​Your business relies on emails every day – and that’s exactly why scammers target them.

Email has become an essential tool for any successful business, but as the saying goes, "with great power comes great responsibility".
 
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to make sure your emails are secure. It’s one of the key ways to stop your business data falling into the wrong hands.
 
Business Email Compromise (or BEC) is a growing threat. And if you become a target, it could cost you – big time.
 

So, what exactly is a 'BEC attack'?
 
In simple terms, it’s where scammers pose as people high up in the business, like CEOs, executives, and IT staff. The goal is to trick your employees into sharing sensitive information or sending money. Research shows that nearly 90% of BEC attacks are set up this way.
 
It’s easy to see how someone might quickly respond without a second thought, especially when they trust the sender.
 

BEC attacks have spiked dramatically this year, especially over the third quarter. Researchers have analyzed 1.8 billion emails worldwide, discovering a shocking 208 million malicious emails among them. And of these malicious emails, more than half (58%) were BEC attempts.
 
The figures make it clear: BEC scams are now the biggest email threat to businesses.
 
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Another thing worth noting? Most BEC scams target employees lower in the business, who might be less likely to question authority or be less aware of cyber threats.
 
Although BEC attacks are common, it’s also important to remember that scammers still use other methods too. This includes commercial spam and phishing attacks, which are designed to trick people into sharing personal information, like login details.
 
In fact, the combined effect of these types of scams now overshadows traditional ransomware and malware attacks.
 

Luckily, it isn’t complicated or expensive to protect your business. Simply make sure that all members of your team are trained to think twice about every email they receive.
 
If an email asks for sensitive information or a financial transaction – especially if it feels urgent – your employees should know to stop and check with someone before they action anything.
 
If you need help making sure your business is secure, get in touch.

The latest feature update in Teams is bringing a central notifications hub to keep things more organized. And a whole host of other useful features. Keep reading to learn more!

Ever feel overwhelmed by the maze of chats, channels, and notifications in Microsoft Teams? Well, here’s the good news: Microsoft’s rolling out an update to help streamline things.
 
The update will create a simpler workspace that’s easier to navigate – grouping everything in one location under the Chat menu. Think of it as a central hub where all your key conversations and notifications live.
 
The update also includes a new “@mentions” view that gathers all your direct messages and important mentions in one place. This will make it easier to catch up on messages you’re tagged in, helping you to make sure important notifications don’t slip through the cracks.
 
Teams will also be getting improved filters and controls. This will let you do things like filter out less urgent notifications, as well as create custom sections to keep your chats, channels, and meetings organized by project or topic.
 
Another great feature being introduced is a new “favorites” section, allowing you to pin your top chats and channels for quick access.
 
Also, threaded conversations are expected to arrive some time in mid-2025. This will mean that replies get grouped together in the same thread, making it easier to follow discussions without losing track of previous messages.
 
All these improvements are coming to PC, Android, and iOS – so your team will be able to stay on top of things no matter what device they use to access Teams.
 
If you’re not already using Teams to keep communication flowing in your business, now’s a great time to start! And if you need any help with the transition, get in touch. After all, we've got IT covered!

What’s easy to overlook but could leave your business open to cyber attacks? Unused logins. Yep, something as simple as failing to delete an old account could have serious costs for your business…

When someone leaves your business, you might be so wrapped up in the rush of everyday tasks, you forget to delete their login details.
 
It’s easy to overlook. You’ll get around to it later, right?
 
But unused login details could be a ticking time bomb for security breaches, leaving the doors wide open to cyber criminals. It can also be an unnecessary drain on your budget if you’re paying for old subscriptions you no longer need.
 
A recent report found that almost half of businesses had accounts that were no longer actively managed.
 
If you’ve forgotten about an account, you’re not monitoring it. And this leaves your business vulnerable to attacks.
 
These risks aren’t just hypothetical, either. Many cloud security breaches happen because unused login details and accounts have been compromised.
 
So, what do you need to do?
 
Take the time to audit all accounts and login details used by your business. Make sure you no longer have accounts open for ex-employees (and check that their access has been fully revoked, not just left inactive). Even if you outsource your I.T., it's important to let your Managed Service Provider know when an employee has been terminated (I.T. folks may be magic, but we're not mind readers!).
 
The same goes for any software or service that you’ve stopped using in your business. You might not realize you’re still paying for a service you haven’t touched in months – or even years.
 
Going forward, make sure you have a clear process for when people leave, and regularly review the applications and services your business uses.
 
If you’re not sure where to start, let us help you perform a security review and make sure you’re not leaving your business exposed to unnecessary threats. Get in touch.

​Your business’s tech might be working well today, but is it ready for tomorrow? A new study has found more than 60% of business leaders aren’t confident about theirs. 

How do you feel about the technology you use in your business? A recent study found that 90% of business leaders felt confident that their IT systems today are “best in class”.
 
...but what about tomorrow?
 
The same study showed that:

• Only 39% of business leaders felt confident that their current IT system was future-ready
• 64% worry that their technology might be getting outdated
• Around half the tech used by businesses was at its end-of-life.

When technology is no longer supported by the manufacturer or software creator, it’s like driving a car that hasn’t had a service in years. Sure, it might run fine for now – but sooner or later, it’s going to break down. And let's be real, it’ll probably happen at the worst possible moment!

When it comes to business IT, cyber security is another big concern. The study found that 65% of business leaders worry about cyber attacks, and 56% admit that they find it a challenge protecting their business from these attacks.

Nobody can control whether their business comes under attack – but you can make sure your business is prepared. And the best way to do that is by keeping your IT systems up to date and investing in the right security tools.