Resources
Guides, playbooks & plain-English answers
Everything we wish every business owner knew about their IT and security: free to read, no sign-up, no jargon and no sales call attached.
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Each hub collects everything we have written on one subject, in the order it makes sense to read it.
Cyber Security for UK Businesses A plain-English guide to cyber security for UK businesses: the real threats, the essential controls that stop most attacks, and where to get help. Email Security & Fraud Protection for UK Businesses Protect your business from invoice fraud, phishing and email scams. A plain-English guide to SPF, DKIM, DMARC, BEC and secure email for UK firms. Managed IT & Cloud Support for UK Businesses A plain-English guide to managed IT, Microsoft 365, cloud, VoIP and scaling technology for UK businesses. Start here, then explore the detail. Data Protection & UK GDPR for Businesses A plain-English guide to UK GDPR for businesses: ICO registration, lawful basis, SARs, DPIAs, privacy notices, cookies and international data transfers.
107 pieces in total Everything, newest first
Guides
In-depth walkthroughs that stay true
32 pieces, free to read and written for people who run a business rather than an IT department.
Oct 2026 PHP2Shell: What to Do If Your Website Runs on PHP Two critical PHP flaws, fixed on 21 October 2026, can let an attacker take over a web server without logging in. What PHP2Shell is, who is affected, and what to do this week, in plain English. Aug 2026 IT and Cyber Security for Charities and Non-Profits in the UK A plain-English guide to IT and cyber security for UK charities: protecting donor and beneficiary data, controlling volunteer access, and Cyber Essentials on a tight budget. Aug 2026 IT & Cyber Security for Solicitors and Law Firms: A Plain-English Guide A practical guide to IT security for UK law firms: client confidentiality, SRA-aligned controls, secure email and documents, DMARC, backups and staying compliant. Aug 2026 IT Support for Recruitment Agencies in the UK A plain-English guide to IT and cyber security for UK recruitment agencies: protecting candidate data, securing your CRM/ATS, mobile working and stopping placement invoice fraud. Aug 2026 Cyber Essentials Explained: A Plain-English Guide for UK Small Businesses What Cyber Essentials is, the five controls, CE vs CE Plus, why it wins contracts and helps insurance, and how a small UK business gets certified. Aug 2026 IT & Cyber Security for Veterinary Practices in the UK A plain-English IT and cyber security guide for UK vets: protect client and pet data, keep practice software running, take payments safely, and stop phishing. Aug 2026 IT Support for Estate Agents in the UK Practical IT and cyber security for UK estate agents: protecting client money and AML data, working safely with Rightmove and portals, stopping deposit and completion fraud, and mobile working. Aug 2026 Windows 10 End of Support: What Your Business Should Do Now Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025. Here's what that really means for your business, your options, and how to plan the move without panic. Aug 2026 IT and Cyber Security for Financial Advisers in the UK A practical guide to IT and cyber security for UK financial advisers and IFAs: meeting FCA expectations, protecting client financial data, secure email, backups and Cyber Essentials. Aug 2026 IT Security for Dental and Healthcare Practices: A Practical Guide How UK dental and healthcare practices can protect patient data under UK GDPR and the NHS DSPT, keep clinical software running, back up safely and control access. Aug 2026 IT Support for Nurseries and Childcare Settings in the UK Plain-English IT and cyber security guidance for UK nurseries: protect children's and safeguarding data, control access, manage retention, and reassure parents. Aug 2026 IT for Manufacturing and Engineering Firms in the UK A plain-English IT and cyber security guide for UK manufacturers and engineers: keeping the shop floor running, protecting designs and IP, separating office and operational tech, and reliable backups. Aug 2026 IT Support for Care Homes in the UK: A Practical Security Guide A plain-English guide to IT for UK care homes: protecting resident and staff data, CQC-aware information governance, reliable Wi-Fi and devices, and business continuity. Aug 