
The Small Business
Cyber Security Guy
Welcome to my blog and podcast, where I share brutally honest views, sharp opinions, and lived experience from four decades in the technology trenches. Whether you're here to read or tune in, expect no corporate fluff and no pulled punches.
Everything here is personal. These are my thoughts, not those of my employer, clients, or any poor soul professionally tied to me. If you’re offended, take it up with me, not them.
What you’ll get here (and on the podcast):
Straight-talking advice for small businesses that want to stay secure
Honest takes on cybersecurity trends, IT malpractice, and vendor nonsense
The occasional rant — and yes, the occasional expletive
War stories from the frontlines (names changed to protect the spectacularly guilty)
I've been doing this for over 40 years. I’ve seen genius, idiocy, and everything in between. Some of it makes headlines, and most of it should.
This blog and the podcast is where I unpack it all. Pull up a chair.

Why Iranian Hackers Are Better at Social Engineering Than Your Sales Team
Pull up a chair. We need to talk about something that's going to make your skin crawl.
While your sales team struggles to get prospects to return a bloody phone call, Iranian threat actors are convincing your employees to hand over the keys to your digital kingdom with the kind of charm and persistence that would make a used car salesman weep with envy. These aren't basement dwellers sending "Nigerian prince" emails—they're sophisticated operations turning social engineering into an art form while most organisations treat it like a compliance checkbox.
When fake job offers become delivery mechanisms and your "cybersecurity awareness" training is more obviously fake than actual attacks, you've got a problem that technical controls can't solve.

Lawyers, Judges, and a Bloody SharePoint Backup: When Legal Privilege Meets Cyber Incompetence
In one of 2025’s most disgraceful breaches, Lawcover — the indemnity insurer for thousands of lawyers — exposed the personal and financial data of judges and solicitors through an unencrypted SharePoint backup. It’s not a sophisticated hack; it’s old-school negligence.
Five-year-old legal records, sensitive case data, and passport numbers were all left to rot in the cloud. The incident highlights just how dangerously out of touch the legal sector is when it comes to basic cyber hygiene. In this brutally honest breakdown, we unpack what went wrong, why it matters for the UK, and why your supply chain is now your attack surface.

The RMM Nightmare: How DragonForce Just Showed Us We're All Sitting Ducks
Your IT provider just became your biggest security threat. The DragonForce ransomware gang didn't break down your front door – they got handed the keys by exploiting the very tools meant to protect you. While you've been worrying about suspicious emails, criminals turned SimpleHelp and other RMM software into weapons of mass destruction.
One compromised MSP means hundreds of businesses infected in minutes. The attack already happened. The vulnerabilities were known.
The warnings were ignored. And right now, your business is probably running the same vulnerable tools. The only question is: are you next, or are you prepared?

Why Ransomware Will Keep Winning Until Cybersecurity Becomes a Business Risk – Not a Tech Problem (Part 3/3)
Cybersecurity isn’t IT’s job anymore, it’s yours. Ransomware doesn’t spread because hackers are clever. It spreads because leadership keeps treating security like plumbing: fix it when it breaks.
This final part in our trilogy calls out the boardroom silence, the risk registers no one updates, and the plans that never get tested.
If your business is still relying on hope, luck, or “that one guy in IT,” you’re not secure you’re surviving on borrowed time. This isn’t fear-mongering. It’s your final warning.

Cyber Insurance Claims Are Being Denied – And It's Your Fault
Cyber insurance isn’t a silver bullet and claim denials are rising fast across the UK. Whether it’s poor security hygiene, policy exclusions, or failure to meet basic requirements, many businesses are learning the hard way that they’re not actually covered when disaster strikes.
This guide breaks down why insurers are rejecting claims, what Cyber Essentials (and Plus) have to do with your insurability, and why your MSP might be part of the problem.
If you’re relying on a policy you haven’t read, or assuming “we’re covered” because someone said so once in a meeting, you’re playing a dangerous game.
Cyber insurance only works if you do too and most businesses simply aren’t. Find out how to change that before it’s too late.

You’ve Got a Flood Plan, But No Cyber Plan? Here’s Why That’s a Business Killer
Every UK business has a fire plan. Most have flood plans. Some even worry about theft. But ask what happens when ransomware encrypts every file and locks you out of your own systems? Silence. No plan. I just crossed my fingers and am praying to the cyber gods. While you’ve invested in fire extinguishers and insurance policies, attackers have invested in your network.
Your business isn't ready without a tested, documented, and rehearsed cyber recovery plan. You’re vulnerable. And no, your MSP’s vague promise of "we’ve got it covered" won’t hold up in front of the ICO, insurers, or customers. It’s time to face the truth.
You’ve prepared for everything, except the thing most likely to ruin you.

