Category: Security

Cyber Essentials Requirements 2026: Checklist and Certification Guide

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Cyber Essentials requires five technical controls across every device and cloud service in scope: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. Since 27 April 2026 the rules are stricter: missing multi-factor authentication on any cloud service that offers it is now an automatic fail, and so is not installing critical or high-risk updates within 14 days. You certify by completing a self-assessment that an independent assessor marks, and the certificate lasts 12 months.

Last updated: 8 October 2026. Checked against the NCSC’s Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3 and IASME’s scheme guidance on that date.

In this guide

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is the UK government’s baseline cyber security certification. It is run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) with IASME as the scheme’s delivery partner, and it proves your business has the controls in place to stop the most common internet-based attacks, such as phishing, password guessing and exploiting unpatched software.

There are two levels. Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment: you answer a set of questions about your IT and an independent assessor marks them. Cyber Essentials Plus covers the same requirements but adds a hands-on technical audit of your systems.

It is widely used. Government figures show 61,430 certificates were awarded between July 2025 and June 2026: 46,245 at Cyber Essentials and 15,185 at Cyber Essentials Plus.

What changed in April 2026?

The current rules are version 3.3 of the requirements, assessed with the Danzell question set, for anyone who bought an assessment from 27 April 2026. Businesses that opened an account before then can finish under the previous (Willow) questions. The changes that matter most, according to IASME and the NCSC, are:

  • MFA is now an automatic fail. Multi-factor authentication is mandatory for every cloud service where it is available, whether it is free, included or a paid extra. Not having it enabled means you fail.
  • Cloud services cannot be excluded. Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, your accounting package and any other cloud service that holds organisational data must be in scope.
  • Two new auto-fail questions on updates. High-risk and critical updates for operating systems, router and firewall firmware, and applications must be installed within 14 days of release.
  • Passwordless sign-in is recognised. The definition now explicitly covers FIDO2 authenticators such as passkeys and security keys.
  • More emphasis on backups, and a clearer definition of what counts as a cloud service.
  • Each legal entity is named on the certificate, and any excluded infrastructure must be described.

The Cyber Essentials requirements, control by control

These are the five controls you are assessed against, with the specific rules that catch businesses out. The wording in quotation marks is from the NCSC requirements document.

1. Firewalls

Every device in scope must be protected by a correctly configured firewall, either a boundary firewall such as your router or the software firewall on the device itself. The default administrator password on routers and firewalls must be changed to a strong, unique one (or remote administration disabled entirely), administration from the internet must be off unless there is a documented business need, and any inbound rule that is no longer needed must be removed.

2. Secure configuration

Devices and cloud services must be set up securely rather than left on factory settings. That means removing unnecessary software and accounts, turning off auto-run, and requiring a PIN, password or biometric to unlock devices. The password rules are specific:

  • With multi-factor authentication, passwords must be at least 8 characters, with no maximum length.
  • Without MFA, passwords must be at least 12 characters, or at least 8 characters with automatic blocking of common passwords.
  • Devices must lock after repeated failed attempts, or throttle guessing.

3. Security update management

All software in scope must be licensed and supported by its vendor. Updates must be installed “within 14 days of release” where the vendor rates them critical or high risk, or where they fix vulnerabilities with a CVSS v3 score of 7 or above. Unsupported software must be removed or placed in a separate sub-set that cannot reach the internet. In practice this is where old Windows 10 PCs without Extended Security Updates, unsupported servers and forgotten firewall firmware cause failures.

4. User access control

Everyone gets their own account, with only the access their job needs. Administrator accounts must be separate from everyday accounts and must not be used for email or web browsing. Accounts must be removed or disabled when people leave. Above all: “Authentication to cloud services must always use MFA.” Administrator accounts need MFA too.

5. Malware protection

Every device in scope needs protection against malware. For most businesses that means up-to-date anti-malware software that scans files and web pages automatically. Application allow-listing is an accepted alternative on some devices, such as phones that only install apps from an official store.

What has to be in scope?

The default scope is your whole organisation. You can certify a “well-defined and separately managed sub-set” instead, but only if it is separated from the rest of the network by a firewall or VLAN, and a scope that leaves out end-user devices is not acceptable. In scope means:

  • Every laptop, desktop, server, tablet and phone that accesses organisational data or services.
  • Staff-owned phones and laptops that access work email or files (bring your own device).
  • Home and remote workers’ devices, and the routers or firewalls that protect the office.
  • Every cloud service that holds or processes your data, which since April 2026 cannot be excluded.
  • Thin clients, virtual desktops and anything else users sign in to.

Certifying your whole organisation is also what unlocks the free cyber insurance described below.

Cyber Essentials checklist: check your readiness

Answer the 13 questions below before you buy an assessment. Your readiness score and a list of what to fix update as you go, and the two checks that fail the assessment on their own are flagged. The NCSC also offers a free Cyber Essentials Readiness Tool that gives tailored guidance.

Interactive checklist

Cyber Essentials readiness check

13 questions, about 3 minutes. Your score and to-do list build up as you answer. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

  1. 1Scope

    We have a list of every device, operating system, application and cloud service that touches work data.

  2. 2Security updates

    Every device and piece of software is still supported by its maker, including Windows versions, servers and firewall firmware.

