Have you heard about the dark web… and are you scared of it?

There’s a place where the worst criminals congregate online. It’s where they sell and buy illegal things.

Not just weapons and drugs – but also data stolen from businesses like yours.

Data breaches will lose you clients, money & more

If your business is the victim of a cybercrime, it’s not just money and productivity you’ll lose. It’s also reputation and trust. Here’s why.

How to spot the early signs of a data breach (and limit the fallout)

A data breach is one of the scariest things that can happen to your business. The financial and reputational impact can be huge.

Here’s how to spot the early signs of a breach… and what to do if you suspect a cyber-criminal is in your network.

Most business owners don’t know how to manage a security attack

If you switched on one of your business’s computers today, and saw a red screen saying it had been infected with ransomware… would you know what to do?

Many business owners and managers wouldn’t. But the odds of being breached are going up every week.

Here’s what we suggest.

A whaling what…???

Imagine if your staff got an email, they genuinely thought was from you. Asking them to pay an urgent bill for a new supplier they’d not heard of before.

Is there any risk they could pay it?

Because actually that email wasn’t sent by you. It’s a specific kind of cyber-crime called whaling, where criminals impersonate the boss.

Here’s what you need to know about it.

What’s the biggest cyber security risk?

You have lots of responsibilities as the leader of your business. Driving growth is important, as is checking your staff are fulfilled and enjoying their work.

Another is making sure the business is protected from predictable threats. Can you hand on heart say your business is protected from the threat of a cyber-attack?

Our video explores the biggest cyber security risk to every business.

Why your business should have a business continuity plan

Technology has reached a point where it’s critical to virtually all businesses… but it is constantly under attack.

How long could your business survive without any internet access or even your data? A day? A week? Would you still have a business in a month?

In our video, we explore how easily “business as usual” can be disrupted, and why you need to be fully prepared with a business continuity plan.

What is spoofed Wi-Fi?

Have you heard of spoofed Wi-Fi? If you ever connect to public Wi-Fi in a coffee shop or restaurant, you should be scared of it.

Our video tells you what you need to know.

Think your business is too small to be hacked? Think again!

They don’t always make the news; but cyber-attacks are a huge and ongoing risk for all businesses.

Even small businesses are at risk. Because hackers use clever automated tools that hunt out any opportunity for them, anywhere.

In our video, we tell you about one of the biggest causes of data security breaches… and how to protect your business.

Is your team hiding security breaches?

It’s way too easy to be tricked by an online scam these days. What would happen if a member of your team realized they had accidentally clicked a bad link?

Our video explores how the company culture you create affects your data security.

What does a brute force attack mean for your business?

Have you heard of a brute force attack? It’s how cyber criminals break into accounts protected by weak passwords.

These attacks are usually automated, making them efficient and scarily successful.

Our video explains what can happen, and how to defend your business.

How strong is your firewall?

A firewall is an essential part of your business’s IT defenses. Yet in our experience, most business managers and owners never think about their firewall.

Here’s why it’s so important and why you must get an expert to set it up for you.

Your team are your biggest cyber security threat

Through no fault of their own, your team are the weakest link in your business’s data security.

Here’s why – and what you can do about it.

Have your emails been compromised?

There are lots of different ways to communicate and collaborate. But most businesses still rely heavily on email.

And that’s why it’s so popular with hackers. A large majority of cyber-attacks start in your email.

Here are some ways to protect your business from your own inbox.

Keep a look out for these malware traps

We’ve been warning businesses for years that their email is the most likely place for a cyber-criminal to try to break into their IT system.

But it’s not the only place. Here are some other malware scams to look out for.

Millions of smart phones are lost each year

Did you know that for every 100 devices your business buys, up to 5 of them will be lost or stolen?

And that potentially means criminals accessing your data. Here’s the simple method we recommend for protecting all your devices.

This one thing prevents 99% of hack attempts

Hackers are targeting all businesses, all the time. They use clever automated tools to sniff out vulnerabilities.

There is good news. One security method has been shown to be 99% effective. Here’s what it is.

One bad email. That’s all it takes…

What’s the biggest threat to US businesses right now? Let us tell you – it’s cyber-crime.

And you can see what a big threat it is, by understanding the one one one rule. This video explains it.

The simple security step that protects your business

Cybercrime is so big now, it’s a matter of WHEN not IF your business will be affected.

