IT247nw

14/10/2026

🚨 Another UK retailer hit by a cyber attack. Is your business prepared?

The owner of high-street fashion brands Hobbs and Whistles has been targeted in a cyber attack, marking the second hack on a UK retailer in just one week.

It’s another reminder that no business is immune to cyber threats. From retailers to small and medium-sized businesses, a single incident can disrupt operations, compromise data and damage customer trust.

So, what can your business do to reduce the risk?

✔️ Keep systems and software up to date
✔️ Use multi-factor authentication (MFA)
✔️ Train staff to recognise phishing emails and suspicious activity
✔️ Back up critical data regularly
✔️ Ensure you have the right security measures and monitoring in place

Cyber security isn’t just an IT issue. It’s a business priority.

We help businesses take a proactive approach to cyber security, identifying vulnerabilities and strengthening their defences before problems arise.

📩 Want to review your business’s cyber security? Lets chat.

The Foschini Group (TFG) said it became aware of the ’cybersecurity incident’ on Sunday

12/10/2026

⚠️ Cyber Security Alert: Phishing Emails Are Finding Their Way Into Your Calendar

Think phishing emails only arrive in your inbox? Think again.

Cyber criminals are exploiting calendar invitations to get malicious links and fraudulent phone numbers in front of unsuspecting users.

Depending on your calendar settings, a fake meeting invitation could be added automatically — and even if the original email is deleted or filtered out, the calendar entry may remain, triggering a reminder later.

These reminders can look convincing, claiming that:

A subscription has automatically renewed
An invoice is overdue
An account requires urgent attention

How can you protect yourself and your business?

✅ Don’t click links or call numbers in unexpected calendar invitations.
✅ Check the sender carefully before taking any action.
✅ Verify suspicious payment requests or account alerts directly through the company’s official website.
✅ Review your calendar settings to understand how external invitations are handled.

🔐 A simple rule: if you weren’t expecting it, don’t assume it’s legitimate.

If unexpected appointments or suspicious reminders are appearing in your team’s calendars, let’s have a chat. We can help review your settings and strengthen your cyber security measures.

05/10/2026

Your team might be exposing client data through AI tools you don’t control.

Staff are pasting emails, contracts, internal notes into free AI apps they’ve found online.

These tools often store data offshore. Some connect to other apps silently. Others retain and reuse what gets uploaded.

This is called Shadow IT.

Even one unapproved tool can cause legal issues, break a client NDA, or leak private data you’re obligated to protect.

Here’s what to do:

📱 Ask your team to list any AI tools they’ve tried or used

📱 Check the data policies for each one, especially around storage and access

📱 Block high-risk tools at the firewall or browser level

📱 Write a short policy that outlines what’s safe, what’s not, and who to ask before testing something new

If you want help auditing what’s already in use, or need a hand locking things down, we’ll sort it.

02/10/2026

A HUGE SATURDAY AT THE BRIG!

We’ve got a full day of football, music, PNE legends, food and drink lined up this Saturday at Bamber Bridge FC!

Here’s the plan 👇

🕛 12PM – CLUBHOUSE & GATES OPEN

Get down early, grab a drink and settle in for a full afternoon of football.

🏆 12:30PM – FA CUP LIVE IN THE CLUBHOUSE

Brentwood Town v Dagenham & Redbridge

FA Cup Third Qualifying Round action live on the screens.

📺 We’ll also be showing the famous Bamber Bridge v Czech Republic game from 1995 in the clubhouse during the afternoon!

🎧 DJ BEFORE & AFTER THE GAME

Keeping the atmosphere going throughout the day!

🎙️ 2PM – PNE LEGENDS Q&A

A brilliant chance to hear from THREE former Preston North End Football Club favourites:

⚪ Brian O’Neil
⚪ Paul McKenna
⚪ Youl Mawene

⚽️ 3PM – BAMBER BRIDGE v QUORN

The main event as Brig take to the pitch!

