Practical IT and cyber security advice from Equate Group — Buckinghamshire-based MSP serving UK small and medium businesses since 2006.https://www.equategroup.com/en-gbhttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/patch-tuesday-may-2026-uk-smb/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/patch-tuesday-may-2026-uk-smb/Microsoft's May 2026 Patch Tuesday: 137 CVEs, 30 critical, and for the first time in nearly two years, no zero-days. Here's what UK small businesses should actually patch this week.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTCyber SecurityEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/is-your-technology-running-your-business-or-ruining-your-mornings/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/is-your-technology-running-your-business-or-ruining-your-mornings/Monday morning IT fires, printer won't print, nobody can log in, Wi-Fi drops in the back office. Why this happens, what it really costs, and how to make Monday boring again.Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTManaged ITEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/your-kids-gaming-rig-beats-your-office-network/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/your-kids-gaming-rig-beats-your-office-network/A teenager's gaming setup is optimised, monitored, and patched constantly. Most business IT is accumulated and tolerated. Why that gap matters, and how to close it.Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTManaged ITEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/spring-cleaning-for-your-technology/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/spring-cleaning-for-your-technology/Old laptops, printers and drives accumulate. Here's a practical four-step framework for retiring business IT equipment the right way, safely, securely, and in line with UK WEEE regulations.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTManaged ITEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/three-spring-scams-fooling-uk-teams-right-now/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/three-spring-scams-fooling-uk-teams-right-now/Three current scams targeting UK businesses, fake Dartford Crossing fines, fake file shares, and AI-written phishing, and the simple team habits that stop them cold.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTCyber SecurityEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-supply-chain-trap-why-your-vendors-are-your-biggest-security-risk/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-supply-chain-trap-why-your-vendors-are-your-biggest-security-risk/You invested in a great firewall, trained your team on phishing, and now you feel secure. But what about your accounting firm’s security? Your cloud hosting provider? The SaaS tool your marketing teamWed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTCyber SecurityEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-insider-threat-you-overlooked-proper-employee-offboarding/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-insider-threat-you-overlooked-proper-employee-offboarding/Imagine a former employee, maybe someone who didn’t leave on the best terms. Their login still works, their company email still forwards messages, and they can still access the project management toolFri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTIT ManagementEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-2026-hybrid-strategy-why-cloud-only-might-be-a-mistake/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-2026-hybrid-strategy-why-cloud-only-might-be-a-mistake/Since cloud computing became mainstream, promising agility, simplicity, offloaded maintenance, and scalability, the message was clear: “Move everything to the cloud.” But once the initial migration waSun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTCloudEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/managing-cloud-waste-as-you-scale/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/managing-cloud-waste-as-you-scale/When you first move your data and computing resources to the cloud, the bills often seem manageable. But as your business grows, a worrying trend can appear. Your cloud expenses start climbing faster Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTCloudEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/beyond-chatbots-preparing-your-small-business-for-agentic-ai-in-2026/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/beyond-chatbots-preparing-your-small-business-for-agentic-ai-in-2026/AI chatbots can answer questions. But now picture an AI that goes further, updating your CRM, booking appointments, and sending emails automatically. This isn’t some far-off future. It’s where things Thu, 05 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-server-refresh-deadline-why-windows-server-2016s-end-of-support-should-drive-your-cloud-migration-plan/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-server-refresh-deadline-why-windows-server-2016s-end-of-support-should-drive-your-cloud-migration-plan/Time moves fast in the world of technology, and operating systems that once felt cutting-edge are becoming obsolete. With Microsoft having set the deadline for Windows Server 2016 End of Support to JaSat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTCloudEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-mfa-level-up-why-sms-codes-are-no-longer-enough-and-what-to-use-instead/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-mfa-level-up-why-sms-codes-are-no-longer-enough-and-what-to-use-instead/For years, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication MFA has been a cornerstone of account and device security. While MFA remains essential, the threat landscape has evolved, making some older methods lessWed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTCyber SecurityEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-daily-cloud-checkup-a-simple-15-minute-routine-to-prevent-misconfiguration-and-data-leaks/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-daily-cloud-checkup-a-simple-15-minute-routine-to-prevent-misconfiguration-and-data-leaks/Moving to the cloud offers incredible flexibility and speed, but it also introduces new responsibilities for your team. Cloud security is not a “set it and forget it” type task, small mistakes can quiFri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTCloudEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-deepfake-ceo-scam-why-voice-cloning-is-the-new-business-email-compromise-bec/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-deepfake-ceo-scam-why-voice-cloning-is-the-new-business-email-compromise-bec/The phone rings, and it’s your boss. The voice is unmistakable; with the same flow and tone you’ve come to expect. They’re asking for a favor: an urgent wire transfer to lock in a new vendor contract,Sun, 15 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/securing-the-third-place-office-policy-guidelines-for-employees-working-from-coffee-shops-and-coworking-spaces/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/securing-the-third-place-office-policy-guidelines-for-employees-working-from-coffee-shops-and-coworking-spaces/The modern office extends far beyond traditional cubicles or open-plan spaces. Since the concept of remote work became popularized in the COVID and post-COVID era, employees now find themselves workinTue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTCyber SecurityEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/ais-hidden-cost-how-to-audit-your-microsoft-365-copilot-usage-to-avoid-massive-licensing-waste/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/ais-hidden-cost-how-to-audit-your-microsoft-365-copilot-usage-to-avoid-massive-licensing-waste/Artificial Intelligence AI has taken the business world by storm, pushing organizations of all sizes to adopt new tools that boost efficiency and sharpen their competitive edge. Among these tools, MicThu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-smarter-way-to-vet-your-saas-integrations/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/the-smarter-way-to-vet-your-saas-integrations/Your business runs on a SaaS software-as-a-service application stack, and you learn about a new SaaS tool that promises to boost productivity and streamline one of your most tedious processes. The temFri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTIT ManagementEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/how-to-use-conditional-access-to-grant-and-revoke-contractor-access-in-60-minutes/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/how-to-use-conditional-access-to-grant-and-revoke-contractor-access-in-60-minutes/Managing contractor logins can be a real headache. You need to grant access quickly so work can begin, but that often means sharing passwords or creating accounts that never get deleted. It’s the clasSun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTIT ManagementEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/how-to-implement-zero-trust-for-your-office-guest-wi-fi-network/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/how-to-implement-zero-trust-for-your-office-guest-wi-fi-network/Guest Wi-Fi is a convenience your visitors expect and a hallmark of good customer service. But it’s also one of the riskiest points in your network. A shared password that’s been passed around for yeaTue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTCyber SecurityEquate Grouphttps://www.equategroup.com/blog/6-ways-to-prevent-leaking-private-data-through-public-ai-tools/https://www.equategroup.com/blog/6-ways-to-prevent-leaking-private-data-through-public-ai-tools/We all agree that public AI tools are fantastic for general tasks such as brainstorming ideas and working with non-sensitive customer data. They help us draft quick emails, write marketing copy, and eThu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMTAIEquate Group