Useful Information

Heathrow Closed! – Why Small Businesses must do better when disaster strikes…

Industry News, Small Business, Useful Information / /

We’ve all seen the headlines. Heathrow’s major outage, system failures, and disruptions that have brought half the country to a standstill because of a fire at a power substation. Could this have been predicted?  These events, while often large-scale, serve as a stark reminder of the fragility of our interconnected world.  At the core of […]

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The Risks and Challenges of Legacy IT Systems: Why Modernisation Matters for Your Business

IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses rely heavily on technology to stay competitive and efficient. However, many organisations are still grappling with legacy IT systems – outdated hardware and software that were once modern but now hinder progress. While the allure of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might seem appealing, clinging to legacy

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Come and Meet Us at the next Surrey Heartlands Digital Event!

Industry News, Useful Information / /

Magikos IT will be attending the Surrey Heartlands – ‘Building on the Digital Future of Adult Social Care’ Event – to be held at Dorking Halls on Wednesday 12th March 2025 Follow this link for tickets to the event: https://SHbuildingonthedigitalfuture25.eventbrite.co.uk Come and talk to us about how Magikos IT can help you manage important security

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Are You Ready for the New UK Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill?

Industry News, IT Security, Useful Information / /

The UK Government is gearing up to introduce the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill in 2025. This landmark legislation aims to bolster the nation’s cyber defences and safeguard critical infrastructure and digital services in the face of escalating cyber threats. The UK’s Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill will have a far-reaching impact on businesses of all sizes

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Beware Black Friday Bargains: Common Online Shopping Scams

IT Security, Useful Information / /

The days either side of the Thanksgiving weekend – commonly referred to as Black Friday and Cyber Monday – have become the busiest online shopping days of the year in the Western world. Whilst the potential to truly ‘bag a bargain’ is up for debate, one certainty is that these shopping events present a perfect

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No Password Required – The Pros and Cons of Going Passwordless

IT Security, New Technologies, Useful Information / /

The shift towards passwordless methods of authentication is slowly gaining momentum as organisations seek to enhance security and improve user experience. But what does this mean in practice and do the potential benefits outweigh the challenges involved? How Does It Work? Passwordless authentication is exactly what the name suggests – authentication that doesn’t rely on

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The Ring Has Gone Silent: The UK Says Goodbye to Analogue Phones

Industry News, Useful Information / /

What’s Happening and Why? For decades, the crackle and hum of the analogue phone line were the soundtrack to our conversations. But, like the rotary phone before it, the traditional analogue phone is being relegated to the history books. The UK is undergoing a digital switchover, phasing out the old copper wire network in favour

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Your Own Private Network – How a VPN Can Protect You in More Ways Than One

IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, home working has seen a dramatic rise in popularity across almost all business sectors. The increased flexibility that home working offers, coupled with significant savings in travel time and commuting costs means that this phenomenon is here to stay. Whilst home working offers significant benefits to both employees and employers, it

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Beware the Sneaky Zipper! How a Tiny Trick in Your URL Can Unzip Trouble

IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

Imagine you receive an email with a link that appears to be from a legitimate source, like Google Drive. The link might say something like “documents.google.com[.]zip” – notice the extra dot and “zip” at the end. This seemingly minor addition is what makes it dangerous. .zip was recently added as a new domain which means

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Millions Exposed: Ticketmaster & Santander Hacks – How to Protect Yourself

IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

Ticketmaster and Santander bank recently suffered major data breaches, potentially impacting over 590 million customers. While the source of the attack is debated, experts warn it highlights the dangers of interconnected systems. What data was exposed?Reports suggest hackers gained access to 30 million people’s bank account details, 6 million account numbers and balances, 28 million

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Cloud Backup – A Guardian Angel for Your Data

Industry News, IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

How can you protect your precious data? In today’s digital world, our data is more valuable than ever. Businesses now hold the majority of their data in a digital format and we as individuals also generate a huge amount of data over our lifetimes, including photos and media files. These files don’t just hold immense

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Block Out the Noise: Why Ad Blockers are Essential in 2024

IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

Fed Up with Online Ads? Imagine you’re trying to read a recipe online. You’re following along, picturing that delicious cake, when suddenly… BAM! A giant ad for the latest vacuum cleaner blocks half the screen. You close it, but then another ad pops up, this time for shoes you never clicked on. Sound familiar? This

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SCA Spring Conference – Thursday 9th May 2024

Industry News, Useful Information / /

Magikos IT will be attending the Surrey Care Association Spring Conference to be held at Dorking Halls on Thursday 9th May 2024 Follow this link for further information about the event: https://my.surreycare.org.uk/calendar_detail.html?eid=5CE723E4-E0DE-4335-9970-EE5CAF3FE72A Magikos IT is a local and friendly IT company with over 10 years experience supporting the health and social care industry. Come and

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The Digital Journey – What Lies Ahead for Adult Social Care?

IT Security, New Technologies, Useful Information / /

A New Future Beckons: How Digital Tools are Reshaping Adult Social Care The landscape of adult social care is on the cusp of a transformative journey, propelled by the ever-evolving world of digital tools. As our population ages and the demand for high-quality care intensifies, we’re witnessing a move from traditional models towards a future

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The Importance of Cyber Essentials Certification

Industry News, IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

What is it and why does it matter? In the age of digital dominance, where data reigns supreme and cyber threats lurk around every corner, UK businesses must take steps to mitigate their vulnerabilities. One vital step that organisations can take to help protect themselves is the acquisition of Cyber Essentials Certification, a government-backed scheme

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Could a Hacker Guess Your Password?

Industry News, IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

How strong is your password? A recent report from NordPass contains a list of the most commonly used passwords in the US and 29 other countries. The report shows that people are still frequently using weak passwords like ‘guest,‘123456’, Password1, ‘a1b2c3’ and ‘qwerty’ to protect their accounts. Worryingly, 83% of these passwords can be cracked

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Mass-Mail Services, DKIM, DMARC & SPF – What’s The Story?

Industry News, IT Security, Small Business, Useful Information / /

Introduction In October 2023, a major shake-up of email configuration was announced (initially by Google and Yahoo), particularly in relation to its use for mass-mailing services such as Constant Contact, Mailchimp and Hubspot. The issue relates to email authorization changes happening with these service providers, all related to DKIM, DMARC, and SPF. The objective of

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2-Factor Authentication – Why does it matter?

Industry News, IT Security, Useful Information / /

Cybercrime is on the rise! Simple and/or outdated security systems are no match for modern threats and attacks. For companies dealing with sensitive data, such as health care organisations, loss of data represents a breach of GDPR, which can have devastating consequences. Unfortunately, it is often the users who are targeted, with their log in

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