🔥 PLUS – SONICBOY IS MAKING A SPECIAL APPEARANCE! 🔥

Keep your eyes peeled around the ground during the day! 👀. He may even race The Brig Cat at half-time!

Who’s your money on? 🐱🏁

🏴 5PM – ENGLAND LIVE IN THE CLUBHOUSE

Stick around after the Brig game and watch England with us!

🍗 FREE chicken wings & chips
🥃 FREE Jäger shot at half-time!

Football from lunchtime until the evening, a DJ, PNE legends, FA Cup action, SonicBoy and England on the screens — make a full day of it at The Brig! 🙌

🏠 Clubhouse open from 12pm

📅 Saturday 3rd October
⏰ 3PM KICK-OFF
🎟️ Adults £10 | Concessions & Students £5
👨‍👩‍👧 UNDER 16s FREE with an adult!
🎫 ANY EFL SEASON TICKET HOLDERS – JUST £5 ENTRY!

Come down early and get behind the club!

01/10/2026

We’re proudly based right here at Preston Docks.

While we serve businesses across the UK, our Preston office is the heart of our operations — providing reliable, responsive IT support, cybersecurity solutions, and strategic tech advice to local businesses who want to stay one step ahead.

From managed services to cloud solutions and compliance, our local team is here to keep your business secure, efficient, and always connected.

🛡️ Cybersecurity
⚙️ IT Support & Strategy
☁️ Cloud & Backup Solutions

Proud sponsors of Bamber Bridge FC, Shaw Hill Golf Club and Jackson Racing 🤝

Give us a call, or drop us a message — let’s talk tech that works for you.

23/09/2026

Need a Second Opinion on Your IT Support?

Many businesses stay with the same IT provider for years without ever reviewing whether they’re receiving the best service, value, or security.

Technology moves quickly, and what worked for your business a few years ago may no longer be the right fit today.

At IT247NW, we offer a free, no-obligation IT review to help you understand:

✅ Whether your current IT support is meeting your business needs
✅ Potential security risks and vulnerabilities
✅ Opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce downtime
✅ Whether you’re getting the best value for your investment

Even if you’re happy with your current provider, a second opinion can provide valuable insight and peace of mind.

📞 Call us for a free review: 01772 369247

22/09/2026

Your backup communication channel needs to use a different service from your company email and chat.

If Microsoft 365 goes down, you may lose Outlook and Teams at the same time. If you think an account has been compromised, don't use either one to discuss the response because the attacker may be reading those messages.

Set up a separate way to contact staff during an outage or cyberattack. A managed SMS service or private messaging group can work for a small business.

Check how staff sign in before choosing the service. A backup messaging app that relies on Microsoft for its login may stop working alongside Microsoft 365.

Keep a copy of the staff contact list somewhere you can access without your main work account. Include the details for your IT provider and cyber insurer.

Decide who can send an emergency alert and how employees can confirm that the message is genuine. Then test the channel by sending a message and checking who receives it.

Need help setting this up? Send us a message and we'll work through it with you.

18/09/2026

Paul Jordan will spearhead the Jackson Racing team’s debut in the International Road Racing Championship (IRRC) at Frohburg in Germany this weekend.

Images Jackson Racing Paul Jordan getting ready to race the powered by Prosper² Ducati V2 🏍️

Good luck to the team for the weekend ahead! 🏁

Paul Jordan

18/09/2026

17/09/2026

Scammers look through LinkedIn for new employees and people who work in finance, payroll and IT.

A new-job post gives them a person’s name and role. A job advert may reveal which software the company uses. Project updates can disclose client names, suppliers and travel plans.

That information can be used in fake messages pretending to come from a manager, coworker or supplier.

Ask employees not to post screenshots, staff badges, unannounced client names, supplier changes or travel plans before or during a trip.

Search for your company’s name and review what its employees, job adverts and public posts reveal.