AVATAR Blog

Effective September 1, 2025, Senate Bill 2610 (SB 2610) introduces a new cybersecurity law in Texas that directly impacts businesses with fewer than 250 employees.

This landmark legislation offers a form of “safe harbor” protection for small and mid-sized businesses that adopt and maintain a qualified cybersecurity program. While the law doesn’t guarantee immunity from all liability, it does provide an affirmative defense against punitive damages if your company experiences a data breach, if you can prove you were compliant at the time.

Why SB2610 Matters for Texas Small Businesses

Cybersecurity breaches are no longer limited to Fortune 500 companies. Hackers are increasingly targeting smaller organizations, knowing they often have fewer defenses. For Texas businesses holding sensitive client data, whether financial records, medical information, or other personally identifiable information (PII), the risks are very real:

• Immediate disruption: System downtime, stolen data, and client notifications.
• Long-term consequences: Loss of trust, reputational damage, and expensive lawsuits.

SB2610 protects responsible businesses. If you’ve taken the proper steps to secure your systems, you can avoid the crushing financial impact of punitive damages after a breach.

What Businesses Need to Do to Comply with SB2610

The law’s requirements scale with company size, so every business, no matter how small, has a clear path forward.

Businesses with Fewer than 20 Employees

• Simplified requirements: Implement strong password policies and provide basic cybersecurity training for employees.

Businesses with 20–99 Employees

• Moderate requirements: Adopt CIS Controls Implementation Group 1 (IG1), a set of foundational safeguards designed specifically for small and mid-sized organizations.

Businesses with 100–249 Employees

• Comprehensive requirements: Align with an industry-recognized cybersecurity framework, such as:
  • NIST Cybersecurity Framework
  • NIST SP 800-171, 800-53
  • CIS Critical Security Controls
  • ISO/IEC 27000 series
  • SOC 2, HITRUST, HIPAA, PCI DSS (if applicable)

These frameworks ensure your business has documented, auditable processes that stand up to scrutiny in the event of a lawsuit.

When Do You Need to Act?

The law goes into effect September 1, 2025. That may sound far off, but compliance takes time. Businesses need to:

• Assess current cybersecurity practices
• Identify and close gaps in protection
• Document policies and logs to prove compliance

Waiting until the deadline could leave your business scrambling, and exposed.

How Managed Services Can Help

For most small and mid-sized businesses, cybersecurity isn’t a core strength. That’s where Managed Services Providers (MSPs) step in.

At AVATAR Managed Services, we:

• Design and implement tailored cybersecurity programs
• Provide co-managed or fully managed solutions
• Ensure compliance with SB2610 frameworks
• Maintain logs and documentation to prove protection
• Continuously adapt defenses as threats evolve

Cybersecurity is no longer optional; it’s a legal and competitive requirement. Companies that demonstrate compliance not only protect themselves from lawsuits but also build trust with clients and stand out from competitors.

Take Action Today

SB2610 is changing the cybersecurity landscape for Texas businesses. Don’t wait until it’s too late to get compliant.

Learn More About SB2610 (https://avatarmanagedservices.com/texas-sb-2610-data-privacy-compliance/)