https://ownersec.co.uk/ Practical cyber security guides for UK owner-managers who are not IT people. en-gb Thu, 12 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000 https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cyber-essentials-password-mfa-requirements-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cyber-essentials-password-mfa-requirements-uk-sme-2026Thu, 12 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000What Cyber Essentials v3.3 actually asks about passwords and MFA, in plain English. The 12 character rule, lockouts, cloud MFA and the auto-fail to avoid. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/how-to-share-passwords-securely-at-work-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/how-to-share-passwords-securely-at-work-uk-sme-2026Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000Still sending logins by WhatsApp or a spreadsheet? How UK small businesses can share passwords safely, what to stop doing and what to do when someone leaves. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/business-email-hacked-what-to-do-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/business-email-hacked-what-to-do-uk-sme-2026Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000Business email hacked? Take the account back, reset MFA, check forwarding rules, stop payments going missing, and tell the right people. UK checklist. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/nordpass-vs-1password-vs-bitwarden-small-business-ukhttps://ownersec.co.uk/articles/nordpass-vs-1password-vs-bitwarden-small-business-ukSun, 01 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000NordPass, 1Password or Bitwarden for a small UK business? Prices, shared vaults, staff leavers, EU data storage and our pick for each type of team. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/staff-leaver-checklist-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/staff-leaver-checklist-uk-sme-2026Tue, 27 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000A plain-English staff leaver checklist for UK owner-managers: what to do before, on and after someone's last day, from Microsoft 365 to banking. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/php2shell-php-vulnerability-what-small-businesses-should-do-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/php2shell-php-vulnerability-what-small-businesses-should-do-2026Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Is your website affected by PHP2Shell? Check your PHP version, then ask your host to update. Plain-English steps and an email template for UK owners. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cyber-insurance-what-smes-get-asked-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cyber-insurance-what-smes-get-asked-uk-sme-2026Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000What UK cyber insurance questionnaires ask small firms about MFA, passwords, backups and Cyber Essentials, and how to prepare honest answers. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/using-chatgpt-ai-tools-safely-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/using-chatgpt-ai-tools-safely-uk-sme-2026Tue, 13 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Is it safe to use ChatGPT, Copilot or Gemini at work? What not to paste, training settings, UK GDPR basics, AI notetakers, and a one-page staff AI policy. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/remote-work-security-checklist-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/remote-work-security-checklist-uk-sme-2026Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000A plain-English remote and hybrid working security checklist for UK small firms: MFA, password managers, encrypted laptops, Wi-Fi and payment rules. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/onedrive-is-not-a-backup-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/onedrive-is-not-a-backup-uk-sme-2026Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000OneDrive syncs files, but sync is not a backup. What Microsoft 365 keeps, where the gaps are, and a simple backup plan for UK owners with no IT team. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/lost-stolen-laptop-checklist-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/lost-stolen-laptop-checklist-uk-sme-2026Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Staff laptop lost or stolen? A UK SME day-one checklist: lock or wipe it, revoke Microsoft 365 and Google access, rotate passwords, and decide on the ICO. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/mfa-microsoft-365-beginners-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/mfa-microsoft-365-beginners-uk-sme-2026Sun, 04 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000Plain-English steps to turn on MFA in Microsoft 365 for yourself, then your team. Authenticator app vs SMS vs keys, and the gotchas that trip up small firms. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/week-after-phishing-click-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/week-after-phishing-click-uk-sme-2026Fri, 02 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000What to do in the week after a phishing attack: finish password resets, re-enrol MFA, tidy the password vault, and restore from backup safely. For UK SMEs. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/authenticator-apps-mfa-staff-accounts-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/authenticator-apps-mfa-staff-accounts-uk-sme-2026Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000How to roll out authenticator-app MFA to UK staff: Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and your password manager, plus lost phones and leavers. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/invoice-fraud-change-of-bank-details-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/invoice-fraud-change-of-bank-details-uk-sme-2026Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Supplier changed their bank details? How invoice fraud works in the UK, what bank details an invoice should show, and the call-back check before you pay. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/security-cameras-small-office-home-office-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/security-cameras-small-office-home-office-uk-sme-2026Mon, 28 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000When security cameras help a small UK office or home office, when to skip them, UK GDPR and staff notice basics, and what to check before you buy. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/backup-ransomware-restore-test-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/backup-ransomware-restore-test-uk-sme-2026Sun, 20 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Plain-English backup guide for UK SME owners: the 3-2-1 rule, what to back up first, and how to run a quarterly restore test so a bad day stays short. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/first-hour-after-phishing-click-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/first-hour-after-phishing-click-uk-sme-2026Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Someone at work clicked a phishing link or opened a bad attachment? A first-hour checklist for UK SMEs: contain, reset, check, tell people, then harden. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cheap-endpoint-protection-under-50-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cheap-endpoint-protection-under-50-uk-sme-2026Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Cheap, good-enough antivirus for UK firms under 50 staff: Microsoft Defender for Business, Bitdefender GravityZone and lighter options compared. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/shared-logins-shared-gmail-liability-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/shared-logins-shared-gmail-liability-uk-sme-2026Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Why one shared Gmail or Microsoft 365 login is risky for a UK small firm, and how to switch to named accounts, a shared mailbox, MFA and a password manager. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/stop-staff-reusing-passwords-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/stop-staff-reusing-passwords-uk-sme-2026Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000A one-week plan for UK owner-managers to stop password reuse: pick a password manager, move shared logins first, add MFA, and set a two-line house rule. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cyber-essentials-for-beginners-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/cyber-essentials-for-beginners-uk-sme-2026Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Cyber Essentials in plain English for UK small businesses: the five controls, Basic vs Plus, the current cost (from £320 + VAT), and a starter checklist. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/best-password-manager-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/best-password-manager-uk-sme-2026Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Looking for a password manager for business in the UK? 1Password, Bitwarden, NordPass and Keeper compared for 2 to 50 staff, plus a one-week rollout plan. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/1password-vs-bitwarden-uk-sme-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/1password-vs-bitwarden-uk-sme-2026Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +00001Password or Bitwarden for a small UK team? A plain-English comparison of price, sharing, admin and ease of use for a team of about 10 staff. https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/do-uk-smes-need-a-vpn-2026https://ownersec.co.uk/articles/do-uk-smes-need-a-vpn-2026Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000Does your small business need a VPN? When it helps (travel, public Wi-Fi, office systems), when to skip it, rough UK costs, and what to fix first.