Still Using RDP Instead of a VPN in 2025? What the F*!k Are You Thinking?
Yes, this is real. Yes, it’s still happening. Businesses in 2025 are still exposing Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to the open internet like it’s a perfectly normal thing to do. It’s not. It’s deranged.
It’s like licking a petrol pump and being surprised you got sick. If you’re still running RDP with no VPN, no access controls, no MFA, and no clue , buckle up. This isn’t just a best practice failure.
This is IT malpractice. And if you’re an MSP still recommending it? You should probably stop calling yourself a professional. You’re part of the problem.

Microsoft Teams: Now Available in Phish-Flavoured
Microsoft Teams is the new darling of UK business. It’s chat, calls, meetings, file sharing and productivity all in one app. Unfortunately, it’s also a goldmine for attackers, and they know it.
With the Tycoon 2FA phishing kit now targeting Microsoft 365 users through fake Teams login prompts, criminals are bypassing multifactor authentication in real time. It’s slick. It’s scary.
And worst of all, it works. If your business still believes Teams is “safe because it’s Microsoft,” you’re dangerously behind the curve.
Phishing has moved in. And it brought its own desk chair.

Still Faxing in 2025? The UK Councils Stuck in a Time Warp
It’s 2025, but some UK councils and NHS departments are still sending confidential data via fax machines.
That’s right. No encryption, no audit trail, just a shrieking relic from the 1980s spewing out safeguarding case notes or your latest blood test results from the GUM clinic into a shared office tray.
With the analogue switch-off looming, this isn’t just old-fashioned, or quaint, it’s reckless. Why the hell are printer manufacturers are still enabling this madness - Looking at you HP, Epson, Xerox et al.
If your council or trust or SMB still faxes, they’re not just behind the times. They’re holding the door wide open to the next data breach.

How Crap MSPs, Slack Vendors, and a Culture of Complacency Are Fueling the Ransomware Epidemic
Think the hackers are your biggest threat? Think again. That smiling MSP rep who promised “complete protection” might just be the reason your business is on its knees.
Ransomware rarely walks in the front door it’s invited through by lazy patching, crap backups, and a culture of "just enough" IT.
From misconfigured firewalls to fake dashboards and vendors more interested in sales than security, this is the real story of how ransomware thrives, enabled by the very people paid to stop it.
If you trust your IT supplier blindly, you might already be compromised.

The Meat Rots While the Firewalls Fail: How a Hack Took Out the Backbone of UK Chilled Logistics
A ransomware attack just crippled one of the UK’s key cold chain hauliers, leaving thousands of pounds’ worth of meat to rot before it ever reached supermarket shelves. Peter Green Chilled, who proudly promote their “bespoke IT systems,” couldn’t even keep order processing online. The result?
Spoiled stock, supply chain chaos, and radio silence from a company with £25 million in turnover and not a single cybersecurity certification.
This isn’t just an embarrassing IT failure. It’s a wake-up call. If you're still treating cybersecurity like a nice-to-have instead of a must-do, pull up a chair. Because you're not just vulnerable. You're on the menu.

Root Canal or Rootkit? Why Your Dentist’s PC Might Be More Dangerous Than the Drill
It’s 2025. You’re in a sterile, brightly lit dental surgery — and there it is. A screen glowing with the unmistakable Windows 7 login. The same OS that went end-of-life in 2020. What the actual hell? That PC isn't just a relic — it’s a walking GDPR violation and a ransomware welcome mat.
If your dentist is still running patient records on Windows 7 or even XP, you’re not just risking plaque you’re risking identity theft. Please for the love of all things secure STOP THIS NOW. Before a root canal becomes the least painful part of your visit.

Cyber Essentials 2025: The End of Checkbox Theatre
On 28 April 2025, the UK’s beloved Cyber Essentials scheme quietly lobbed a compliance grenade into your IT department.
The Willow question set has arrived, and with it comes a new standard for audits, especially for Cyber Essentials Plus. The big twist? You no longer get to pick the test machines. That’s right , your favourite “show laptop” patched 20 minutes before the audit isn’t going to save you.
The auditor picks now ,and gives you just three working days' notice. Smoke, meet exit. This article unpacks what’s changed, who it affects, and how to stop your next CE+ audit from turning into a public shaming.

