Security Everywhere

16/10/2026

Why should one person never be able to move money on their own?

Because people are busy. They work hard, they get tired, and a scammer only needs to catch them at the right moment.

We dealt with a case like this. A charity lost £80,000 that way.

With a second person in the process, someone would have said: hold on a second, this invoice doesn't look right. Let's wait until tomorrow and check before we pay.

If one person can approve and send a payment in your business, this is worth a look.

Free email security health check, read-only, 15 minutes to set up:
https://keap.page/hre066/free-email-security-health-check.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=logan_q40

13/10/2026

Miya runs the events at Propertymark. A few days before our Newmarket conference, someone got into her Hotmail account.

Then emails from Disney+ started arriving with sign-in codes she never asked for. By the time she logged in, they had changed her email address and password and locked her out.

She did the right things. She called Disney+, got her account back, changed her passwords starting with her email and Apple ID, and turned on two-step verification.

When she told me at Newmarket, we put Lookout mobile security on her phone there and then.

In her words: "I thought Apple was secure, but clearly not."

Your email is the key to everything else. Whoever gets into it can reset the password on almost every other account you own.

Two things worth doing this week:
1. Turn on two-step verification on your email first.
2. Check your phone's saved passwords for any that have been in a breach.

Thank you, Miya, for letting me share this.

If you're a Propertymark subscriber, mobile device security may already be part of your membership. Email [email protected] and we'll help you switch it on.

09/10/2026

Before paying an invoice, what should you actually check?

First, check the bank details match the ones you've paid before. If they match, fine. If anything has changed, stop.

If you work in accounts, here's the habit. Pick up the phone. Use the number on their website, not the one on the invoice. Call their accounts team and make one hundred percent sure the invoice is genuine.

One call costs a minute. Worth sharing with your accounts team.

Want to see what's reaching your inboxes? Our free email security health check is read-only, 15 minutes to set up, nothing to install:
https://keap.page/hre066/free-email-security-health-check.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=logan_q6

09/10/2026

Meet Logan, the Security Everywhere cyber duck.

Every Friday at 1pm he answers one cyber security question, with Francis West's advice, short enough to watch with your coffee. Today's lands at 1pm.

Got a question of your own? Drop it in the comments. Logan might answer it on a Friday soon.

02/10/2026

Why do scammers love Friday afternoons?

Because Friday is completion day. Property deals close, big sums move, and everyone's rushing to finish before the weekend.

Once a scammer is inside someone's email, they sit quietly and watch. They learn who's paying who, and when. Then, on a busy Friday afternoon, a perfectly timed email arrives with new bank details.

Francis West's rule is simple. Never trust bank details that arrive by email. Pick up the phone and call a number you already know. Not the one in the email.

Share this with whoever releases payments in your business.

Want to see what's reaching your inboxes right now? Our free email security health check is read-only, takes 15 minutes to set up and needs nothing installed:
https://keap.page/hre066/free-email-security-health-check.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=logan_q10

02/10/2026

Meet Logan, the Security Everywhere cyber duck.

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, so it felt like the right time to introduce him. Every Friday at 1pm, Logan answers one cyber security question that catches out so many companies. Each answer is Francis West's advice, kept short enough to watch with your coffee.

The first one goes out at 1pm today.

Got a question of your own? Drop it in the comments. Logan might answer it on a Friday soon.

23/09/2026

This made the Mirror and Birmingham Mail this year, and it's exactly the kind of case I see too often.

A friend's nephew had his conveyancer's email impersonated. The deposit account got switched. Both the bank and the firm refused to take responsibility. He'll be living with his parents for years to save up again.

Here's the uncomfortable stat: fewer than 5% of people, and only 9-10% of UK businesses, have their email locked down enough to stop this outright.

The fix isn't complicated. Run a free DMARC check on your domain. If you're not at the strongest "reject" level, someone can still impersonate you.

As featured in the Mirror and Birmingham Mail.

16/09/2026

The Express asked me for five practical steps anyone can take right now. Here they are, no jargon:

1. Run a free DMARC check on your domain. If you're not at the strongest "reject" level, someone can still impersonate you.
2. Turn on two-step verification everywhere. It's the National Cyber Security Centre's number one recommendation.
3. Stop reusing passwords, especially on your main email account. Use a password manager instead.
4. Check Have I Been Pwned. 17.8 billion breached accounts are logged across 1,000+ sites, worth knowing if yours is one of them.
5. Never act on a bank detail change by email alone. Call the person on a number you already had, not one in the message.

Only 9-10% of UK businesses have their email locked down enough to stop impersonation outright. These five things get you there.

As featured in the Express.

31/08/2026

I feel assured that my devices are protected as potential attempts to attack my system are being intercepted.

I feel assured that my devices are protected as potential attempts to attack my system are being intercepted. . ★★★★★

28/08/2026

Great turnout again this morning at FORE Business Elstree, hosted at The Hertsmere Golf Club! 🏌️ Golf, breakfast and genuinely useful connections with other local business owners — always a great way to start a Tuesday.

If you know a business owner who'd get value from a room full of decision-makers, our Golden Ticket gets them a free month's trial before they decide to join: fore-business.com/goldenticket

Next meeting: Tuesday 22 September, 7am.

Always be Cybersafe
Francis West

As a member of “FORE” Business we will allow you to invite a connection to experience “FORE” Business and receive their first month FREE! In return, we will add 50 points to your membership portal to be used against a range of items once your refered member has been a member for 3 months.