

That message lives in inboxes, backups, archives, and phones. When one account is hacked, attackers simply search for the word “password.”

Fix the habit:
Use the secure-sharing feature inside your password manager. No one ever sees the actual password, and access can be revoked instantly. This should be standard practice in all small business IT security habits.

4. Giving Everyone Admin Rights “Just to Get Work Done”

Admin rights are a hacker’s dream.

If an employee clicks a bad link while logged in as an admin, ransomware doesn’t need to fight — it owns the system.

Fix the habit:
Adopt the principle of least privilege. Users get only the access they need — nothing more. Admin rights become temporary and monitored, not permanent.

5. Living With “Temporary” Workarounds Forever

That little workaround from 2019 is now a critical business process no one understands.

These hacks slow everyone down, rely on tribal knowledge, and explode the moment something changes.

Fix the habit:
List every workaround your team relies on. Then eliminate them with proper systems and automation. This boosts productivity while strengthening your overall small business IT security habits.

6. Running Your Business on a Fragile Spreadsheet

One corrupted Excel file should not be able to cripple your entire operation.

Spreadsheets don’t have audit trails, real permissions, or reliable backups — yet they quietly become mission-critical.

Fix the habit:
Document the process the spreadsheet supports, then replace it with proper tools like CRMs, inventory platforms, and scheduling systems.

For examples of modern small-business platforms, check out Microsoft’s guide on business productivity tools: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/business

Why Small Business IT Security Habits Are So Hard to Break

These habits survive because they work — until they don’t.

The risk is invisible right up until the day everything locks up, payroll can’t run, or client data is exposed.

Good intentions don’t fix bad systems. Only better environments do.

That’s why the companies that succeed don’t rely on discipline — they redesign how their technology works so the safe behavior becomes the default.

How ILER Helps You Quit for Good

Our managed services are built to enforce smart small business IT security habits automatically:

• Company-wide password manager deployment

• After-hours patching and update management

• Controlled admin privileges

• Removal of unsafe workarounds

• Secure replacement of fragile spreadsheets

Learn more about our approach on our Small Business IT Services page here!

Ready to Fix the Habits Quietly Hurting Your Business?

Book a 15-minute discovery call and we’ll identify the bad habits holding your company back — no pressure, no jargon, just answers.

2026 doesn’t have to be another year of tech stress.