The National Cyber Security Centre have issued some new guidance on “Using online services safely.”
To avoid having to set up and manage their own IT infrastructure, many small businesses use online or cloud services. For instance, these might include email, online storage, online accounting and managing of invoicing, website hosting, and social media.
The guidance is designed to help small businesses reduce the likelihood of cyber attacks when using these services.
The guidance provides help on:
- Choosing a good service,
- Backing up critical data,
- Protecting the domain name you use for your website and email addresses,
- Creating separate user accounts and securing them,
- Protecting your admin accounts,
- Defending against malware,
- Using the security features that are built into the service, and
- Recovering a hacked account or service.
If you are a small business without the resources to employ a dedicated IT specialist, this advice can help you to consider and cover off the risks you face when using online services.
For the guidance, see:
Energy regulator Ofgem has announced a 4% increase in the energy price cap for the period covering 1 October to 31 December 2026. This increase reflects higher wholesale gas prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with volatile global gas markets remaining the dominant driver of price changes.
UK businesses are facing a “cost of business crisis”, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Its new cost-stack calculator shows government policy alone has pushed up an average firm's expenses by 70% over the past decade, adding roughly £827,000 a year in costs for a typical mid-sized business. About a quarter of the rise stems from the increase in employer National Insurance contributions, with the higher minimum wage and mandatory pension auto-enrolment also major contributors.