  3. 3Security updatesAutomatic fail

    Critical and high-risk updates are installed within 14 days of release, and we can show it.

  4. 4User access controlAutomatic fail

    Multi-factor authentication is switched on for every user of every cloud service that offers it.

  5. 5User access control

    Admin accounts are separate from everyday accounts, protected by MFA and never used for email or browsing.

  6. 6User access control

    Accounts are removed or disabled when people leave, and nobody shares a login.

  7. 7Secure configuration

    Passwords meet the length rules, and default passwords on routers and devices have been changed.

  8. 8Firewalls

    Every device has its firewall switched on, and the office router or firewall has no unnecessary open ports.

  9. 9Malware protection

    Anti-malware is installed, up to date and scanning on every Windows and Mac device, including servers.

  10. 10Secure configuration

    Phones, tablets and laptops lock automatically and need a PIN, password or biometric to open.

  11. 11Scope

    Staff-owned phones and laptops that access work email or files meet the same standards, or are blocked from work data.

  12. 12Secure configuration

    Unused software and accounts have been removed, and auto-run is switched off.

  13. 13Good practice

    We back up important data, and we have tested restoring it.

Your results

of 13 ready

Answer the questions above. Anything that needs work appears here, with what to do about it.

Automatic fail risk. Missing MFA on a cloud service or not patching within 14 days fails the assessment on its own under the current rules. Fix these first.
You look ready. If every answer is accurate, you are in a good position to pass first time. A quick check by someone who has been through the assessment can confirm it before you pay the fee.

What to fix

  1. Build your inventory

    List every laptop, desktop, server, phone, tablet, router and cloud service. The assessment asks you to describe them all, so this comes first.

  2. Replace unsupported software

    Replace or remove anything that no longer gets security updates, such as Windows 10 without Extended Security Updates or an old server, or move it into a separate network segment with no internet access.

  3. Patch within 14 days

    Turn on automatic updates wherever you can, and include routers and firewalls. Updates rated critical or high risk, or that fix flaws scored CVSS 7 or above, must go on within 14 days. Missing this is an automatic fail.

  4. Switch on MFA everywhere

    Turn on MFA for Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, your accounting software and every other cloud service that offers it, whether it is free or a paid extra. Since April 2026, missing MFA is an automatic fail.

  5. Separate the admin accounts

    Give anyone who manages systems a second account used only for admin work, protected by MFA, and keep email and web browsing on their normal account.

  6. Close leavers and shared logins

    Disable leavers’ accounts on their last day and give everyone their own login, so you always know who did what.

  7. Fix passwords and defaults

    Passwords need at least 12 characters, or at least 8 if MFA is on or common passwords are blocked automatically. Change every default password, including on the office router.

  8. Tighten the firewalls

    Switch on the built-in firewall on every laptop and desktop, and remove inbound rules on the router that are no longer needed. Admin access to the router from the internet should be off unless there is a documented reason.

  9. Cover every device for malware

    Install and keep updated anti-malware on every Windows and Mac device. Phones and tablets that only install apps from the official store can rely on application allow-listing instead.

  10. Lock every device

    Set devices to unlock with a PIN or password of at least 6 characters, or a fingerprint or face, and to lock out or slow down guessing after no more than 10 wrong attempts.

  11. Deal with personal devices

    Either bring personal devices that reach work email and files up to the same standard, or stop them reaching work data so they fall out of scope.

  12. Remove what you do not use

    Remove apps, accounts and services nobody uses, and turn off auto-run so files cannot run without someone choosing to open them.

  13. Test your backups

    Back up important data somewhere separate from your main systems and test a restore. Backups are not one of the five controls, but the 2026 requirements give backup guidance more prominence, and backups are what get you back after ransomware.

Answered not sure? Treat it as a gap until someone has checked.

Want a hand closing the gaps? We take businesses through Cyber Essentials from readiness review to submission. Supported certification is £510 plus VAT for up to 9 employees.

Cyber Essentials supportCall 01903 255 159

A quick readiness check based on the NCSC’s Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3. It is not the official assessment.

If several lines are a no, that is normal, and it is exactly what a readiness review is for. Our free IT security review checks the access-control side in about twelve minutes.

How do you get Cyber Essentials certified?

Certification is quick once your IT meets the requirements. The steps are:

  1. Close the gaps first. Use the checklist above or a readiness review. Most of the time and cost is here, not in the assessment.
  2. Buy an assessment through IASME or a licensed certification body. You receive a login to the online assessment portal and have 6 months to complete it.
  3. Answer the question set accurately, describing your scope, devices and cloud services. A board-level person must sign off the answers.
  4. An independent assessor marks it. IASME says most assessors aim to return results within 3 days.
  5. Fix anything flagged. If you fail, you get two working days to correct and resubmit at no extra cost. After that you reapply and pay again.
  6. Receive your certificate and your listing on the public register, valid for 12 months.

The fee is set centrally by organisation size, from £320 plus VAT for up to 9 employees to £600 plus VAT for 250 or more. Our Cyber Essentials cost guide has the full fee table, the cost of Cyber Essentials Plus and what we charge for a supported certification.

UK organisations with turnover under £20 million that certify their whole organisation can opt in to £25,000 of cyber liability insurance at no extra cost, including a 24-hour incident response helpline, according to IASME.

