8 Security Mistakes Businesses Make at the Start of the Year

January represents a reset for most businesses. New revenue goals are set, budgets are finalized, employees are onboarded, and strategic initiatives kick off. But while leadership teams focus on growth, one critical area is often overlooked: security.

The beginning of the year is actually one of the most active periods for criminals—both cyber and physical. Attackers know organizations are busy planning, staffing, and catching up after the holidays. That distraction creates opportunity.

This post explores the most common security mistakes businesses make at the start of the year—and more importantly, how to correct them before they turn into costly incidents.

The “New Year” Trap: Why Vulnerability Spikes in Q1

Surviving the holiday rush can create a false sense of security. In reality, Q1 introduces unique risks. Employees return from time off with reduced vigilance, IT teams are buried in backlogged requests, and systems often go weeks without updates.

This combination leads to overlooked permissions, delayed patches, and gaps in both cyber and physical security. Ignoring these risks isn’t just an IT issue—it’s a business continuity issue.

1. Rolling Over Outdated Access Privileges

One of the most common security mistakes businesses make is failing to review and clean up user access at the start of the year.

Over the past year, employees may have changed roles, contractors may have completed projects, or staff may have left the organization entirely. Yet their credentials often remain active.

The Risk of “Permission Creep”

Permission creep occurs when users accumulate access rights they no longer need. If one of these accounts is compromised, attackers gain unnecessary access to sensitive systems and data.

Actionable Tip:
Conduct a January access audit. Apply the principle of least privilege and immediately deactivate accounts that are no longer required.

2. Delaying Software Updates After the Holidays

Postponed updates are one of the easiest ways attackers gain access to business systems. Many organizations push off updates in December due to year-end deadlines—and forget to revisit them in January.

Security patches exist for a reason: to fix known vulnerabilities that criminals are already exploiting.

Actionable Tip:
Enable automatic updates whenever possible. Schedule mandatory patching early in the month for all operating systems, applications, and firmware.

3. Treating Employee Security Training as “One and Done”

Security awareness training is not a box to check once a year. Threats evolve rapidly, and today’s phishing attacks are far more convincing than those employees saw last year.

Attackers now use AI-generated emails, spoofed executive communications, and even deepfake voice messages.

Your Human Firewall Matters

Employees are your first line of defense. A single click can bypass even the most advanced technical safeguards.

Actionable Tip:
Replace annual training with short, monthly micro-training sessions and regular phishing simulations to keep security top of mind.

4. Keeping Weak Password Policies from Last Year

Despite constant warnings, weak passwords remain a leading cause of breaches. Businesses that fail to enforce strong password standards—or skip multi-factor authentication entirely—leave the door wide open.

Why MFA Is Non-Negotiable

Multi-factor authentication blocks the vast majority of account compromise attempts by adding a critical second layer of verification.

Actionable Tip:
Require MFA for all business systems. Encourage passphrases instead of short, complex passwords to improve security and usability.

5. Ignoring Mobile Device Security

New year, new devices. Employees often connect new phones, tablets, and laptops to business systems without IT approval or security controls.

Unmanaged devices can introduce malware, expose sensitive data, and create blind spots for your security team.

Actionable Tip:
Implement a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to enforce encryption, updates, and remote wipe capabilities on all devices accessing company resources.

6. Overlooking Parking Lot and Exterior Security

Security doesn’t stop at your firewall—or your front door. Parking lots, garages, and exterior areas are among the most frequently overlooked vulnerabilities at the start of the year.

Poor lighting, blind spots, and unmonitored activity make parking areas prime locations for theft, vandalism, vehicle break-ins, and employee safety incidents. Criminals often use parking lots for reconnaissance before targeting buildings, employees, or assets inside.

Why Parking Lots Matter

Incidents that occur outside your building can still result in liability, downtime, and reputational damage. Inadequate exterior security also impacts employee safety and customer confidence.

Actionable Tip:
Evaluate parking lot lighting, camera coverage, and access control. Proactive video monitoring, AI-enabled analytics, and visible deterrents can stop incidents before they escalate.

7. Failing to Test Your Backups

Having backups is not enough—you must know they work.

Businesses frequently discover too late that their backups are incomplete, corrupted, or too slow to restore during a ransomware or system failure.

Follow the 3-2-1 Rule

Maintain three copies of your data, on two different media types, with one stored offsite.

Actionable Tip:
Run a recovery test early in the year. Document how long restoration takes and fix any failures immediately.

8. Overlooking Vendor Security

Your security posture is only as strong as your weakest vendor. Payroll providers, cloud platforms, and marketing partners often have access to sensitive data—and may not follow the same security standards you do.

Actionable Tip:
Review vendor security practices annually. Request documentation such as SOC 2 or ISO certifications and reassess partnerships that fail to meet your standards.

Building a Strong Security Culture for the Year Ahead

Correcting these mistakes isn’t just about technology—it’s about mindset. Security should support growth, not slow it down.

By addressing these common vulnerabilities at the start of the year, you establish a culture of accountability, resilience, and preparedness that protects your business long-term.

January Security Checklist

• Audit user access and remove outdated permissions

• Apply all system and software updates

• Launch monthly security awareness training

• Enforce multi-factor authentication

• Secure mobile and remote devices

• Test backup and recovery systems

• Assess parking lot and exterior security

• Review third-party vendor risk

Don’t let preventable oversights derail your year before it truly begins.

Ready to strengthen your security posture for the year ahead? Contact our team today for a comprehensive security assessment and start the year with confidence.