---
title: "Before You Pay: 5 Free Cybersecurity Checks Every Ohio Company Should Take"
description: Discover five free cybersecurity checks Ohio businesses should leverage before investing in tools or consultants to enhance their security posture and minimize risks effectively.
image: https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Before%20You%20Pay%205%20Free%20Cybersecurity%20Checks%20Every%20Ohio%20Company%20Should%20Take.jpeg
---

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[Knowledge Hub](https://blog.securafy.com) / IT Operations

IT Operations

# Before You Pay: 5 Free Cybersecurity Checks Every Ohio Company Should Take

Discover five free cybersecurity checks Ohio businesses should leverage before investing in tools or consultants to enhance their security posture and minimize risks effectively.

![Jillian O.](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Jillian%20Oco-1.png) By Jillian O. Updated Aug 2025 8 min read Share [**](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https://blog.securafy.com/before-you-pay-5-free-cybersecurity-checks-every-ohio-company-should-take) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.securafy.com/before-you-pay-5-free-cybersecurity-checks-every-ohio-company-should-take&text=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EBefore+You+Pay%3A+5+Free+Cybersecurity+Checks+Every+Ohio+Company+Should+Take%3C%2Fspan%3E) [**](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3EBefore+You+Pay%3A+5+Free+Cybersecurity+Checks+Every+Ohio+Company+Should+Take%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https://blog.securafy.com/before-you-pay-5-free-cybersecurity-checks-every-ohio-company-should-take)

Before committing budget to tools, consultants, or compliance software, Ohio businesses should first take advantage of free, high-value cybersecurity assessments available online.

Why? Because the smartest investment is an *informed* one.

These five no-cost cybersecurity checks — including one from Securafy — offer real insights into your risk exposure, vulnerabilities, and compliance gaps. Whether you’re running a healthcare clinic, a manufacturing firm, or a law office, these tools give you visibility *before* you pay for solutions.

## 1. **Securafy’s Free Cybersecurity Risk Assessment**

🔗 [www.securafy.com/free-cybersecurity-assessment-ohio](https://www.securafy.com/free-cybersecurity-assessment-ohio)

Securafy’s free and confidential assessment is built specifically for Ohio-based small and mid-sized businesses. Unlike automated scanners, this assessment is guided by experts who understand the business, regulatory, and operational risks that matter to SMBs.

What’s included:

- **Dark Web Exposure Scan**  
  Checks for compromised employee credentials, sensitive data, and customer records being traded on the dark web. For industries like healthcare or legal, this could include patient data or confidential contracts — already in circulation without your knowledge.
- **Infrastructure & Endpoint Security Review**  
  Evaluates how well your systems are protected against external attacks (malware, ransomware, brute-force) and internal risks (access misuse, weak policies).
- **Ransomware Readiness**  
  Assesses backup procedures, recovery timelines, and resilience against ransomware events. For Ohio manufacturers and service providers, downtime here can mean tens of thousands in lost revenue.
- **Compliance Gap Analysis**  
  Reviews current posture against standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, Ohio’s Data Protection Act, and more — with actionable advice to close any gaps.
- **Financial Risk & Liability Report**  
  Delivers a cost-of-breach estimate specific to your industry, size, and systems — a powerful tool for budgeting and executive alignment.

Best for: Ohio SMBs in regulated industries or with sensitive client data who want a clear, expert-led view of where they stand.

## 2. **CISA’s Free Cybersecurity Services & Tools**

🔗 [www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/free-cybersecurity-services-and-tools](https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/free-cybersecurity-services-and-tools)

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offers a growing catalog of free tools and services designed to harden critical infrastructure — many of which are directly applicable to SMBs.

Key offerings include:

- **Vulnerability Scanning for External Assets**  
  CISA will scan your web applications, IPs, and email domains to identify vulnerabilities known to be exploited in the wild.
- **Phishing Campaign Assessment**  
  Simulated phishing attacks to test employee readiness. You receive a full report on who clicked, opened, or engaged — without impacting your systems.
- **Remote Penetration Testing (by request)**  
  For eligible organizations, CISA offers free, professional-grade penetration testing that mimics attacker behavior.
- **Cyber Hygiene Services**  
  Includes continuous vulnerability detection and misconfiguration alerts sent directly to your inbox.

Best for: Public sector orgs, nonprofits, or SMBs operating in healthcare, logistics, food supply, or energy sectors — especially if they support critical functions in the state.

## 3. **Black Kite Free Cyber Risk Rating**

🔗 [www.blackkite.com/free-cyber-rating](https://blackkite.com/free-cyber-rating/)

Black Kite offers a third-party risk scoring platform used by many enterprise security teams — and their free cyber risk rating provides small businesses a window into that same intel.