How is Cyber Essentials Plus different?

Cyber Essentials Plus is the same set of requirements, verified by an assessor testing your systems rather than just reading your answers. You must hold the basic certificate first, and IASME says the Plus audit must be completed within 3 months of it. The tests in the current NCSC test specification are:

  • An external vulnerability scan of your internet-facing systems.
  • An authenticated internal scan of a sample of devices to confirm patching.
  • Checks that malware protection works, including on email and web downloads.
  • Checks that multi-factor authentication is configured on cloud services.
  • Checks that administrator and user accounts are properly separated.

Any single failed test fails the assessment. Under IASME’s 2026 rules, if the patching tests fail, the retest checks a new random sample of devices as well as the original ones, and a second failure revokes the basic certificate too.

How does Cyber Essentials renewal work?

Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certificates expire after 12 months, and there is no automatic renewal. You complete a fresh assessment against whichever question set is current at the time, so each year’s renewal can include new rules, as April 2026’s MFA change did. IASME notes that a renewed certificate runs for 12 months from the date you submit, not from the old expiry date, so there is no benefit in renewing early, but letting it lapse can break a contract that requires continuous certification.

Put the expiry date in the diary a month ahead, check the new question set for changes, and fix anything new before you start the assessment.

Who needs Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is voluntary for most businesses, but it is increasingly a condition of winning work:

  • Central government suppliers. Under Procurement Policy Note 014, contracts that involve citizens’ personal information or government ICT systems require Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, renewed every year of the contract.
  • Defence suppliers. The Ministry of Defence expects certification across its supply chain where defence information is handled.
  • NHS suppliers. Under the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit guidance, a current certificate is accepted evidence for suppliers of IT systems that process identifiable data. Care providers should see our DSPT guide for care homes.
  • Larger customers. Organisations that sign the government’s Cyber Resilience Pledge commit to checking Cyber Essentials coverage across their supply chains and taking a risk-based approach to requiring it.
  • Regulated professions. Law firms are not required to hold it by the SRA, but it is a sensible way to show clients and insurers that you take security seriously. See does the SRA require Cyber Essentials?

There is a financial case too. The government states that organisations with Cyber Essentials are 92% less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance than those without it, according to a joint statement from DSIT and major UK banks.

ATS Connection is Cyber Essentials certified and we take businesses through Cyber Essentials certification every year, from readiness review to submission, through an independent certification partner. The controls then stay in place as part of our managed cyber security.

Frequently asked questions

What are the five Cyber Essentials requirements?

Firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. Each has specific rules, such as MFA on all cloud services and installing critical updates within 14 days.

What changed in Cyber Essentials in April 2026?

From 27 April 2026 the Danzell question set and version 3.3 of the requirements apply. MFA on cloud services became an automatic fail if missing, cloud services can no longer be excluded from scope, and two new auto-fail questions check that high-risk updates are installed within 14 days.

How long does it take to get Cyber Essentials?

IASME says most assessors aim to return results within 3 days. The time that varies is fixing gaps beforehand, which can take anything from a few days to several weeks depending on your IT.

How long is a Cyber Essentials certificate valid?

12 months. You then complete a new assessment against the current question set to renew.

Is MFA mandatory for Cyber Essentials?

Yes. Multi-factor authentication must be enabled on every cloud service where it is available. Since April 2026, not having it enabled is an automatic fail.

Do staff-owned phones count for Cyber Essentials?

Yes, if they access organisational data or services such as work email. They must meet the same requirements, or be kept out of scope by preventing them from accessing work data.

What happens if you fail Cyber Essentials?

You get two working days to fix the issues and resubmit at no extra cost. If you still fail, you must reapply and pay the fee again.

Can I do Cyber Essentials myself?

Yes. Any organisation can buy an assessment and complete it directly. Many small businesses use an IT partner because the difficult part is making the IT compliant and answering the questions accurately, not the form itself.

Sources

Business Continuity Planning: A Practical Guide

Posted on by Jake Boase

A business continuity plan is what keeps you trading when something goes wrong, whether that is a cyber attack, a flood, a power cut or a key system failing. It is not just for large companies. Small businesses are often hit hardest by disruption because they have less slack to absorb it. This practical guide walks through how to build a plan that actually works.

Put simply, a business continuity plan sets out how you keep trading through a disruption and recover afterwards. The NCSC guidance on backing up data is a good place to start on the IT side.

Business continuity plan being discussed by a team

What is a business continuity plan?

A business continuity plan sets out how your business will keep its most important operations running during and after a disruption, and how it will recover fully. It answers three questions: what could stop us working, how do we keep going in the meantime, and how do we get back to normal. Done well, it turns a potential crisis into a manageable incident.

Why every business needs one

  • Downtime is expensive, and small businesses feel it fastest.
  • Cyber attacks, hardware failures and human error are common, not rare.
  • Customers and insurers increasingly expect a plan to be in place.
  • A clear plan removes panic and guesswork when something does happen.