Strong passwords are a good line of defense. But many passwords can be cracked by automated bots. Here’s something that makes your password a lot stronger, and gives your business even more protection.

Uh-oh… did someone just click a bad link?

The scariest thing about being hacked, is that it only takes one member of your team, clicking one bad link, in one email for damage to be done.

Here’s how to stop this happening in your business.

The biggest business crime in the US

Criminals are targeting YOUR business right now. In fact, they’re targeting all businesses, all the time.

And they can do so from the comfort of their homes. That’s what makes cyber-crime the biggest business crime in the US. Watch this video – you won’t believe just how many cyber-crimes were committed last year.

The 3 scams you need to know about NOW

There are lots of cyber security scams that are targeted at businesses like yours, every single day.

Here are the top 3 we believe everyone on your team should be aware of.

Can we train your staff to resist hackers?

You can have the best security setup. With the most up-to-date software. And STILL, hackers can get access to your system.

How? Through your staff.

Hacking isn’t just about computers. There’s also an element of social engineering.

Here’s why you should invest in training your people to make your people more aware what they should be looking out for.

3 scary signs your business has been hacked

Hackers are very smart people. Not only can they break into your computer without you realizing it, but they can also cover their tracks – so it’s almost impossible to spot they’re in.

Almost.

Here are 3 signs to look out for, which could indicate your business has been hacked.

Why you still need antivirus

It might seem in our modern age that you no longer need antivirus to protect your devices.

Not at all – it’s the opposite. Every device that’s connected to the internet needs to be protected. Here’s why.

See if your business’s data is for sale with dark web monitoring

There’s a place online where you can buy anything illegal… guns, drugs – and business data.

It’s called the dark web. And it’s where criminals buy data stolen from businesses, that they can then use to try to hack them.

This week’s video tells you about a way to see if your business’s data is for sale on the dark web.

What are the risks of a password manager?

Have a guess how many passwords the average person needs to remember…

It’s an astonishing EIGHTY passwords! It’s just not realistic asking someone to remember that many, is it?

That’s why we recommend you use a password manager. Our video explains what that is, and what the risks are.

Never have to remember a password again

Best practice for passwords these days is not to use an easy phrase you can remember.

And certainly not to use any password on more than one application.

No, best practice is to randomly generate a different long password for every app you use.

Of course, you’re not going to remember any of them… and you mustn’t write them down. Luckily there is software to make this easy for you.

Could I crack your staff’s passwords?

The safest passwords are long ones, randomly generated by a computer.

But those tend to be the ones that some staff hate the most. Because they’re difficult to type in if you don’t use a password manager. The thing is – a weak password leaves your business wide open to hackers. They can crack short obvious passwords using brute force, where software tries every combination until it gets it right.

This video is looks at the risks of weak passwords. And why not run your passwords through our new password checker, to see how safe they really are.

3 ways a password manager will improve your staff’s efficiency

There are nothing but benefits in using a password manager.

This one tool alone can add a huge layer of cyber security to your business. And make it easy for you and your team to stick to very good security habits. It gets better – here are three ways a password manager can also help your staff to be more productive.

The longer your passwords, the harder they are to crack

This makes sense, doesn’t it? Yet many people stick with the same short password across multiple apps and websites as they can’t remember a long one.

Here’s the easy way to help your staff use unique, uncrackable passwords and never forget them.

Teams really does make working from home easier for everybody

Just because your team are working remotely, doesn’t mean it must be a stress for you.

In fact, the collaborative and communication tools within Microsoft Teams really do make Working From Home easy for everyone.  Here’s how.

Working remotely with OneDrive

If some of your team are in the office, and some still working from home –maybe swapping locations throughout the week – you need a truly flexible way of working.

And that’s where Microsoft OneDrive comes in. It makes sharing documents and collaborating so much easier.

Data security during home working

Working from home can make your business more exposed to a potential cyber-attack. Because sometimes our home Wi-Fi isn’t as secure as business connections can be.

Here’s a clever way to keep your business safe, no matter who’s working where…

Home workers are the new target

With your team working from home, all on different Wi-Fi connections and with other people using their devices, good cyber security is a lot harder.

Here are 3 ways to protect your business.

This protects your data in your staff’s homes

Of course, your team needs access to company data when they’re working from home.

But this can be a major data security risk. Here’s how to make it safer.