What you’ll get:

- **Technical Risk Score**  
  Using open-source intelligence, Black Kite assesses your business’s external cyber hygiene, including expired SSLs, open ports, outdated software, and email security controls.
- **Compliance Mapping**  
  Rates your business’s apparent alignment with frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and GDPR — useful for vendors and subcontractors who need to prove compliance.
- **Financial Impact Estimation**  
  Quantifies the potential cost of a successful breach on your business — giving your leadership team the data it needs to justify investments.
- **Third-Party Risk Benchmarking**  
  See how your business compares to others in your industry, based on publicly observable risk indicators.

Best for: Any Ohio business in a supply chain role (especially manufacturing or logistics), or those with insurance or contract compliance obligations that require risk scores.

## 4. **KnowBe4’s Free Cybersecurity Tools**

🔗 [www.knowbe4.com/free-cybersecurity-tools](https://www.knowbe4.com/free-cybersecurity-tools)

KnowBe4 is best known for its security awareness training platform — but its free tools are a goldmine for small businesses who want to understand their human risk.

Top tools include:

- **Phishing Security Test**  
  Send a simulated phishing campaign to your team and get instant reporting on who clicked and why. Great for identifying training gaps.
- **Email Exposure Check**  
  Scans publicly available data to show how many of your company’s email addresses have been harvested or published — often used in targeted attacks.
- **Domain Spoof Test**  
  See if attackers can spoof your email domain — a key precursor to business email compromise (BEC).
- **Password Exposure Check** (via browser extension)  
  Allows employees to quickly test if their passwords have been leaked — without sending data to a third party.

Best for: Any organization looking to reduce human error risk — especially law firms, accounting practices, or service providers who rely on email for client communications.

## 5. **Ohio State University’s Small Business Cybersecurity Training**

🔗 cdme.osu.edu/sba

OSU’s Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence offers free cybersecurity education through a partnership with the Small Business Administration. It’s a self-paced, online program tailored for business owners, not IT professionals.

What the training covers:

- Core cybersecurity principles every SMB needs to understand
- Real-world Ohio-specific threat scenarios and business impacts
- How to implement basic safeguards without large budgets
- Simple frameworks for managing vendor and employee access risks

Participants also get access to supplemental checklists, resource guides, and referrals to state-backed cybersecurity services.

Best for: First-time business owners, startup founders, or internal leaders looking to build foundational knowledge in a structured format.

## Free First, Then Forward

Every Ohio business — whether regulated, customer-facing, or B2B — has something to lose from a cyber incident. The good news? You don’t need to spend to start securing your operations.

Start with these five no-cost assessments. They’ll help you:

- Identify blind spots
- Justify budget to decision-makers
- Build a roadmap toward resilience

**Then, when you’re ready to take action, start with a trusted local partner.**

Ohio businesses looking for reliable technology support choose Securafy. We provide [Compliance Services](https://www.securafy.com/compliance-services-ohio), [CISO-level strategy](https://www.securafy.com/cto-ciso-services-ohio), [Cybersecurity Protection](https://www.securafy.com/cybersecurity-services-ohio), and [Infrastructure Support](https://www.securafy.com/infrastructure-service-ohio). Find out more on our [Ohio IT Services page](https://www.securafy.com/it-services-ohio).

Securafy’s free risk assessment goes deeper — combining threat intel, technical findings, compliance checks, and strategic insight into one confidential, zero-pressure report.

 

[![Claim Your Free Cybersecurity Assessment](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/46124718/interactive-182016326765.png) ](https://blog.securafy.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKov8t%2Bsl%2BnYizQR5kTwqS2UcWB2sIoTQvRIweIlVNOVoi%2B6Y%2BNaSQ5TtnTHUxzMHepuyHKrZtljdFLM6GdluKKXg0Hvan07toe0KLLklSB%2FCiCcUtgM31MdP%2BlxMdyrui%2FXpgoFh7ViXLoiT4h3aRPi8RIZcvI9VnRJBXz0GaeyM7Cbc2nOP8C6XqIvYW%2F&webInteractiveContentId=182016326765&portalId=46124718)

Tagged Under IT Operations[Compliance](https://blog.securafy.com/tag/compliance)[Cybersecurity](https://blog.securafy.com/tag/cybersecurity)

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![Jillian O.](https://blog.securafy.com/hubfs/Jillian%20Oco-1.png)

About The Author

Jillian O.

Jillian Oco is the Chief Marketing Officer at Securafy, where she leads brand strategy, content, search, AEO, technical SEO, and the way complex technology and risk are communicated to real people.

 With more than 10 years in digital marketing, she writes about the overlap between cybersecurity, AI, online trust, reputation, and business growth. Her work is especially focused on making technical subjects easier to understand without flattening them into generic advice or marketing noise.

 She is currently learning to live slowly and consciously in a small surfing town with her tiny human. Her self-care must-haves are an Alan Watts mixtape, iced coffee, and a good end-of-week draft beer.

**Writes about:** Cybersecurity awareness, brand protection, AI risk, online trust, reputation management, AEO, technical SEO, practical security education for SMBs

[More From This Author →](https://blog.securafy.com/author/jillian-o)

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