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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 →

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.

In today’s fast-changing world of cybersecurity, staying ahead of threats is critical—especially for small businesses. To provide the best protection, it’s important to have the right expertise. That’s why Lloyd Reid recently completed the Hornetsecurity Certified Engineer training.

This training equips IT professionals with specialised skills to protect Microsoft 365 environments, focusing on spam filtering, malware protection, data encryption, backups and compliance—all areas that directly impact the safety and efficiency of your business. For small businesses, these solutions are essential to prevent downtime, avoid costly breaches, and ensure regulatory requirements are met.

Trichromic are now better positioned to help secure your business from online threats and make sure your data stays safe. Whether it’s setting up reliable email filtering, managing backups, or supporting compliance efforts, this training ensures you get high-quality, up-to-date protection that fits your business needs.

Small businesses often face unique challenges when it comes to security, and partnering with a certified professional means you’re not alone. You have someone dedicated to providing the best possible defence for your business—keeping your operations smooth and your data secure.

For small to medium-sized business owners in today’s digital landscape, protecting against cyber threats is critical to maintaining a reputable, secure operation. With email remaining one of the most common entry points for cyber-attacks, it’s vital that your Managed Service Provider (MSP) deploys effective security measures. At Trichromic LLP, we’re committed to safeguarding our clients by implementing email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, ARC, and DMARC. These tools help stop spam, phishing, and spoofing attempts that can put your business, employees, and customers at risk.

Understanding Email Authentication and Its Importance

The protocols SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), ARC (Authenticated Received Chain), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) work together to verify the identity of the sender and ensure that messages have not been altered during transmission. Here’s a quick rundown of what each protocol does:

1.  SPF: Checks whether the server sending an email is authorized by the domain’s owner, reducing the chance of fraudulent emails pretending to be from your domain.

2. DKIM: Adds a cryptographic signature to each email, ensuring that the message hasn’t been tampered with en route to the recipient.

3. DMARC: Provides your domain with a set of policies for handling unauthenticated emails. DMARC combines SPF and DKIM results and lets you specify how failed messages should be handled (quarantined or rejected) and receive reports on these failures.

4. ARC: Ensures the continuity of authentication for emails that are forwarded or relayed through third-party services. Without ARC, emails forwarded through services like mailing lists may fail authentication checks, leading to unnecessary rejections.

Continue reading →