𝗨𝗵 𝗼𝗵! 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻.
Twice in the last month, major UK retailers have been hit by cyber-attacks — and the damage has been huge. Both M&S and the Co-op suffered data breaches that caused serious financial and reputational fallout.
You’d expect big players like these to have strong defences, right? They’ve got the budgets, after all. But here’s the thing — cyber security isn’t just about money. It’s about mindset. The companies that stay safest are the ones that build a culture of constant vigilance. And that starts with people — the weakest link and biggest risk.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁?
Think again. SMEs, charities, and smaller organisations are just as likely to be hit — often more so. That’s because hackers see them as softer targets. When attacks involve ransomware or social engineering tactics, it’s not size that matters, it’s vulnerability.
Ransomware holds your data hostage until you pay up (often in crypto). Social engineering tricks staff into handing over the keys — like what happened at M&S, where attackers reportedly duped help desk staff into granting access, leading to losses of £300 million and a £1bn market dip.
At the Co-op, member data was stolen and operations were disrupted, with delivery delays and empty shelves across stores.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱:
Given 43% of UK businesses reported experiencing a cybersecurity breach or attack in the past 12 months – with a notable rise in ransomware crimes – it’s clear that cyber threats aren’t going anywhere.
But your business doesn’t have to be an easy target. The good news is there’s a lot you can do to reduce your risk. It’s also worth noting that cyber security isn’t just for the IT team — it’s a company-wide effort. With the right tools, habits, and support in place, you can build a stronger, safer business from the inside out.
• 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝟮𝟰/𝟳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴
Cyber threats don’t clock off at 5pm. Round-the-clock monitoring helps you spot suspicious activity fast and act before it snowballs.
• 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 — 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀
Every bit of software needs patching – not just your main systems. From finance tools to time-recording apps, keeping everything up to date is key. At HG Technology, we can help with the right approach to keep vulnerabilities in check.
• 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺
Most breaches start with human error. We partner with uSecure, a smart platform that delivers tailored cyber awareness training, phishing simulations, and ongoing risk assessments based on individual behaviour. And to bring this learning to life, we also run in-person and virtual training sessions to help your teams spot threats and form secure digital habits.
• 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗿
Remote work isn’t a security holiday so encourage good habits:
Keep systems updated
Use strong passwords (three random words is a great start)
Change default Wi-Fi passwords
Lock your screen when stepping away
Avoid public Wi-Fi
Check for secure websites (https, not http)
• 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁
If something happens, knowing what to do can save days of downtime and thousands in recovery costs.
• 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲
A good policy can cover legal fees, data recovery, and help repair your reputation.
• 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀
Achieving Cyber Essentials Plus or ISO 27001 proves your commitment to security and gives you a strong framework to work from.
• 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Real cyber resilience means secure habits become second nature. That starts with identifying risky behaviour, educating your team, and supporting them with the right tools.
• 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼
It’s not all on users. You should also:
Set and enforce clear policies
Review audits and access logs regularly
Embrace the cloud (ditch on-premises servers)
Use tools that prevent risky actions before they happen
𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽?
If you’re unsure how vulnerable your business is, 𝗛𝗚 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁. It’s quick, pressure-free, and gives you practical insight into what needs improving — including how tools like 𝘂𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲, and tailored staff training, can strengthen your defences.
𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 today to book your audit. As the high-profile data disaster stories show, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