2026 IT Support for Marketing and Creative Agencies in the UK A plain-English IT and cyber security guide for UK marketing and creative agencies: protecting client data and assets, secure cloud collaboration, reliable backups and device security for a mobile team. Aug 2026 Business Broadband and Connectivity: A Practical UK Guide FTTP, leased lines and backup connectivity explained for UK small businesses: how to weigh uptime, speed and cost, and match your broadband to your VoIP and cloud needs. Aug 2026 IT Support for Gyms and Fitness Businesses in the UK Plain-English IT guidance for UK gyms and fitness studios: protect member data and payments, run online booking, secure door-entry systems, and get reliable Wi-Fi. Aug 2026 IT and Connectivity for Construction Trades: A Practical Guide A plain-English guide to IT for UK construction firms: multi-site connectivity, rugged devices, job software, VoIP on site and backing up your drawings. Aug 2026 Business Continuity Plan for a Small Business: A Plain-English Guide A jargon-free guide to writing a business continuity plan for your UK small business, covering key risks, RTO and RPO, backups and how to test it. Aug 2026 How to Set Up Multi-Factor Authentication (Step by Step) A plain-English, step-by-step guide to turning on multi-factor authentication across your email, Microsoft 365 and key business apps: without the jargon. Aug 2026 How to Set Up SPF, DKIM and DMARC: A Step-by-Step Guide A plain-English, step-by-step guide to setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your UK business email, with a safe staged rollout and common mistakes to avoid. Aug 2026 How to Migrate to Microsoft 365 Without the Downtime Headache A plain-English guide for UK small businesses moving email and files to Microsoft 365: how to prepare, handle DNS and MX, avoid downtime, and lock it down after. Aug 2026 IT and Cyber Security for Retail Shops: A UK Owner's Guide A plain-English guide to IT and cyber security for UK retail shops: safer card payments, splitting till and guest Wi-Fi, staff logins and backups that actually work. Aug 2026 IT for Hospitality: A Practical Guide for UK Restaurants and Cafes Practical IT for UK restaurants and cafes: cutting no-shows with online bookings, guest Wi-Fi done safely, taking card payments, and connectivity that keeps you trading. Aug 2026 Business Backups: The 3-2-1 Rule and Disaster Recovery The 3-2-1 backup rule explained for UK small businesses: what to back up (including Microsoft 365), how to test restores, and recovering from ransomware. Aug 2026 International Data Transfers Under UK GDPR, Explained A plain-English guide to UK GDPR international data transfers for small businesses using US-hosted tools: mechanisms, the UK-US bridge, IDTA and TRAs. Aug 2026 The PSTN & ISDN Switch-Off: What UK Small Businesses Must Do Before the Deadline The UK's old phone network is being switched off. Here's what the PSTN and ISDN switch-off means for your business, why to move to VoIP now, and how to switch. Aug 2026 Microsoft 365 Security Settings Every Small Business Should Turn On A plain-English guide to the Microsoft 365 security settings UK small businesses should enable: MFA, anti-phishing, Safe Links, audit logging and sharing controls. Jul 2026 Business VoIP Phone Systems in the UK, Explained A plain-English guide to VoIP for UK small businesses: what it is, why the PSTN switch-off matters, key features, how to switch and how to keep your number. Jul 2026 Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA): A Simple Guide What a DPIA is, when UK GDPR requires one, and how a small business can complete a simple, practical Data Protection Impact Assessment step by step. Jul 2026 Moving Office IT Checklist: A Practical Guide to a Smooth Relocation A practical, non-technical IT checklist for a UK small-business office move: planning connectivity, cabling, phones and data so you relocate with minimal downtime. Jul 2026 How to Secure Your Business Website: A Practical Guide A plain-English guide to website security for UK small businesses: HTTPS, updates, strong logins with MFA, backups, a firewall/WAF, and getting a security review. Jun 2026 The UK Small Business Cyber Security Starter Guide A complete beginner's guide to cyber security for UK small businesses: the real threats, the controls that matter, Cyber Essentials, and where to get help.