How to build a continuity plan, step by step

  • Identify your critical functions. List the activities you cannot operate without, such as taking orders, serving customers or processing payments.
  • Assess the risks. Work out what could disrupt each function, from cyber attacks to power and premises issues.
  • Set your recovery targets. Decide how quickly each function must be back (recovery time) and how much data you can afford to lose (recovery point).
  • Put protections in place. This is where backups, disaster recovery, security and redundancy come in.
  • Write the plan. Document who does what, key contacts, and step-by-step actions for the most likely scenarios. Our free business continuity plan template takes you through this in eight short steps and gives you a finished plan to download as a PDF or Word document.
  • Test and review it. A plan you have never tested is a guess. Run through it, fix the gaps, and review it regularly.

The IT side: backup and disaster recovery

For most businesses, the biggest continuity risk is losing access to systems and data. Reliable, tested backups and a disaster recovery plan are the foundation, so that if a server fails or ransomware strikes, you can restore quickly rather than starting from scratch. The golden rule is that a backup you have never tested to restore is not a backup you can trust.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Writing the plan once and never testing or updating it.
  • Assuming backups work without ever restoring from them.
  • Focusing only on IT and forgetting people, premises and suppliers.
  • Keeping the plan in one place that becomes inaccessible in a crisis.

How ATS Connection can help

We help West Sussex businesses build practical continuity into their IT, with reliable backups, tested disaster recovery and proactive managed IT support that reduces the chance of disruption in the first place. Not sure where you stand? Start with a free IT assessment, or get a quote. Call 01903 255 159.

Frequently asked questions

What is a business continuity plan?

It is a documented plan for keeping your most important operations running during a disruption, such as a cyber attack or system failure, and recovering fully afterwards.

Do small businesses need a continuity plan?

Yes. Small businesses often suffer most from disruption because they have less capacity to absorb it, so a simple, tested plan is well worth having.

What is the difference between business continuity and disaster recovery?

Business continuity is the broad plan for keeping the whole business running. Disaster recovery is the IT focused part, covering how you restore systems and data after an incident.

What are recovery time and recovery point objectives?

Recovery time is how quickly a function must be back up. Recovery point is how much data you can afford to lose, measured as the gap since your last good backup.

How often should I test my continuity plan?

Regularly, and at least once a year, plus whenever your systems change. Testing, especially restoring from backups, is the only way to know the plan actually works.

IT Disaster Recovery for Small Businesses

Posted on by Jake Boase

IT disaster recovery is your plan for getting systems and data back up and running after something goes wrong, whether that is ransomware, a failed server, accidental deletion or a flooded office. For a small business, the difference between a good recovery plan and none at all can be the difference between a bad day and a closed business. Here is what you need to know.

In short, IT disaster recovery is how you get systems and data back after ransomware, a failure or accidental deletion. The NCSC guidance on backing up your data underpins any good plan.

IT disaster recovery protecting business data in the cloud

What is IT disaster recovery?

IT disaster recovery is the set of tools and procedures that restore your technology after a disruptive event. It is the IT focused part of wider business continuity planning, and it answers a simple question: if we lost access to our systems and data right now, how would we get them back, and how fast?

Why small businesses are especially at risk

Smaller businesses are targeted by cyber criminals precisely because their defences are often weaker, and they have less financial cushion to survive extended downtime. A single ransomware attack or server failure without a tested recovery plan can wipe out records, halt trading and cost far more than the protection would have. The good news is that solid recovery is well within reach for any SME.

The building blocks of a recovery plan

  • Reliable, automated backups: your data backed up regularly, with copies held offsite or in the cloud.
  • The 3-2-1 rule: three copies of your data, on two types of media, with one kept offsite.
  • Recovery targets: how quickly systems must return (recovery time) and how much data you can afford to lose (recovery point).
  • Tested restores: proof that you can actually recover the data, not just back it up.
  • A documented plan: who does what, in what order, when the worst happens.

Backup is not the same as disaster recovery

This trips up a lot of businesses. A backup is a copy of your data. Disaster recovery is the whole process of getting your business operational again, which includes the backups but also the systems, the order of restoration and the people. You can have backups and still have no recovery plan. Reliable backup and disaster recovery ties the two together.

Protecting against ransomware

Ransomware is now the most common disaster IT teams face. The defence is layered: strong security and staff awareness to reduce the chance of infection, plus offline or immutable backups that ransomware cannot encrypt, so you can restore rather than pay. Certification such as Cyber Essentials helps put the preventative controls in place.

How to test your recovery plan

  • Schedule regular test restores from your backups.
  • Time how long a full recovery actually takes, and compare it to your target.
  • Run a tabletop exercise of a realistic scenario with the team.
  • Fix the gaps you find, and review the plan whenever systems change.

How ATS Connection can help

We set up and manage reliable backup and disaster recovery for small businesses across West Sussex, including Chichester IT support,, with tested restores and proactive IT support that reduces the risk of disaster in the first place. Get a quote or call 01903 255 159.

Frequently asked questions

What is IT disaster recovery?

It is the tools and procedures for restoring your IT systems and data after a disruptive event such as ransomware, a server failure or accidental deletion, so the business can get back to work.

Is a backup the same as disaster recovery?

No. A backup is a copy of your data. Disaster recovery is the whole process of getting your business operational again, which uses backups but also covers systems, order of restoration and people.

What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?

Keep three copies of your data, on two different types of media, with at least one copy stored offsite or in the cloud. It protects you if any single copy or location is lost.

