News

Why “It’s in the Cloud” Isn’t a Backup Strategy

“Don’t worry, it’s all in the cloud.”

We hear this constantly from business owners when we ask about their backup strategy for Microsoft 365. It’s one of the most dangerous assumptions in modern IT—and it’s costing businesses thousands of pounds in lost data, productivity, and recovery costs.

The truth is that Microsoft 365 is a platform, not a backup service. While Microsoft does an excellent job of keeping the platform running and protecting against infrastructure failures, they’re very clear about one thing: your data is your responsibility.

Understanding the Shared Responsibility Model

Microsoft operates under what they call the “Shared Responsibility Model”. In simple terms, this means Microsoft is responsible for keeping the platform available and secure, while you are responsible for your data.

Microsoft’s responsibility:

• Physical infrastructure and data centre security
• Platform uptime and availability
• Replication for disaster recovery of their systems
• Protection against hardware failure

Your responsibility:

• Protecting data from accidental deletion
• Protecting data from malicious deletion (including ransomware)
• Recovering data after account compromise
• Long-term data retention beyond Microsoft’s limits
• Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements

The Reality: Microsoft’s Retention Limits

Many business owners assume that deleted data can be recovered indefinitely. Here’s what Microsoft actually provides: Continue reading →

What UK Businesses Need to Know Before They Need to Claim

Many UK businesses now have cyber insurance. Far fewer have ever tested whether it would actually pay out when needed.

If you’ve got a policy sitting in a drawer somewhere, you might assume you’re covered if the worst happens. But cyber insurance isn’t like buildings insurance—you can’t just file a claim and expect a cheque. Insurers are increasingly scrutinising claims, and rejection rates are rising.

This article explains what cyber insurance actually covers, what insurers expect from you, and why so many claims are being denied. More importantly, it explains what you can do now—before an incident—to make sure your policy will work when you need it.

The Current Landscape

Cyber attacks on UK businesses are at record levels. In 2024, insurers paid out £197 million in cyber claims—a staggering 230% increase on the previous year. Malware and ransomware accounted for over half of all claims, and demand for cyber cover surged, with 17% more policies taken out compared to 2023.

High-profile attacks continue to make headlines. The 2025 ransomware attacks on Marks & Spencer and the Co-op resulted in estimated costs of £300 million and £120 million respectively. M&S has since made a £100 million claim on their cyber insurance policy.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: a significant proportion of cyber insurance claims are rejected or only partially paid. Some industry estimates suggest as many as 30-40% of claims face issues—often because businesses couldn’t prove they had basic security measures in place.

What Does Cyber Insurance Actually Cover?

Cyber insurance policies vary significantly, but most offer a combination of first-party cover (your own losses) and third-party cover (claims against you). Here’s what a typical policy might include: Continue reading →

The Scams That Trick Even the Smartest Employees

“Hi, I need you to process an urgent payment. I’m in a meeting so can’t call, but please action this immediately and confirm when done.”

If you received this email from your managing director, would you question it? What if it came from their actual email address—or one that looked almost identical?

This is the reality of modern email fraud. Gone are the days of obvious scams from foreign princes. Today’s attacks are sophisticated, targeted, and designed to exploit the trust and urgency that keeps businesses running smoothly.

The Scale of the Problem

Email-based attacks remain the number one method criminals use to target UK businesses. According to government statistics, over 80% of cyber attacks begin with a phishing email. For small and medium-sized businesses, the consequences can be devastating—not just financially, but in terms of reputation, client relationships, and business continuity.

We see attempted attacks on our clients regularly. The good news is that with the right awareness and systems in place, the vast majority can be stopped before any damage is done.

Understanding the Different Types of Attack

Not all email attacks are created equal. Understanding the different approaches helps you recognise them. Continue reading →

Understanding Who’s Responsible for What Under UK Data Protection Law

One of the most common questions we receive from clients relates to their data. “Why is Sarah’s mailbox full?” “What’s using all the space on our file server?” “Can you tell us what emails John has been deleting?”

These are perfectly reasonable questions, but the answers often surprise business owners. As your IT provider, we can tell you how much data exists and where it’s stored—but we can’t tell you what that data contains or make decisions about it. That’s not us being unhelpful; it’s data protection law working exactly as it should.