Playbooks
Step-by-step plans you can action
3 pieces, free to read and written for people who run a business rather than an IT department.
Aug 2026 What to Do After a Cyber Attack: A First-Hours Playbook for Small Businesses A calm, step-by-step playbook for the first hours after a cyber attack on your UK small business: contain, assess, report, recover and learn. Jul 2026 Cyber Essentials Self-Assessment Checklist: A Practical Pre-Assessment Guide A plain-English Cyber Essentials checklist for UK small businesses. Work through all five controls before you apply so you pass first time, not on the retry. Jun 2026 The 30-Day Small Business Security Hardening Playbook A plain-English, week-by-week 30-day plan any UK small-business owner can follow to lock down MFA, backups, email, passwords and updates.
Articles
Shorter explainers and comparisons
72 pieces, free to read and written for people who run a business rather than an IT department.
Sept 2026 The backup password on the laptop you're backing up Recovery plans fail in the way audits miss: the control quietly depends on the very thing it is meant to recover you from. Here is the question that finds them. Aug 2026 Password Managers Compared: The Best Choice for a UK Small Business A plain-English guide to choosing a password manager for your UK small business: the key criteria that matter, the main options, and why we favour Proton Pass. Aug 2026 Antivirus and Endpoint Protection for Small Businesses, Explained What endpoint protection really is, how built-in Defender compares with paid tools, whether small firms need EDR, and what actually matters when protecting your devices. Aug 2026 AI Tools at Work: The Real Security Risk Nobody Mentions Staff are already using ChatGPT and other AI tools at work. The real danger isn't the robots: it's confidential data being pasted into public tools. Here's a sensible approach. Aug 2026 How to Stop Invoice Fraud and Email Spoofing (SPF, DKIM and DMARC) How invoice and business email compromise fraud works, and how SPF, DKIM and DMARC stop criminals spoofing your domain. A plain-English guide for UK businesses. Aug 2026 Best Business VPN Compared: A Plain-English Guide for UK Firms What a business VPN is really for, the criteria that matter when choosing one, the main options, and why we favour Proton VPN for UK small businesses. Aug 2026 Passwordless and Passkeys Explained (For Non-Techies) Passkeys let you sign in with your face, fingerprint or PIN instead of a password: and they're far harder to steal. Here's what they are and how to start. Aug 2026 Payroll Diversion Fraud Explained: How Criminals Redirect Staff Salaries Payroll diversion fraud tricks your finance team into paying a staff salary to a criminal's bank account. Here's how it works and how to stop it. Aug 2026 Cloud Backup Services for Business Compared: How to Choose Well How to choose a cloud backup service for your small business: the criteria that matter, why Microsoft 365 still needs backing up, and how to test that restores actually work. Aug 2026 Ransomware and UK Small Businesses: How Firms Get Hit and How to Stop It How a small UK business really gets hit by ransomware, and the handful of controls, backups, MFA, patching and staff awareness, that actually prevent it. Aug 2026 Account Takeover: How It Happens and How to Stop It Account takeover is when a criminal logs into your account as you. Learn how it happens, the warning signs to watch for, and how to lock attackers out. Aug 2026 IT for Professional Services Firms: Secure, Reliable, Ready to Win Work How professional services firms can get IT right: secure Microsoft 365 and cloud working, Cyber Essentials to win contracts, plus support and monitoring. Aug 2026 How to Securely Dispose of Old Computers and Data Selling or scrapping an old work computer? Here's how to wipe data properly, when to destroy the drive, and how to recycle old kit legally: in plain English. Aug 2026 Best Business Phone System (VoIP) Compared for UK Small Firms A plain-English guide to choosing a VoIP business phone system: the features that matter, the criteria to compare, what to avoid, and why we recommend AirLandline. Aug 2026 Why Do My Business Emails Go to Spam? Your important emails keep landing in spam? Here is why it happens: authentication, sender reputation, content and list hygiene: and the practical checks to fix it. Aug 2026 