# NIST Publishes Small-Business Cybersecurity Guide

On November 2, 2026, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) published Cybersecurity White Paper 50, translating Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 outcomes into practical safeguards for sole proprietors and other U.S. businesses with no paid employees. The voluntary guide is not a solicitation, contract award, or new procurement requirement. Small contractors and prospective suppliers can use it to improve account security, backups, incident response, privacy practices, and documentation of applicable contractual requirements; cybersecurity providers may find demand for accessible services tailored to these businesses.

- Small-business contractors can use the guide to review their security practices and document how they address contractual requirements that apply to them.
- Cybersecurity providers may package accessible authentication, backup, monitoring, training, and incident-response services for owner-operated businesses and supply-chain participants.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Cybersecurity
**Published:** November 04, 2026

### Government Entities
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy (SBA Office of Advocacy)

### Sources
- [NIST publishes cybersecurity guide for businesses too small to have IT staff - Help Net Security](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/11/04/nist-small-business-cybersecurity-guide) - Help Net Security
- [NIST Releases New Cybersecurity Guidelines to Protect Small Businesses From Phishing and Ransomware Attacks](https://gbhackers.com/nist-releases-new-cybersecurity-guidelines) - GBHackers News
- [NIST Releases New Cybersecurity Guidelines to Protect Small Businesses From Cyberattacks](https://cyberpress.org/nist-releases-cybersecurity-guidelines) - Cyber Press