ISO27001 vs Cyber Essentials (Part 3/3): What Needs to Change For Real
Too many UK businesses trust ISO27001 and SOC 2 to keep them safe. They shouldn’t. These frameworks focus on governance, not enforcement. When ransomware hits or supply chains collapse, it’s always the same gaps: patching failures, lack of segmentation, poor endpoint hygiene.
Cyber Essentials, especially CE+, isn’t a tick-box. It’s the defensive baseline that would have saved countless organisations from disaster.
This article lays out the real problem and preaches the blunt truth: no ISO, no SOC 2, no procurement badge means a thing unless Cyber Essentials or equivalent is tested, verified, and enforced.

ISO27001 vs Cyber Essentials (Part 2/3):Big Names, Big Certs, Big Breaches: The Truth Behind the Logos
You’d think ISO27001 and SOC 2 certifications mean a business is secure. But if 2023 and 2025 have shown us anything, it’s that those badges don’t stop breaches. From Capita’s data leaks to Harrods’ containment chaos, and Co-op’s app disruption to the MOVEit dominoes, governance frameworks have failed where basic cyber hygiene would have succeeded.
Cyber Essentials, often dismissed as small business fluff, turns out to be the missing frontline control in all of these high-profile failures. This article names names, unpacks the gaps, and shows why CE+ is no longer optional, it's essential.

ISO27001 vs Cyber Essentials (Part 1/3): Why They’re Not the Same and Why That Matters More Than Ever
Think Cyber Essentials and ISO27001 are just different flavours of the same thing? Think again. One’s a tactical shield against everyday threats, the other’s a strategic blueprint for governance. Mistake one for the other, and you’ll either overspend or leave the door wide open.
This article rips into the dangerous misconception that they’re interchangeable, explores how Cyber Essentials is built for every organisation, from startups to schools, and why it remains your frontline defence while ISO27001 governs the back office. Ignore this and you risk joining the breach statistics next quarter.

Ransomware Isn’t the Disease. It’s Just the Symptom.
Ransomware isn’t your biggest problem—it’s just the one that finally made you look. Behind every cyberattack sits a decade of crap decisions, from budget-stretched IT to untrained staff, weak passwords, and clueless suppliers.
You didn’t get hit because you were unlucky. You got hit because your house was already on fire.
This is part one of a blistering three-part series breaking down the disease beneath the ransomware epidemic ripping through the UK’s small business sector.
If you think you’re too small to be a target, read this—and pray you’re not already infected.

May 2025 Patch Tuesday: Microsoft Preps Fixes for Broken Logins, Missed Patches, and Security Chaos
May’s Patch Tuesday is coming in hot—and if April’s mess left your domain logins broken, WSUS deployments in meltdown, or your Hello PIN sulking in the corner, you’ll want this one.
Microsoft is set to mop up its authentication chaos, plug lingering Windows 10 holes, and squash a few zero-days while it’s at it.
But that’s not all. Adobe, Intel, and SAP are sneaking in updates too. This month’s patch drop might not be as noisy as April, but it’s arguably more important.
Brace yourself for impact on 14 May—and don’t forget to test before clicking “Install.”

Pearson’s Cybersecurity Fiasco: A Legacy of Incompetence and Arrogance

UK Legal Aid Agency Breach: Cybersecurity Incompetence Meets Supply Chain Chaos
The UK Legal Aid Agency has been hit by a serious cybersecurity incident—and the fallout could be catastrophic.
With over 1.5 million legal aid cases a year and £2.3 billion in funding flowing through its systems, sensitive data from criminal, immigration, and abuse cases could now be in the hands of cybercriminals.
Was it a supply chain failure? A government screw-up? (Spoiler: probably both.) If you thought justice was blind, wait until you see how blindfolded their cybersecurity really was. Here's everything they’re not telling you—yet.
⚠️ Full Disclaimer
This is my personal blog. The views, opinions, and content shared here are mine and mine alone. They do not reflect or represent the views, beliefs, or policies of:
My employer
Any current or past clients, suppliers, or partners
Any other organisation I’m affiliated with in any capacity
Nothing here should be taken as formal advice — legal, technical, financial, or otherwise. If you’re making decisions for your business, always seek professional advice tailored to your situation.
Where I mention products, services, or companies, that’s based purely on my own experience and opinions — I’m not being paid to promote anything. If that ever changes, I’ll make it clear.
In short: This is my personal space to share my personal views. No one else is responsible for what’s written here — so if you have a problem with something, take it up with me, not my employer.