The Managed IT Checklist for Miami Small Businesses

Most small businesses do not need an enterprise IT department. They need the fundamentals done consistently, written down, and tested. In South Florida, that list has one extra item most of the country does not think about: hurricane season.

Use this checklist to see where your business stands. If you cannot confidently check an item, that is where to focus first.

1. Backups that follow the 3-2-1 rule

The 3-2-1 rule is simple:

• 3 copies of your data
• on 2 different types of media or systems
• with 1 copy offsite

In practice, that might be your production server, a local backup appliance or NAS, and an encrypted copy in the cloud or at a second location outside the region.

Checklist:

• Every critical system is backed up, including Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace mailboxes and files
• At least one copy is immutable or offline, so ransomware cannot encrypt it
• Restores are tested on a schedule, not just assumed to work
• Someone receives and reviews backup failure alerts

A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan.

2. Hurricane season readiness

From June through November, Miami-Dade businesses should assume that power, internet, or physical access to the office could be unavailable for days.

• UPS units on servers, firewalls, and network switches, with batteries replaced on schedule
• Servers configured to shut down gracefully when UPS battery runs low
• Offsite backups stored outside South Florida, not just across town
• Key systems reachable remotely: cloud email, VPN or zero-trust access, cloud phone system
• Equipment raised off the floor in flood-prone areas
• A written plan for who powers down what, and when, before a storm
• A contact list for staff, vendors, and your ISP that does not live only on the office server

After the storm, power often returns with surges and brownouts. Bring equipment back gradually and verify backups ran before resuming normal operations.

3. Multi-factor authentication everywhere

Stolen passwords remain one of the most common ways attackers get in. MFA blocks the large majority of those attempts.

• MFA on email and cloud productivity accounts for every user
• MFA on remote access, VPN, and administrator accounts
• MFA on banking, payroll, and domain registrar accounts
• Authenticator apps or hardware keys preferred over SMS codes where possible

4. Patching and updates

• Operating systems update automatically or on a managed schedule
• Third-party applications (browsers, PDF readers, accounting software) are patched too
• Firewall, switch, and Wi-Fi firmware is reviewed at least quarterly
• Devices running unsupported operating systems are identified and replaced

5. Device management

• An up-to-date inventory of laptops, desktops, phones, and who has them
• Full-disk encryption on every laptop
• Endpoint protection (EDR) installed and monitored, not just installed
• The ability to lock or wipe a lost device remotely
• A clear offboarding process: accounts disabled and devices recovered the same day an employee leaves

6. Documented vendors and accounts

When something breaks, the worst time to search for a login is during the outage.

• A list of every IT vendor: ISP, phone provider, software vendors, website host, domain registrar
• Account numbers, support contacts, and renewal dates
• Administrative credentials stored in a business password manager, not in a spreadsheet or one person's head
• Domain names registered to the business, with auto-renew enabled

7. Cybersecurity basics

• A business-grade firewall with current firmware and subscriptions
• Separate Wi-Fi networks for staff and guests
• Email filtering, plus SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configured for your domain
• Short, practical security awareness training for staff, including how to spot phishing
• A simple incident response plan: who to call and what to do first
• Least-privilege access, so users only have the permissions their job requires

How to use this list

Do not try to fix everything in one week. Start with backups and MFA, since they address the most common and most costly problems. Then work through hurricane readiness before June, and schedule the rest over the following months. What matters is that each item is done, documented, and reviewed periodically.

Get a second set of eyes

If you went through this list and found more open boxes than checked ones, you are not alone, and it is fixable. Book a free IT assessment and we will review your environment against this checklist and give you a clear, prioritized plan. We support businesses throughout Miami-Dade and South Florida, with remote support nationwide.