The Small
Business
Cyber Security Guy
⭐100K+ Monthly Downloads | ⭐Top 20 Apple Management | 🎧>2.5K per episode
Welcome to the blog and podcast, where we 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 and the team’s thoughts, not those of our employers, 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 we unpack it all. Pull up a chair.
The 5-Step IoT Device Audit: Find and Secure Every Forgotten Computer on Your Network (Copy)
A 30-person marketing agency in Manchester did everything right. £15,000 invested in proper security: new firewalls, enterprise endpoint protection, hardware authentication keys for every staff member, and even an external security audit that came back clean.
They were feeling quite good about themselves. Two months later?
Someone had been accessing their client files for weeks through their HP printer that still used admin/admin as credentials.
Total costs: £43,400 direct expenses, three lost clients, five renegotiated contracts, and ongoing competitive damage.
This is the complete story of how a £300 printer defeated a £15,000 security investment.
Real timeline. Real costs. Real lessons you need before this happens to you.
The 5-Step IoT Device Audit: Find and Secure Every Forgotten Computer on Your Network
Practical Value: After Monday's podcast about the marketing agency breach through an unsecured printer, the most common question we've received is: "How do I actually do this audit myself?" Fair question.
Telling business owners they have a problem is easy. Providing practical steps to fix it is harder. This guide walks you through conducting a comprehensive IoT device audit using free tools. Time investment: 4-6 hours for initial audit.
Cost: Free to £200 for network scanning tools.
Difficulty: Intermediate. Can be done by office managers with IT support.
Discover every forgotten device before attackers do.
Start this weekend.
Prevent your £43,000 breach.
⚠️ 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.