TL;DR
Get privacy and security gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
NIST has released Small Business Cybersecurity: Non-Employer Firms, a plain-language guide for businesses whose only paid employee is the owner. It adapts NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 guidance into practical actions, including software updates, data backups and changing default passwords; the agency describes it as a starting point, not a complete solution for every business.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released a cybersecurity guide for businesses with one paid employee, aiming to give self-employed owners practical steps they can take without prior cybersecurity expertise. The publication, Small Business Cybersecurity: Non-Employer Firms (NIST Cybersecurity White Paper 50), adapts guidance from the agency’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 for a solo-business audience.
NIST describes a solopreneur as someone who is the sole paid employee of a business. The agency says more than 28 million U.S. small businesses fit that category and operate across every industry. The guide is written in plain language to introduce cybersecurity fundamentals and offer an actionable way to begin putting them into practice.
The publication recommends basic measures such as regularly backing up data and keeping software updated. Its central section presents selected Cybersecurity Framework actions, explaining why each matters, how an owner can get started and what additional steps may be appropriate as the business grows. The guide also points readers to related Framework sections and other resources.
One example addresses default passwords on devices such as Wi-Fi routers. NIST advises owners to review device security settings and replace manufacturer-assigned passwords with unique, strong ones. As a business expands, the guide suggests developing processes for managing devices and their passwords. Worksheets help users inventory assets and track actions taken; three hypothetical examples feature a lawyer, an artisan and a business consultant.
Practical Security for One-Person Firms
For a business without dedicated IT staff, security tasks can fall to the owner alongside daily operations. The guide’s value is its focus on steps that can be started with limited technical knowledge, rather than assuming a reader already knows cybersecurity terminology or how to apply a formal framework. That framing may help solo operators identify basic risks in the devices and data their work depends on.
The resource also links individual actions to a broader structure: NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0. This gives readers a path from basic protections toward more organized practices as their businesses change. NIST does not claim the guide can prevent every attack; it presents the measures as a foundation for reducing risk and planning further work.
Products Worth Considering
Philips Hue Secure Starter Kit with Contact Sensors, Motion Sensor, Bridge, and Color Smart Bulbs
Ring Alarm Pro 8-Piece Kit with Built-In eero Wi-Fi 6 Router
Bose S1 Pro+ All-in-One PA Speaker
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
A Narrower Update to Earlier Guidance
The new paper updates a previous NIST publication titled Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals (NISTIR 7621). NIST says the earlier document addressed small businesses of varying sizes and the wider subject of information security. The revised guide has a narrower focus: protecting digital systems from malicious attacks, with non-employer firms as its intended audience.
Although its recommendations draw on the Cybersecurity Framework, the new resource is designed for readers with no assumed familiarity with cybersecurity or the NIST CSF. NIST says it defines technical terms and supplies context, while directing readers to relevant Framework material and further resources when they want more detail.
“Because solopreneurs may not have cybersecurity expertise, we wanted to create a resource designed for them.”
— Daniel Eliot, NIST and one of the guide’s authors
Limits and Business-Specific Needs
NIST says the guide is not comprehensive and will not cover every solopreneur’s needs. The source material does not specify how much time or money an individual business would need to carry out the recommendations, or whether the steps will be sufficient for a particular company’s risks, regulatory obligations or technology.
The agency presents the examples as hypothetical use cases, not as evidence that following the guide prevents breaches. The publication offers general actions and ways to learn more, but owners may need additional help depending on the data they handle and the systems they use.
Owners Can Work Through the Guide
NIST’s publication is available as Cybersecurity White Paper 50. Its suggested path is to begin with the introductory material, identify relevant actions in the central section and use the worksheets to inventory assets and record progress. Readers can then consult the cited Cybersecurity Framework sections and additional resources for more detail.
NIST has not announced a future milestone or follow-up schedule in the supplied report. For individual business owners, the next step is to decide which recommendations apply to their operations and whether their circumstances call for further technical or professional support.
Key Questions
Who is the NIST guide intended for?
It is aimed at non-employer firms—businesses whose owner is the sole paid employee. NIST uses “solopreneur” for this audience.
What cybersecurity steps does it recommend?
Examples include backing up data regularly, keeping software updated and replacing default passwords on devices such as routers with unique, strong passwords.
Does the guide require knowledge of NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework?
No. NIST says the guide assumes readers have no prior familiarity with cybersecurity or the Framework, and provides explanations and references for those who want to learn more.
Does the guide cover every security need?
No. NIST describes it as a starting point and says it is not comprehensive. A business’s needs may depend on its operations, data and level of cybersecurity expertise.
Source: nist.gov
