Somerbys IT

15/06/2026

❗The news that the University of Nottingham has been hit by a cyber attack lands close to home for businesses across the East Midlands.

It's a reminder that the data we all hold: customer records, financial details, employee information, has become one of our most valuable assets, and that makes it a target. Not just for the big names. For organisations of every size, in every sector.

Here's the shift we'd encourage every business owner to make in 2026: stop asking "will it happen to us?" and start asking "how well would we cope if it did?"

Prevention still matters enormously. But the organisations that come through an incident with their reputation intact are usually the ones who'd already thought about the messy middle - who takes charge, how the team finds out, what happens when systems go dark, and how you keep customers informed when you're under pressure. Most importantly, whether any of that has ever been tested before the day it counts.

Resilience isn't a luxury bolted on after prevention. It's the other half of the same job.

If you hold sensitive data and you're not sure how your business would respond, that's worth a conversation - and a much calmer one to have now than in the middle of an incident. https://f.mtr.cool/dwuitjvief

The University of Nottingham has apologised to those affected for "any anxiety" caused.

10/06/2026

Some of our clients just want their technology to work - and the quiet confidence of knowing they're protected from threats.

Others want a clear hand on the wheel: how technology can grow with them and support where the business is heading.

We do both.

And whichever camp you're in, every client gets regular business reviews - a proper sit-down to make sure you're happy with everything we're doing for you, and that your IT is still pulling in the right direction.

That's IT support with a human touch.

https://f.mtr.cool/cmxrjfvfrt

06/06/2026

More birthday celebrations this week!

Big birthday wishes to Greg, we hope you have a fantastic weekend full of celebrations 🎂

27/05/2026

May has been a month of celebrations 🎉

Happy birthday to Ben on the 9th and Alan on the 13th we hope you both had a great day celebrating! 🥳

Plus a huge congratulations to Kit who celebrates 15 years at Somerbys IT - an incredible achievement and we're graterful for all your hard work and dedication.

26/05/2026

"What should we actually be paying for IT support?"

It's one of the trickiest questions to answer when you're planning next year's budget.

Hardware prices are climbing globally. Support quotes seem to vary wildly from one provider to the next. So how do you build a realistic number into your forecast - without sitting through three sales calls just to get a ballpark?

We can't change what's happening with global hardware pricing. But we can make the support side of your budget genuinely transparent.

Our online pricing calculator gives you a clear estimate in seconds:
✔ No sales calls
✔ No commitments
✔ Just an honest starting point

Take a look and see where you stand →

Discover the cost of IT support tailored to your business needs. Use our interactive pricing calculator to estimate your IT service quotation quickly. Try it now!

29/04/2026

Five common trip-ups we see in Cyber Essentials assessments - all fixable before you submit:

1. "We have MFA — mostly." One user without it is an auto-fail.
2. The cloud app nobody mentioned. If your team uses it, it's in scope.
3. The old Windows machine in the corner of reception.
4. The ex-employee still sitting in your accounting software.
5. Patching that "usually" happens, with no report to prove it.

Our April readiness guide walks through all five, plus a full checklist you can work through yourself.
It's free to download: https://f.mtr.cool/miqmkbyrul

27/04/2026

Today is the day.
The new Cyber Essentials question set (Danzell) is live as of this morning. Any assessment account created from today onwards is on the new rules. Accounts set up before today stay on the old Willow question set for six more months.

The single biggest change most businesses will feel is around MFA. It's no longer "expected" on your cloud services - it's mandatory, across every user, on every cloud service in scope.

One missing user, one shared mailbox, one forgotten admin account: auto-fail.

If you're due for renewal this year, the question worth asking today is simply: do we actually know that MFA is enforced everywhere, or do we just assume it is?
There's a difference. And the new assessment criteria are built to tell them apart.

Our April guide walks through the full checklist: https://f.mtr.cool/avijugdoyl

17/04/2026

Meet Kit our IT Services Coordinator 👋

Here are a few facts about our Kit...

The best thing about working at Somerbys IT: The people I work with

Hobbies/interests: Listening to Black/Death Metal, Computer Gaming, Gardening, Nature/going for walks, Reading books, Current Affairs

Kit's thoughts: "Bottled German beers are much better than silly IPAs and other rubbish you get in pubs these days"

10/04/2026

🔐 Cyber Essentials is changing this April - are you ready?

From 27 April 2026, the updated Cyber Essentials scheme goes live.

The five core controls haven’t changed - but how you’re assessed has.

Here’s what businesses need to know:
✅ MFA is now pass or fail
If a cloud service you use offers MFA and it isn’t switched on, the assessment fails - no fixes, no second chances.
✅ 14‑day patching is non‑negotiable
Critical and high‑risk security updates must be applied within 14 days. Miss the window and it’s an automatic fail.
✅ Cloud services can’t be excluded
Any cloud service that stores or processes business data must be included in scope - including Microsoft 365, finance systems, CRMs and more.
✅ Stricter marking & evidence
Key controls like MFA and patching are assessed more tightly, with less margin for interpretation.
✅ New assessment format: Danzell
The old question set has been replaced to remove ambiguity and reflect real‑world security expectations.

💡 What this means
Cyber Essentials isn’t getting harder but it is getting less forgiving.

If your certification or renewal is due after April, now is the time to check your readiness, not the week before submission.

💬 Not sure if you’d pass today?

Get in touch with Somerbys IT and let’s make sure there are no surprises.

https://f.mtr.cool/fmsaosfgif

06/04/2026

We take Staff Training & Support seriously.

Because you can’t expect your team to use technology well if they’ve never been shown how.

That’s why we focus on:
• Cyber security awareness training for every employee
• Clear processes for support requests and self‑service help
• Empowering your team to use tools properly - and securely

If you want your staff to feel confident, protected, and supported, start with the basics: good training.