How can I protect my business from ransomware?

Use layered security and staff training to reduce infection risk, keep offline or immutable backups that ransomware cannot encrypt, and test that you can restore from them.

How often should I test my disaster recovery plan?

Regularly, and at least once a year, plus whenever your systems change. Test restores are the only way to be sure your backups and plan actually work.

How to Spot a Phishing Email (With Examples)

Posted on by Jake Boase

Phishing is still the number one way businesses get hacked, because it targets people rather than technology. A convincing email tricks someone into clicking a link, entering a password or paying a fake invoice, and the damage is done. The good news is that most phishing emails give themselves away if you know what to look for. Here is how to spot them, with examples.

How to spot a phishing email

Learning how to spot a phishing email is one of the best defences a business has, because most scams give themselves away once you know the warning signs. The NCSC offers official guidance too, and you can check how you would do with a real-looking email in our free phishing test.

How to spot a phishing email on a computer screen

What is phishing?

Phishing is a scam where criminals pose as a trusted person or company, usually by email, to trick you into handing over information, clicking a malicious link or making a payment. More targeted versions include spear phishing (aimed at a specific person) and CEO fraud (pretending to be your boss to authorise a payment).

The warning signs to look for

  • A sense of urgency: “Your account will be suspended in 24 hours” is designed to make you act before you think.
  • Unexpected requests: a sudden ask to pay an invoice, change bank details or buy gift cards.
  • A mismatched sender address: the display name looks right but the actual email address is odd or misspelt.
  • Dodgy links: hover over a link and the real destination does not match the text or the company.
  • Generic greetings: “Dear Customer” instead of your name.
  • Spelling and grammar errors: genuine companies rarely send sloppy emails.
  • Unexpected attachments: especially invoices, receipts or files you were not expecting.

Real-world examples

  • The fake invoice: an email that looks like it is from a supplier, asking you to pay to a “new” bank account. Always verify changes by phone using a known number.
  • The CEO request: a message that appears to be from your manager asking you to urgently buy gift cards or make a transfer. Real bosses do not do this by surprise email.
  • The password reset: a warning that your Microsoft 365 account is locked, with a link to a login page that steals your details.
  • The delivery scam: a “missed parcel” text or email with a link to pay a small fee, harvesting card details.

What to do if you spot a phishing email

  • Do not click any links or open attachments.
  • Do not reply or forward it to colleagues.
  • Report it to your IT provider and, in the UK, forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk.
  • Delete it, and if you did click, change your password and tell IT immediately.

How to protect your business

Technology and training work best together. Good email filtering stops most phishing before it lands, multi-factor authentication means a stolen password alone is not enough, and regular staff awareness turns your team into a strong last line of defence. A free cyber security audit will show where your gaps are, and Cyber Essentials puts the core controls in place.

How ATS Connection can help

We protect West Sussex businesses with layered email security, multi-factor authentication and staff awareness, all backed by proactive managed IT support. Get a quote or call 01903 255 159.

Frequently asked questions

What is a phishing email?

It is a scam email where criminals pose as a trusted person or company to trick you into clicking a malicious link, sharing information or making a payment.

How can I tell if an email is phishing?

Look for urgency, unexpected payment or login requests, a mismatched sender address, links that do not match their text, generic greetings, poor spelling, and unexpected attachments.

What should I do if I receive a phishing email?

Do not click links or open attachments. Report it to your IT provider and forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk, then delete it. If you clicked, change your password and tell IT at once.

What is the difference between phishing and spear phishing?

Phishing is sent widely to many people. Spear phishing is targeted at a specific person or business, often using real details to look more convincing.

How do I protect my business from phishing?

Combine email filtering, multi-factor authentication and regular staff awareness training, and put core security controls in place through a cyber audit or Cyber Essentials.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium UK (2026): What’s Included, Price and Is It Worth It?

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs £16.90 per user per month in the UK on an annual subscription, excluding VAT. It is Business Standard plus Microsoft’s security layer: Conditional Access (Entra ID P1), device management (Intune), Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview data protection. For a business that holds client or financial data it is usually worth the extra £6.10 per user over Standard, but only once those security features are actually configured, because most are not switched on out of the box.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. Prices checked against Microsoft’s UK Business Premium page and security add-on pricing on that date. Microsoft changes prices and features from time to time, so confirm before you buy.

In this guide

What is Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the top Microsoft 365 plan for businesses with up to 300 users. It includes everything in Business Standard, the desktop Office apps, business email, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive per user, and adds the identity, device and threat protection tools that the cheaper plans leave out.

Microsoft describes the extra as four things: policy-based identity and access management, device security and management, advanced threat protection against phishing and malware, and discovery and protection of sensitive data. In product terms that is Entra ID P1, Intune Plan 1, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview Information Protection with data loss prevention.

The 300-user limit applies across all the Business plans combined. Above that, organisations move to the enterprise plans such as Microsoft 365 E3 and E5.

How much does Business Premium cost in the UK?

