Most businesses schedule regular maintenance.
Vehicles receive oil changes.
Equipment is inspected.
Financial statements are reviewed.
Insurance policies are renewed.
Protecting your business deserves the same attention.
Setting aside time once a year to review your security practices helps ensure your people, processes, and technology continue to support the way your business operates today - not the way it operated several years ago.
You don’t need a lengthy audit.
You simply need a thoughtful review.
Review Your Password Practices
Start with one of the simplest questions:
Are our passwords still protecting our business?
Review whether your organization:
- Uses unique passwords for important accounts.
- Encourages employees to use password managers.
- Has eliminated unnecessary shared logins.
- Uses multi-factor authentication wherever available.
- Has updated passwords after employee departures or security concerns.
Small improvements here can strengthen every other layer of your security program.
Review Employee Access
As employees change roles, responsibilities often change as well.
Take time to confirm:
- Employees only have access to the systems they need.
- Former employees no longer have access.
- Administrative accounts are still appropriate.
- Shared accounts have been minimized.
- User permissions reflect current job responsibilities.
The goal is simple:
The right people should have the right access at the right time.
Review Your Vendors
Your vendor list changes over time.
Companies merge.
Contacts retire.
Banking information changes.
An annual review is a good opportunity to confirm:
- Vendor contact information is current.
- Banking instructions have been verified.
- Inactive vendors are removed.
- Approval procedures are still being followed.
- Key vendor relationships remain appropriate.
Accurate records support both efficiency and fraud prevention.
Review Your Banking Procedures
Your financial processes deserve regular attention.
Ask questions such as:
- Are payment approval limits still appropriate?
- Do wire transfer procedures still make sense?
- Are ACH changes independently verified?
- Have treasury management services changed?
- Do key employees understand current procedures?
Even small updates can improve consistency throughout the organization.
Review Your Insurance Coverage
As your business grows, your risks change.
Meet with your insurance professional to discuss whether your current coverage still aligns with your operations.
Topics may include:
- Cyber liability.
- Crime and fraud coverage.
- Business interruption.
- Equipment and property protection.
- Changes in business operations.
Insurance should evolve as your business evolves.
Review Employee Training
Employees remain one of your strongest layers of protection.
Take time to ask:
- Have new employees received security training?
- Are fraud discussions happening throughout the year?
- Do employees understand verification procedures?
- Does everyone know who to contact with concerns?
- Have we practiced responding to unusual situations?
Training isn’t measured by the number of presentations you give.
It’s measured by the confidence your employees have to make good decisions.
Create an Improvement List
As you complete your review, resist the temptation to fix everything at once.
Instead, identify a few practical improvements for the coming year.
For example:
- Enable multi-factor authentication on one additional system.
- Update vendor verification procedures.
- Review user permissions quarterly.
- Conduct a phishing awareness exercise.
- Update your business continuity contact list.
Small improvements completed consistently are more valuable than ambitious plans that never get started.
Make It an Annual Tradition
Choose a time each year to complete your review.
Some businesses schedule it:
- At the beginning of the year.
- Before budget planning.
- During strategic planning.
- Before renewing insurance policies.
The specific date matters less than making it a consistent habit.
Remember
The strongest businesses don’t wait for a problem before reviewing their security practices.
They make improvement part of the way they operate.
An annual review helps ensure your people, processes, technology, and trusted partnerships continue to support your business as it grows.
Protecting your business isn’t about becoming perfect.
It’s about becoming a little stronger every year.
Annual Security Review Checklist
Before you finish your review, ask yourself:
☐ Have we reviewed passwords and enabled multi-factor authentication where possible?
☐ Do employees have only the access they need?
☐ Have we reviewed vendor records and verified banking information?
☐ Are our payment approval and verification procedures still effective?
☐ Does our insurance coverage reflect our current business?
☐ Have employees received meaningful fraud and security education this year?
☐ Do we know who to call if something unexpected happens?
If you can confidently answer these questions, you’re well on your way to building a stronger, more resilient organization.
Need Help?
At First Bank of Berne, we believe annual reviews are one of the simplest ways to strengthen your business.
Whether you’re evaluating treasury management services, reviewing payment controls, or looking for practical fraud prevention guidance, we’re here to help you identify opportunities to protect your business today and prepare for tomorrow.