GDPR Basics for UK Small Businesses: A Plain-English Guide A jargon-free guide to UK GDPR for small businesses: what personal data is, lawful basis, ICO registration and fee, your security duty, and handling breaches. Aug 2026 Tech Support Scams and Fake IT Calls: How to Spot Them Fake 'Microsoft' calls and scary pop-ups pressure you into handing over access or money. Learn the tells, what to do, and how a real IT provider behaves. Aug 2026 The Best Password Manager for a UK Small Business (And Why You Need One) Why every UK small business needs a password manager, what to look for, and the privacy-first pick we use at Dacros. Plain-English guide, no jargon. Aug 2026 How to Check if Your Business Email Has Been Breached Worried your work email has turned up in a data breach? Here's how to check for free, what to do if it has, and how to keep an eye on it going forward. Aug 2026 How to Report a Data Breach to the ICO: The 72-Hour Rule Explained When a data breach is reportable, how the ICO's 72-hour rule works, what to include in your report and when to tell affected individuals. Plain-English UK guide. Aug 2026 Business Email Compromise (BEC) Explained Business email compromise costs UK firms dearly and slips past spam filters. Learn how CEO fraud and supplier impersonation work: and the layered defence that stops it. Aug 2026 Smishing and Vishing: The SMS and Phone Scams Targeting Your Business Smishing (text) and vishing (phone) scams are hitting UK businesses hard. Learn the warning signs, the common tricks and exactly how your team should respond. Aug 2026 Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Explained for Small Businesses Multi-factor authentication stops most account takeovers even when passwords leak. Learn app codes vs SMS vs passkeys, and how to roll MFA out. Aug 2026 Data Retention and Records of Processing: A Plain-English Guide for Small Businesses How UK small businesses can handle data retention, ROPA and data minimisation under UK GDPR: in plain English, with practical steps you can start this week. Aug 2026 SIM Swapping Attacks Explained: Why Your Phone Number Isn't a Safe Login Learn how SIM swapping hijacks your mobile number to beat SMS security codes, why app-based MFA is safer, and how to lock down your phone account. Aug 2026 QR Code Scams (Quishing) Explained: The Hidden Risk in a Square of Dots Quishing means QR code phishing. Fake QR codes now appear on car parks, invoices and posters. Learn where they hide, why they slip past filters and how to stay safe. Aug 2026 Do I Need a Business VPN? An Honest Guide for UK Firms What a business VPN really is, what it is good for, what it is not, and when a UK small business actually needs one. Plain English, no scare tactics. Aug 2026 How to Spot a Phishing Email (and What to Do About It) Learn to spot phishing emails fast: the classic tells, real-world patterns, and exactly what to do next: plus how to train your staff to catch them. Aug 2026 How to Switch IT Support Providers Without the Chaos Leaving an underperforming IT company? A practical UK guide to getting your data, passwords and admin access back and running a clean, low-stress handover. Aug 2026 BYOD for Small Businesses: The Risks of Personal Devices and a Sensible Policy Letting staff use their own phones and laptops for work saves money but creates real risks. Here's a plain-English BYOD policy UK small businesses can actually use. Aug 2026 Insider Threats for Small Business: The Risk From People You Already Trust Understand accidental and malicious insider risk, and how least privilege, careful offboarding and sensible monitoring protect your small business. Aug 2026 Deepfake and AI Voice Scams: When the Fake CEO Sounds Completely Real AI can now clone a voice from seconds of audio. Learn how deepfake calls supercharge CEO fraud and BEC: and the simple call-back and code-word defences that stop them. Aug 2026 How to Write a Password Policy for a Small Business (the Sensible Way) An NCSC-aligned password policy for UK small businesses: length over complexity, no pointless forced changes, MFA everywhere and a password manager. A plain template. Aug 2026 Staff Onboarding and Offboarding: Getting IT Access Right as People Join and Leave Giving new staff the right access: and fully removing it when people leave: is a core security job. Here's how UK small businesses can do both cleanly. Aug 