Business Premium is £16.90 per user per month on an annual subscription, excluding VAT. These are Microsoft’s current UK list prices:

VersionAnnual subscription (per user, per month)Monthly subscription (per user, per month)
Business Premium£16.90£20.28
Business Premium (no Teams)£14.40£17.28
Business Premium with Copilot£24.60Not shown
Business Premium with Copilot (no Teams)£22.10Not shown
UK list prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK Business Premium, compare and Copilot pricing pages, checked 30 September 2026.

Three things are worth knowing about the price:

  • It was not part of the July 2026 rise. Microsoft’s 1 July 2026 price increase applied to Business Basic and Business Standard but not to Business Premium, so the step up from Standard is now £6.10 per user per month at UK list prices. Existing customers see new prices at their next renewal.
  • Monthly subscriptions cost 20% more. An annual subscription is cheaper but generally cannot be reduced until renewal.
  • Microsoft’s compare page now shows the Copilot versions. The plain £16.90 plan is listed on the Business Premium page itself, which is why some people think Premium now costs £24.60.

For the full price list across Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps for business, see our guide to Microsoft 365 business prices in the UK.

What does Business Premium include?

Business Premium includes everything in Business Standard plus five security products. This table shows what each part does and whether Standard has it:

FeatureWhat it doesIn Business Standard?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TeamsDesktop, web and mobile apps, chat and meetingsYes
Exchange email100GB mailboxYes (100GB)
Email archiveAuto-expanding archive up to 1.5TB50GB archive
OneDrive and SharePoint1TB of storage per user plus shared team sitesYes
Entra ID P1Conditional Access: rules for who can sign in, from where and on what deviceNo
Intune Plan 1Enrol, configure, update and wipe laptops and phonesNo
Defender for BusinessAntivirus plus endpoint detection and response on company devicesNo
Defender for Office 365 Plan 1Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing for email and TeamsPartly: Microsoft is adding basic time-of-click link checks to Standard, rolling out from summer 2026
Purview Information Protection and DLPSensitivity labels, encryption and rules that stop sensitive data leavingNo
Windows AutopilotNew laptops set themselves up for your business at first sign-inNo
Azure Virtual Desktop rightsLicence to use Microsoft’s hosted Windows desktops (you still pay for the Azure capacity)No
From Microsoft’s UK Business Premium and compare pages, the Exchange Online limits service description and Microsoft Learn licensing pages, checked 30 September 2026.

What do the Business Premium security features actually do?

Each security feature in Business Premium closes a specific gap that Business Standard leaves open. This is what they mean in day-to-day terms.

Conditional Access (Entra ID P1)

Conditional Access lets you set rules for every sign-in. Typical rules are: always require multi-factor authentication, block sign-ins from countries you do not work in, block older email apps that cannot do multi-factor authentication, and only allow access to company data from devices you manage. Without it, the free security defaults give you basic multi-factor authentication but none of the control over where and from what device people sign in.

Device management (Intune)

Intune manages the laptops and phones that access your data. It can require encryption and a screen lock, push Windows and Office updates on a schedule, install the apps staff need, and remotely wipe a lost or stolen laptop. Combined with Conditional Access, it means a personal device that does not meet your rules simply cannot open company email or files. Our guide to Microsoft Intune covers it in more detail.

Defender for Business

Defender for Business is endpoint protection for up to 300 users. As well as antivirus, it includes endpoint detection and response, which watches for suspicious behaviour such as ransomware encrypting files, and automated investigation and remediation that can quarantine malicious files and stop harmful processes, plus the option to isolate a compromised device from the network. It also reports on missing updates and weak settings across your devices.

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 checks links at the moment someone clicks them (Safe Links), opens attachments in a sandbox before delivery (Safe Attachments) and adds impersonation protection, which helps catch emails pretending to come from your managing director or a regular supplier. That matters because payment diversion fraud usually starts with a convincing email.

Purview Information Protection and data loss prevention

Purview lets you label documents and emails as, for example, Confidential, and encrypt them so only the right people can open them, even if they are forwarded outside the business. Data loss prevention rules can warn or block when someone tries to send data such as bank details or National Insurance numbers to an outside address.

Does Business Premium help with Cyber Essentials?

Business Premium does not give you Cyber Essentials on its own, but it contains a tool for each of the five technical controls, which makes it much easier to meet them and show the assessor evidence. The Cyber Essentials requirements, version 3.3, which apply to assessments started from 27 April 2026, state that cloud services such as Microsoft 365 cannot be excluded from scope, that sign-in to cloud services must always use multi-factor authentication, and that high-risk and critical updates must be applied within 14 days.

This mapping is our own view from preparing clients for assessment, not an official Microsoft or NCSC mapping:

Cyber Essentials controlBusiness Premium tool that helpsWhat it does not cover
FirewallsIntune can enforce the Windows firewall on every deviceYour office router or firewall
Secure configurationIntune security baselines and compliance policiesServers and other devices Intune does not manage
Security update managementIntune update rings for Windows and Microsoft 365 Apps; Defender for Business reports missing updatesThird-party apps usually need extra tooling or a clear process
User access controlConditional Access for multi-factor authentication; Entra ID for separate admin accountsAccounts on other cloud services you use
Malware protectionDefender for Business on every enrolled deviceDevices that are not enrolled
Our own analysis of the Cyber Essentials requirements for IT infrastructure v3.3 against Business Premium features. The requirements themselves are set by the NCSC.

