Free Government Cybersecurity Help, in Plain English
Last verified: October 2026
There's real, trustworthy, no-cost cybersecurity help for small businesses — free scans, checklists, and training from CISA, NIST, and Ohio's own programs — and most owners never use it. Here's what's out there and how to sign up. Rather have a hand? My number is (330) 200-8042.
Free Resources, at a Glance
Some of the best cybersecurity help for a small business comes from the government — and it costs nothing. CISA offers free vulnerability scanning of your internet-facing systems plus plain guides; NIST has a Small Business Cybersecurity Corner and a widely recognized framework; the FBI's IC3 is where you report online fraud; and Ohio's CyberOhio and CyberSECURE offer training and even free one-on-one consulting. This guide describes each and tells you how to sign up — and always to confirm current availability on the official sites, since programs come and go. There's a printable 29-page version up top. It's general information, not legal advice.
Common Questions
1 Is the CISA scan really free?
Yes. CISA's Cyber Hygiene vulnerability scanning is a free government service that checks your internet-facing systems and sends you reports — no fee, nothing to buy. Request it through the real cisa.gov, since scammers imitate these offers and the sign-up steps can change.
2 What does NIST offer a small business?
A Small Business Cybersecurity Corner full of plain-language guides and checklists, plus the Cybersecurity Framework (CSF 2.0), released February 26, 2024, which organizes security into plain functions and comes with small-business quick-start guides.
3 Where do I report online fraud or a scam wire transfer?
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, IC3 at ic3.gov. Reporting is free, and acting fast on a fraudulent payment can sometimes help freeze funds — so contact your bank and file right away.
4 What help does Ohio offer specifically?
CyberOhio, from the Ohio Attorney General's office, provides small-business training and resources. CyberSECURE, an Ohio Department of Development program with the APEX Accelerators and SBDC, offers free one-on-one consulting. Confirm current offerings on the state sites.
5 Why do you keep saying to confirm things are still offered?
Because government programs get renamed, moved, and sometimes retired. The underlying help tends to stick around, but the exact names and sign-up steps change — so always verify on the official site rather than trusting a printed detail.
6 How do I avoid fake lookalike sites?
Type the official address yourself — cisa.gov, nist.gov, ic3.gov — rather than clicking email links. Real federal sites end in .gov, these programs are free, and the government won't cold-call demanding payment or passwords.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Free government help is wonderful, but knowing a scan exists and getting it running are two different things. I'm glad to help you request a CISA scan, find the right NIST checklist, connect with an Ohio program, and — most importantly — act on what they tell you, all in plain English. $99 flat for a visit, $49 for remote help, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).