2026 What Is Encryption? A Plain-English Guide for Business Owners Encryption explained without the jargon: at rest vs in transit, HTTPS, device and disk encryption, encrypted email and storage, and why it matters for your business. Aug 2026 Cyber Security for a Small Ecommerce Business How to protect a small UK online store: securing your platform and plugins, safe payments, customer data under UK GDPR, spotting fraud, and backups that actually restore. Aug 2026 Why You Should Move Your Business Off Free Gmail Free consumer email quietly costs you trust, control and security. Here is why UK small businesses should move to a proper custom-domain email, and how. Aug 2026 Do I Need a Data Protection Officer (DPO)? Do you need a Data Protection Officer? When a DPO is legally required under UK GDPR: and what most UK small businesses actually need instead. Aug 2026 ICO Fines and Enforcement: What Small Businesses Should Know A plain-English guide to ICO enforcement for UK small businesses: reprimands vs fines, the real maximum penalties, and what actually triggers action. Aug 2026 How to Set Up Secure Business Wi-Fi: Guest and Staff Networks Done Right A plain-English guide to secure business Wi-Fi for UK small firms: guest vs staff networks, WPA encryption, segmentation and the common mistakes to avoid. Aug 2026 How to Handle a Subject Access Request (SAR) What a subject access request is, the one-month deadline, how to respond step by step, and the common mistakes UK small businesses make with SARs. Jul 2026 How to Write a Privacy Notice for a Small Business What must a privacy notice include under UK GDPR? A plain-English structure for UK small businesses, the required content, and the common gaps to avoid. Jul 2026 Working From Home Securely: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses Remote and hybrid work is here to stay. Here's how a small business can keep devices, logins, files and home Wi-Fi secure without a big IT budget or jargon. Jul 2026 Cloud vs On-Premise for Small Business: An Honest Comparison An honest, jargon-free comparison of cloud vs on-premise IT for UK small businesses: the real trade-offs in cost, security, control and when each approach makes sense. Jul 2026 Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data, Explained The six lawful bases under UK GDPR in plain English for small businesses: how to choose one, and when to use consent versus legitimate interests. Jul 2026 Cookies and PECR for UK Business Websites Cookie consent and PECR basics for UK small businesses: what needs consent, how to build a compliant banner, and how to handle analytics lawfully. Jul 2026 What Is a Firewall? A Plain-English Guide for Small Businesses What a firewall actually does, the difference between router, software and next-gen firewalls, why it's a Cyber Essentials control, and how to set one up sensibly. Jul 2026 CCTV and GDPR: Using Cameras Lawfully in Your Business How to use CCTV lawfully under UK GDPR: signage, a clear purpose, sensible retention, handling footage requests, and what the ICO expects of you. Jul 2026 How to Choose an IT Support Provider: A No-Nonsense Guide for UK Businesses Choosing an IT support provider is a big decision. Here's what good managed IT looks like, the questions to ask, the red flags to avoid, and how to read contracts. Jul 2026 MDR and EDR Explained: Do Small Businesses Really Need Them? What managed detection and response (MDR) and EDR mean in plain English, why small firms are targeted too, whether you need 24/7 monitoring, and what to look for. Jul 2026 Zero Trust Security Explained for Small Businesses Zero trust in plain English for UK small firms: what "never trust, always verify" means, and the practical steps (MFA, least privilege, device checks) you can take. Jul 2026 Microsoft 365 Backup: Why Microsoft Won't Save Your Data Microsoft 365 doesn't back your data up the way most business owners assume. Here's the shared responsibility gap, and why you still need a proper backup. Jul 2026 Public Wi-Fi Risks for Business Travellers (and How to Stay Safe) The real risks of hotel, cafe and airport Wi-Fi for UK small businesses, plus simple ways to protect your data on the road: mobile hotspot, VPN and HTTPS. Jul 2026 What Is Managed IT Support? A plain-English guide to managed IT support for UK small businesses: what it includes, how it differs from break-fix, whether