See our Cyber Essentials requirements checklist for the full list, and our guide to what Cyber Essentials costs.

Business Standard or Premium: who needs Business Premium?

Business Premium is the right plan if any of these apply to your business:

  • You hold client, patient or financial data that would cause real harm if it leaked.
  • Staff work from home or on the move, on laptops that leave the office.
  • People use their own phones for work email.
  • You have Cyber Essentials, or a client, insurer or tender is asking for it.
  • You are regulated, for example by the SRA or FCA, and need to show how data is protected.

Business Standard can be enough for a very small business with no sensitive data, office-based staff on company-owned PCs, and another security product already covering its devices and email. In our experience that describes fewer businesses than people expect.

You can mix plans. Many businesses put office staff on Premium and occasional users, such as part-time or site staff who mainly need email and Teams, on Business Basic. Each user who is protected by Conditional Access or managed by Intune needs a licence that includes it, so mixing works best when the people touching sensitive data are all on Premium.

What are the Business Premium add-ons?

Microsoft now sells two security add-ons that only work with Business Premium: the Defender Suite and the Purview Suite. Microsoft introduced them in September 2025, and the Defender Suite replaced the earlier Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on for Business Premium. UK Microsoft partners can sell both.

Add-onUK price (annual, per user, per month)What it adds
Defender Suite for Business Premium£7.70Entra ID P2 (risk-based sign-in protection), Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps
Purview Suite for Business Premium£7.70eDiscovery (Premium), Audit (Premium), Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Compliance Manager
Defender and Purview Suites for Business Premium£11.50Both of the above
UK prices excluding VAT from Microsoft’s UK security add-on pricing page, checked 30 September 2026. Each add-on requires Business Premium.

Most small businesses do not need either add-on. The Defender Suite makes sense where account takeover would be very costly, for example a firm that moves client money. The Purview Suite suits firms that need to search, hold and audit email and files for legal or regulatory reasons. Microsoft’s Security Copilot is not part of Business Premium or these add-ons; Microsoft is including it with Microsoft 365 E5.

Is Business Premium with Copilot worth it?

Business Premium with Copilot costs £24.60 per user per month on an annual subscription and bundles Microsoft 365 Copilot, the version that works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams using your own files and email. Buying Premium at £16.90 and the Copilot Business add-on at £16.10 separately would come to £33.00 at list price, or £30.70 during Microsoft’s promotional offer on the add-on (first year only, for existing Business customers, until 31 December 2026), by our arithmetic.

So the bundle is the cheaper route for people who will use Copilot every day. For everyone else, plain Premium plus Copilot Chat, which is included at no extra cost, is usually enough. Before switching Copilot on, tidy up file permissions: Copilot can find anything a user already has access to, so overshared folders become visible very quickly.

What should you set up first in Business Premium?

Buying Business Premium does not make you more secure until the features are configured. These are the first things we set up for clients moving to Premium:

  1. Multi-factor authentication for everyone through Conditional Access, with a separate, protected emergency admin account so you cannot lock yourself out.
  2. Block legacy authentication, which lets older email apps sign in without multi-factor authentication.
  3. Separate admin accounts, so nobody reads email while signed in with global administrator rights.
  4. Enrol every company device in Intune, with compliance rules for encryption, supported Windows versions and Defender being switched on.
  5. Onboard devices to Defender for Business and check they report in.
  6. Turn on Microsoft’s preset security policies for Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing.
  7. Require a compliant device for access to company email and files once enrolment is complete.
  8. Add sensitivity labels and data loss prevention for the data that matters most, starting small.

We license, set up and manage Microsoft 365 for businesses across Sussex and beyond. Licences are billed at cost, and the configuration and ongoing management sit within our fixed monthly IT support price. See our Microsoft 365 services, or take the free IT security review to check who holds the keys to your systems today.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Microsoft 365 Business Premium per user in the UK?

£16.90 per user per month on an annual subscription, excluding VAT, or £20.28 on a monthly subscription. The version without Teams is £14.40, and Business Premium with Copilot is £24.60, both on an annual subscription.

What does Business Premium have that Business Standard does not?

Business Premium adds Entra ID P1 for Conditional Access, Intune device management, Defender for Business endpoint protection, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 email protection, Purview sensitivity labels and data loss prevention, and an email archive of up to 1.5TB.

Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?

For most small businesses that hold client or financial data, yes. It costs £6.10 more per user per month than Business Standard at UK list prices and is the only Microsoft 365 Business plan that includes Intune, Conditional Access and endpoint detection and response. The value depends on the features being configured.

Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium include antivirus?

Yes. Business Premium includes Defender for Business, which provides antivirus plus endpoint detection and response for up to 300 users on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices.

Does Business Premium give you Cyber Essentials?

No. Cyber Essentials is a separate certification with its own assessment. Business Premium includes tools that help meet all five technical controls, including multi-factor authentication for cloud services, but they must be configured and the assessment passed separately.

Did Business Premium go up in price in 2026?

No. Microsoft’s 1 July 2026 price increase applied to Business Basic and Business Standard but not to Business Premium.

How many users can have Business Premium?

Up to 300 users in total across the Microsoft 365 Business plans. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans such as E3 and E5.

Sources

How Much Does Cyber Security Cost for an SME?

