We Scanned 200+ Austin Small Businesses — Here's What We Found
Austin's Tech Capital Has a Security Problem
Austin prides itself on being a tech capital. But when we turned our security scanner on the city's small businesses — the dentists, realtors, restaurants, and shops that make up Austin's economic backbone — the results were alarming.
We scanned 204 Austin small businesses across six industries. The average security score was 67 out of 100 — a D+. For context, the average score among major tech companies is 93.5.
That's a 26-point gap between the businesses handling your dental records, home purchases, and credit card numbers — and the companies with dedicated security teams.
The Numbers at a Glance
- Businesses scanned: 204
- Average score: 67/100 (D+)
- Scoring D or F: 62% (126 businesses)
- Scoring A: 4% (8 businesses)
- Big tech average: 93.5/100
62% of Austin small businesses we scanned have critical security vulnerabilities — the kind attackers actively exploit.
Scores by Industry
Dental & Healthcare — Average Score: 72 (C)
Dental and healthcare practices scored the highest at 72 (C), but that's misleading. HIPAA requires demonstrable security controls — and nearly half of healthcare businesses we scanned had gaps that would be flagged in an audit. Fines start at $50,000 per violation.
If your dental practice collects patient information through your website — appointment forms, patient portals, contact forms — your web security is a HIPAA compliance issue. Learn more about HIPAA website requirements →
Real Estate — Average Score: 65 (D)
Real estate brokerages averaged 65 (D). This is especially concerning because real estate transactions involve wire transfers, bank account details, and Social Security numbers. Wire fraud in real estate hit $446 million in 2023, and it almost always starts with compromised email or a spoofed website.
Food & Beverage — Average Score: 58 (F)
Restaurants, bars, and food businesses scored the lowest at 58 (F). Most had no email authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), outdated CMS installations, and exposed admin panels. These businesses process credit cards daily.
Auto Services — Average Score: 61 (D)
Auto shops averaged 61, with a pattern of websites built years ago and never updated, running vulnerable plugins with no SSL configuration or email security.
Retail — Average Score: 63 (D)
Retail stores showed similar issues: outdated platforms, unencrypted contact forms, and missing security headers across the board.
Professional Services — Average Score: 74 (C)
Law firms, accounting practices, and consultancies scored highest at 74, though 42% still scored D or F.
Most Common Vulnerabilities
We categorized every finding across all 204 scans:
- Missing email authentication (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) — 78% of businesses. This allows attackers to send emails that appear to come from your business, enabling phishing attacks on your customers.
- Missing security headers — 71% of businesses. No Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, or HSTS. Learn how this affects your Google rankings →
- Outdated CMS or plugins — 54% of businesses. WordPress, Joomla, or Squarespace sites running versions with known exploits.
- SSL/TLS misconfigurations — 41% of businesses. Expired certificates, weak cipher suites, or mixed content causing "Not Secure" browser warnings.
- Exposed admin panels — 29% of businesses. Default login URLs with no IP restriction, open to brute-force attacks.
Austin Small Business vs. Big Tech
| Austin Small Biz | Big Tech | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67 | 93.5 |
| Email Auth | 22% configured | 98% configured |
| Security Headers | 29% passing | 94% passing |
| SSL Config | 59% proper | 99.8% proper |
The gap isn't surprising — big tech has dedicated security teams. But attackers don't care about your company size. Automated scanners hit small businesses just as often as enterprises.
What This Means
The risk isn't theoretical:
- 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses (Verizon DBIR 2024)
- 60% of small businesses close within 6 months of a breach (National Cyber Security Alliance)
- Average cost of a small business data breach: $120,000 (IBM)
The good news: most of the issues we found are fixable in hours, not months. Email authentication, security headers, SSL configuration, and CMS updates are well-understood problems with straightforward solutions.
Methodology
We used the TridentScan automated security assessment platform to scan 204 Austin-area small businesses identified through Google Maps, Yelp, and Austin Chamber of Commerce directories. Each business receives a score from 0–100 based on email security, HTTP security headers, SSL/TLS configuration, and technology stack analysis.
Scans assess only publicly observable indicators. They do not test internal networks, attempt exploitation, or access private systems.
Scans conducted: February–March 2026
Scan Your Business — Free
Want to know where your business stands?
→ Scan your business free at TridentScan.com — no signup required, results in 60 seconds.