you need it, and how the cost works. Jul 2026 Microsoft Teams vs Slack vs Google Chat: Which Team Chat Fits Your Small Business? A plain-English comparison of Microsoft Teams, Slack and Google Chat for UK small businesses: cost, features, security basics and where each one fits best. Jul 2026 Security Awareness Training for Staff: Turning Your Team Into Your Best Defence Why your staff are the front line against cyber attacks, and how short, regular, practical security awareness training builds a strong reporting culture. Jul 2026 Third-Party and Supply-Chain Risk for Small Businesses The suppliers and software you rely on can become your security problem. A plain-English guide to supply-chain risk for UK small firms, plus what to ask vendors. Jul 2026 Remote Desktop (RDP) Security for Small Businesses Exposed Remote Desktop is one of the top ways UK businesses get hit by ransomware. Here's why open RDP is dangerous and how to secure remote access properly. Jul 2026 Secure File Sharing for Small Business: A Plain-English Guide Emailing attachments and using consumer cloud apps quietly leaks business data. Here's what secure file sharing looks like, and how to get it right. Jul 2026 Cloud Storage for Business Compared: OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and Privacy-First Options Compare business cloud storage: OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox and privacy-first Proton Drive: on security, sharing, UK/EU data and the backup vs sync trap. Jul 2026 How Much Should a Small Business Spend on IT and Security? A plain-English guide to setting an IT budget for your UK small business: what to spend, the categories that matter, and how to weigh value against cost. Jul 2026 Microsoft 365 vs Google Workspace for Small Business An honest UK comparison of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace for small businesses: cost, apps, email, security and how easy each is to switch to. Jul 2026 Scaling IT as Your Business Grows: From 5 to 50 People Without the Mess How your IT needs change as you grow from a handful of staff to fifty, how to avoid the 'it just grew' mess, and when to bring in managed IT support. Jul 2026 Email Marketing for Small Business: Getting Started the Right Way How to build a mailing list properly under UK PECR rules, pick the right tool, and get your emails delivered. A plain-English guide for small businesses. Jul 2026 What Is 'the Cloud'? A Plain-English Guide for Small Businesses A jargon-free explainer of what 'the cloud' actually means, the real benefits for small businesses, and the shared-responsibility catch you need to understand. Jul 2026 Online Booking for Service Businesses: Cut No-Shows and Save Admin Time How online booking helps UK service businesses reduce no-shows and endless back-and-forth. A plain-English look at what to expect and how to get started. Jul 2026 Zoom vs Teams vs Google Meet: Video Conferencing for Business Compared Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet for your small business? Compare cost, call quality, security and privacy in plain English, and see which one to choose. Jul 2026 Domain Names and DNS Basics for Business: A Plain-English Guide A jargon-free guide to domain names and DNS for business owners: what A, MX and TXT records do, why they matter for your website and email security. Jul 2026 Cyber Insurance for UK Small Businesses: What It Covers and How to Avoid a Denied Claim What cyber insurance actually covers, why UK insurers now check for MFA and DMARC, what to put in place first, and the common reasons small-business claims get denied. Jul 2026 Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus: Which One Does Your Business Need? The plain-English difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, which one you need, what the audit involves, the cost and effort, and the 2026 MFA change. Jul 2026 Let Customers Book Online: A Simple Guide to Scheduling Tools for Service Businesses Why online booking wins more work for service businesses, what to look for in a scheduling tool, how to keep it secure, and where open-source Cal.com fits in. Jun 2026 The IT Support Checklist for UK Accountancy Practices A practical IT and cyber-security checklist for UK accountants: protecting client data, staying online through tax season, and meeting Cyber Essentials.
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