How to train your team on software when they work from home

As lots of people continue to mix working from home with being in the office (hybrid working), there are new long-term training needs your business needs to think about.

Such as how you will train members of your team on new software.

VPN’s: Protecting data in your employees’ homes

Because hybrid working is not going anywhere, data security for employees working remotely is becoming a major consideration for all businesses.

Here’s one answer. It’s a way of making sure the connection from home to the office is always secure.

Microsoft 365 features to boost productivity

There’s no better tool for getting things done than Microsoft 365. It’s packed with useful features that most people don’t know about.

In this video we’re highlighting three that many people find the most useful.

The Microsoft 365 tool helps you work less and achieve more

There’s so much more to Microsoft 365 than just Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.

You’d be surprised by how much useful software is hidden in your subscription.

In this video, we look at a productivity tool that lets you automate tasks across different apps.

Collaborating in real-time with Word

We all love Word and have used it for many, many years.

But did you know the Word of today can do so many more things, compared to the Word of yesterday?

Such as collaborating on a document in real-time. Here’s how…

Excel: Making productivity easier with ‘Smart Lookup’

Excel isn’t just for crunching numbers. It’s got a host of very clever features to make your life easier and work more productive.

Here’s one you might not know about. It’s where Excel can look up the contents of a spreadsheet cell for you.

PowerPoint: Raising the game with audio

Love it or hate it, PowerPoint is the most useful way to influence colleagues during a meeting or video call.

There are lots of little tricks hidden within PowerPoint, to give you greater communication powers. And here’s one you’re going to love.

Microsoft 365: Mobile apps and business without the office

Microsoft 365 literally has all the answers. There are so many different applications contained within your subscription.

And it’s surprising just how many devices you can use your apps on.

OneNote: The power of translation

If your business works with suppliers and clients overseas, you can use OneNote to automatically translate text.

Here’s how to do it.

Lists: Making collaboration easier

We all know the power of a good to-do list.

And if you use Microsoft 365, you have access to Lists. It’s a powerful tool that integrates with other apps you and your team already use.

Here’s the lowdown on Lists.

Editor:  Perfecting content for email, documents, and the web

If you ever feel embarrassed by spelling or grammar mistakes, there’s help available – and it’s from an app you probably already have.

Microsoft Editor is part of 365. It will check your text in real-time and make suggestions. And it even works on non-Microsoft products. Here are all the details.

Whiteboard makes collaboration simple

Nothing beats gathering your team together around a whiteboard to brainstorm ideas. But in our new hybrid world, getting everyone in the same place at the same time can be a challenge.

Here’s a clever online whiteboard tool you can use to achieve the same benefit.

MyAnalytics will help you be more efficient

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a dashboard with information about your team’s work patterns? To help them collaborate more. And make sure they were disconnecting from work to have proper breaks.

This dashboard exists. And it’s within Microsoft 365. Our video has the details.

Access: Database management for casual users and professionals

There’s a tool inside Microsoft 365 that allows you to get a lot more out of data sitting inside your business.

It’s not Excel – it’s more powerful than that. But it’s still user-friendly. We reveal all in our video.

SharePoint: The benefits for your business

If you’re looking for a customized way to collaborate and share information within your business, maybe SharePoint is the answer. Our video shows you some of the exciting things you can do with it.

Microsoft Project makes project management simple

If a lot of your work involves managing projects, there’s lots of software you can use to help you.

In our video, we recommend some software that integrates well with the other 365 applications you already use.

Why Microsoft 365 needs multi-factor authentication

If your team uses weak passwords for applications, it’s only a matter of time till you have a major security problem.

Multi-factor authentication is a major defensive weapon to help protect your business.

Forms: Connecting safely to the people you need to

Do you need to collect information from prospects or clients? Microsoft Forms is a safe way to do it.

Stream: A great place to share videos

There’s nothing better than video for communicating with people, especially your team. Did you know you have access to a powerful live streaming and video-on-demand tool within your Microsoft 365 subscription?

Outlook: A simpler way to do it all

Constantly switching between contacts, your calendar and inbox as you set up your working week? It can be frustrating when information is in different places.

Now you can do it all within Outlook.

OneDrive: Security as standard

Looking for an effective way to store files safely, access them from anywhere, share them easily and sync everything in real-time? Here it is.

Do you need a Microsoft 365 backup?