Understanding the difference between a data controller and a data processor is essential for every business owner. It clarifies responsibilities, prevents misunderstandings, and ensures your business remains compliant.

The Two Key Roles in Data Protection

UK data protection law defines two distinct roles when it comes to handling personal data. Most businesses will act as both at different times, but understanding which hat you’re wearing in each situation is crucial. Continue reading →

A Plain-English Guide for UK Business Owners

If you’ve ever felt confused by data protection terminology, you’re not alone. Many business owners we speak to aren’t sure whether they should be following “GDPR”, “UK GDPR”, or the “Data Protection Act”—or whether these are all different things entirely.

The good news is that once you understand the background, it all makes sense. This guide cuts through the jargon and explains exactly what UK businesses need to know about data protection law today.

A Brief History of Data Protection in the UK

Data protection law in the UK has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Understanding this history helps explain why we have the current framework. Continue reading →

Essential insights to help your business thrive in the digital age

As your trusted IT partner, we’ve compiled these essential facts to help you understand the technology landscape and make informed decisions for your business. Whether you’re looking to improve security, boost productivity, or plan for growth, these insights are relevant to businesses of all sizes and sectors across the UK.

 

1. Cyber attacks cost UK SMEs an average of £8,460 per incident

According to government research, small businesses are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. Basic security measures like multi-factor authentication and regular software updates can prevent the majority of attacks—often at minimal cost.

2. 43% of cyber attacks specifically target small businesses

Smaller organisations are often seen as easier targets due to less sophisticated security infrastructure. A managed security service can provide enterprise-grade protection at SME-friendly prices. Continue reading →

Here at Trichromic we prefer not to use too many computer-related terms (Three Letter Acronyms (TLAs),etc) and unnecessary IT jargon when communicating with our clients’.

However, these can’t always be avoided (and some like to use them when they shouldn’t) so here you’ll find a categorised glossary of the most commonly used terms and abbreviations which could be useful to anyone talking to IT departments or even an outsourced IT managed service provider like Trichromic. We’ll keep expanding this list and adding descriptions when time permits so please keep visiting to view the latest updates.

You can contact us for more information on any of the descriptions below or even to find out how Trichromic can help improve the efficiency of your business processes by harnessing the latest technology. ~ Lloyd Reid

AD — Active Directory
AI — Artificial Intelligence
AGI — Artificial General Intelligence
ASCII — American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ANSI — American National Standards Institute
ARC — Authenticated Received Chain
ASN — Advanced Shipping Notice
ASR — Automatic Speech Recognition
AWS — Amazon Web Services
B2B — Business-to-Business
B2C — Business-to-Consumer
BOM — Bill Of Materials
BSD — Berkeley Software Distribution
BSI — British Standards Institution
BYOD — Bring Your Own Device
CAD — Computer-Aided Design
CAM — Cybersecurity Awareness Month Continue reading →

As your trusted IT partner, we understand the unique challenges that small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK face. Microsoft has announced that Windows 10 will reach its end of support on 14th October 2025—a change that requires your attention now.

What This Means for Your SME

When Windows 10 support ends, your business will no longer receive:
– Critical security updates and patches
– Technical support from Microsoft
– Bug fixes for emerging issues
– Protection against new cyber threats

For SMEs already juggling multiple priorities with limited IT resources, this presents a significant risk to your operations and data security.

Why UK SMEs Should Prioritise Windows 11 Upgrade

Practical Security Benefits for Your Business
Windows 11’s enhanced security features are particularly valuable for UK SMEs, which are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals. Recent government statistics from 2022 show that 39% of UK small businesses reported cyber attacks that year, with an average cost of £4,200 per incident.

Continue reading →

With the launch of V20, 3CX now offers multi-tenancy and department-specific configurations, significantly enhancing its suitability for larger organizations. Department managers can now control settings like office hours for their teams, a feature previously unavailable. Trichromic has demonstrated its commitment to mastering this new version, with staff completing basic, intermediate, and advanced training, and Lloyd Reid achieving basic certification.

For more information on how Trichromic LLP can support your telephony needs, contact us today by calling 02033270310.