Network Six

10/16/2026

Don't trust hotel Wi-Fi. It can be compromised even when you've joined the correct network.

Microsoft has found attackers taking control of the systems used for Wi-Fi login pages at hotels and conference venues.

Once the login system has been compromised, guests can be redirected to a fake Microsoft 365 sign-in page or shown a fake browser update that installs malware.

The timing makes the request believable. You've just connected, the hotel page opens and it says an update is needed before you can continue.

Checking the network name with reception won't help because the hotel's real Wi-Fi is involved.

Use your phone's hotspot for work whenever possible. If you have to use hotel Wi-Fi, never enter your work password into the hotel registration page.

And if the page asks you to download an update, certificate or security tool, disconnect. Joining Wi-Fi shouldn't require you to install anything.

If your staff travel with work laptops, send us a message before their next trip. We'll make sure the devices are properly protected.

09/30/2026

Your bin might be the easiest place to steal your customer data from. Invoices, bank statements and employee files go in the rubbish and anyone can pull them back out. One rule: personal, financial or customer info gets shredded, not binned. Use a cross-cut shredder.

09/29/2026

An email from a supplier says their bank details have changed. You update them, pay the invoice, and the money goes to a criminal. Sometimes the supplier's own account was hacked, so it's genuinely from them. Never change bank details without calling on a number you already have.

09/28/2026

Researchers found the DragonForce ransomware group hiding inside normal Microsoft Teams traffic, undetected for up to two months. Their malware disguised its connection as ordinary Teams activity. Basic antivirus misses this. Ask your IT provider if what you have would catch it.

DragonForce-linked hackers used Backdoor.Turn to route C2 traffic through Microsoft Teams relay infrastructure during a U.S. firm attack.

09/27/2026

When did anyone last look closely at your card terminals? Skimmers get attached and terminals get swapped, and neither is obvious unless someone checks. Look at each one at the start of the day. If it looks different or loose, stop using it and call your provider.

09/26/2026

You've thought about what you'd do in a cyberattack, but have you practiced it? Sit your key people down for an hour and talk it through: files encrypted Monday morning. Who do we call first? Can we reach our contacts with email down? Note what nobody could answer.

09/25/2026

Microsoft will never call you about a virus on your computer. Neither will Apple. If a pop-up or a caller says your machine is infected and wants you to call a number, install something or pay, it's a scam. Close it or hang up, then call your own IT provider if you're worried.

09/25/2026

If you want your team to work fast, don't skimp on their computers or your internet.

Everything moves quicker than it used to. Customers want fast replies, and the jobs often go to whoever gets back to them first. Your team can't be quick if their tools are slow.

A laptop that takes an age to load, internet that keeps dropping, cheap software that hangs, all of it means your people spend half the day waiting around and working out ways past the problem. It's frustrating, and good staff hate not being able to get on with the job because of the gear they've been given.

Spend a bit more here and you get it back. The work goes faster, and people are happier doing it.

You don't need top-of-the-range everything. You just need computers and a connection that are quick and reliable enough to stay out of your team's way.

09/24/2026

Deleting files doesn't remove them from an old computer or phone. Free tools can pull them back. Before any device leaves, use Reset this PC and remove everything, or a full factory reset on phones. And don't forget the office copier, most store what you scan.

09/23/2026

By default, a Microsoft account will accept a login attempt from anywhere in the world.

Most attacks on Microsoft accounts come from overseas, from automated tools trying stolen passwords by the thousand. If your business only works in one or two countries, there's no reason to allow a login from anywhere else.

There's a setting in Microsoft 365 called Conditional Access that lets you block any login from outside the countries you operate in. Someone trying your password from the other side of the world is turned away, even if the password is right.

It won't stop everything, and a determined attacker can route through your country to get past it. But it blocks the flood of automated attempts from places you'll never deal with, and that's most of what you're up against.

You'll need the right Microsoft plan, and it's set up in the admin area, so ask your IT provider to turn it on and set the countries you work in.