So, your business relies heavily on Microsoft 365. Everything is in there.

The question is then, do you need a backup for it?

The importance of keeping your device updated

It annoys most people when you get one of those alerts that your device needs to be updated.

And they’re so easy to ignore. “Leave it for a few weeks… it’ll be OK…”  Right?  Wrong.

There are many reasons why you should always keep your devices fully updated, and why we do this for our clients, so they don’t have to think about it.

Here are the main reasons.

3 ways to keep your PC healthy

We all rely on our computers so much.

And thanks to a peak in demand some new devices can be hard to get hold of.

So, it’s really important you look after your PC properly. In this tech tip, we’ve got 3 ways you can keep your PC healthy.

3 ways to protect data on your mobile

We rely on our phones for EVERYTHING these days. Especially running our businesses and doing work efficiently.

If you do any work at all on your phone, this is a must-watch video.

It’s the 3 things we recommend to keep your business’s data safe, no matter what happens to your phone.

When was the last time you checked your backups?

These days everyone knows the importance of backing up data. It’s a basic way to protect your business.

But there’s a second regular job you must do – and that’s to check and verify your backups.

Here’s why it’s so critical.

What do you do when your IT network goes down?

It’s so frustrating when your IT gets in the way of important work that needs to be done.

And it’s why we take a preventative approach to our clients’ IT. It’s an important part of our partnership.

Here’s what we do and how we do it.

A type of insurance your business WILL claim on

There’s a type of technology insurance that your business WILL claim on, at some point.

Yet it’s estimated that 50% of businesses don’t even have it. What is it? Find out in this video.

What does ‘disaster recovery’ mean?

When it comes to thinking about the bad things that could happen to our business, many of us act like an ostrich – we put our head in the sand and don’t think about it.

But the smart thing is to think about what could go wrong in advance and pull together a disaster recovery plan.

Where’s the best place to put your Wi-Fi??

Did you know that the location of the Wi-Fi box in your business and home can have a big impact on internet speed? Here’s why.

Here’s why your computer could be so slow

Don’t you just hate it when your technology slows down and stops you from getting on with your work?

Here are 3 reasons why computers slow down. One of them you should be very scared of…

Outdated technology is costing your business

It’s a real false economy.

What is? Continuing to use old technology for your team.

Because while you think you might be saving $$$, the reality is you’re losing your staff’s time and productivity every day.

Here are three other threats to your business from using outdated technology.

If you’re unhappy with your existing IT provider

So, look – cards on the table. We’re now taking on new clients. If you’re frustrated with your current IT support company, we really should talk.

This video tells you why.

Is your IT stealing your staff’s time?

Sometimes, members of your team will look for any excuse to down tools, make another coffee, and talk about how “their computer’s down”.

Bad IT can have a huge effect on productivity.

If this is a recurring problem for your business, we really should talk.

Boss, I need a new laptop

If a member of your team tells you they need a new laptop or other device because they’ve lost it, don’t just think about the cost.

You’ve also got to consider the data security of the lost device. Here are a few key questions you must ask yourself…

Is Dave on Facebook again?

Social media can be a good thing. But it can also be an unwelcome distraction.

Instead of just banning social media on your business’s network, here’s something else you can do instead.

Old tech isn’t just slowing you down

Computers slow down over time. It happens gradually, so you don’t tend to notice it. Side by side, a 3-year-old computer will be so much slower than the latest model.

But there’s another big downside of older computers that scares most IT professionals…

Does your business need an upgrade?

When Covid first appeared in 2020 and everyone rushed to work from home, some businesses thrived.

Typically, these were the ones that already had a robust IT infrastructure in place for their people to work anywhere, at any time, on any device.

Productivity and profits can and should be improved when your business prioritizes its technology.

Should your business be cloud-based?

Of course, you’ve heard of the cloud. And that lots of businesses are embracing it. But maybe you’ve never really understood exactly what it is, and what the benefits are.

The reality is, that you’re probably already using the cloud in parts of your business. Our video explains what it is, and whether you should fully embrace it.

3 ways to become a paperless office

Going paperless has plenty of benefits for your business… you just need to do it properly. Here are our three suggestions to help you get there.

Bad network cables could be causing low internet speeds

In our exciting modern wireless age, we forget that many things are still connected with cables. And bad cables can have a very negative effect on internet speeds.