Posted on by Jake Boase

“How much does cyber security cost?” is one of the most common questions we get, and the honest answer is: less than you might fear, and far less than an attack. There is no single price, because it depends on your size and needs, but this guide breaks down the typical costs so you can budget sensibly.

How much does cyber security cost?

So how much does cyber security cost for a small business? There is no single price, but a solid layered package usually works out at a manageable per-user monthly fee. The NCSC small business guide sets out the essentials.

How much does cyber security cost, shown by a secure keyboard

Why there is no single price

Cyber security is not one product, it is a set of layers. What you need depends on how many staff and devices you have, the kind of data you hold, your compliance requirements and your current setup. A five-person firm and a fifty-person firm have very different needs, so costs are best thought of as a per-user monthly figure rather than one big number.

The typical building blocks and costs

  • Email security and filtering: a few pounds per user per month to stop phishing and spam before it lands.
  • Endpoint protection (antivirus and more): a small monthly cost per device for modern threat detection.
  • Multi-factor authentication: often included with Microsoft 365 licences, so minimal extra cost for a big security win.
  • Backup and disaster recovery: priced by data volume, protecting you if the worst happens.
  • Security awareness training: a low per-user cost to turn staff into a strong last line of defence.
  • Cyber Essentials certification: a modest annual fee, plus any work to close gaps.

What it costs as a whole

For many small businesses, a solid layered security package works out at a manageable per-user monthly fee, often bundled into managed IT support. Rather than buying tools piecemeal, most SMEs are better served by a package that covers the essentials together, which is usually cheaper and leaves no gaps. Getting Cyber Essentials certified is an affordable way to prove the basics are in place.

The cost of getting it wrong

Set the cost of protection against the cost of an incident. A serious cyber attack can bring lost data, days of downtime, recovery bills, regulatory fines and lasting damage to your reputation, running into many thousands of pounds. Viewed that way, layered security is not an expense but insurance that also prevents the disruption in the first place. If you are also weighing up an actual cyber insurance policy, our guide to whether you need cyber insurance explains what insurers ask about your IT before they will quote.

How to budget for cyber security

  • Start with a review of what you have and where the gaps are.
  • Prioritise the high-impact, low-cost wins first, such as MFA and email filtering.
  • Bundle the essentials into a managed package for predictable monthly costs.
  • Include Cyber Essentials to give your spending a clear framework.

A free cyber security audit is the simplest way to see what you need and what it will cost, with no obligation.

How ATS Connection can help

We provide layered, affordable cyber security for businesses across West Sussex, including IT support Chichester, bundled into proactive managed IT support with clear, predictable pricing. Start with a free cyber security audit, or get a quote. Call 01903 255 159.

Frequently asked questions

How much does cyber security cost for a small business?

There is no single price, but for many SMEs a solid layered package works out at a manageable per-user monthly fee, often bundled into managed IT support. It depends on your size, data and needs.

What does cyber security spending typically include?

Email filtering, endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication, backup and disaster recovery, staff awareness training, and certification such as Cyber Essentials.

Is cyber security worth the cost?

Yes. The cost of protection is small compared with a serious attack, which can bring downtime, recovery bills, fines and reputational damage running into thousands of pounds.

What is the cheapest way to improve cyber security?

Start with high-impact, low-cost wins such as enabling multi-factor authentication (often free with Microsoft 365) and email filtering, then build from there.

Does Cyber Essentials cost much?

The certification itself is a modest annual fee. The main cost is usually any work needed to close gaps first, which a provider can handle for you.

How Much Does IT Support Cost? 2026 UK Pricing Guide for Small Businesses

Posted on by Jake Boase

LAST UPDATED: SEPTEMBER 2026

Ask how much does IT support cost and most IT companies will give you a vague answer and a request for a meeting. That is frustrating when all you want to know is whether this is a £300 a month decision or a £3,000 a month decision.

So here is a straight answer, with real numbers.

The short answer: how much does IT support cost?

Most UK small and medium businesses pay between £30 and £90 per user per month for managed IT support. A typical 15 person business should expect somewhere in the region of £600 to £1,200 a month for a properly managed service that includes support, monitoring, security and backup.

Pay as you go support, where you call someone only when something breaks, usually runs at £75 to £150 per hour.

The rest of this guide explains what drives those numbers, what should be included, and where providers quietly add cost. If you just want our own prices, they are on our IT support packages and pricing page.

WORK OUT YOUR OWN NUMBER

IT support cost calculator

Move the slider to your headcount and pick the level of cover you need. You will get a per user figure and a monthly range straight away, with no form to fill in first.

What would managed IT support cost your business?

Use the calculator for a realistic ballpark. Your exact price depends on your current setup, licences, sites and security requirements.

15 users
Rough ballpark
£0 per user / month
A guide to the likely investment, not a formal quote.
£0/mo
Managed support with a full team behind you
£2,500+/mo
One £30k in-house salary before employment costs
£75 to £150/hr
Ad hoc support after something has already gone wrong

What is included at this level

    What your exact price depends on

    This estimate covers managed support and service. Your final price may also reflect:

    • The Microsoft 365 and cyber security licences you choose
    • Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certification
    • Multiple sites and remote or hybrid workers
    • Hardware, migrations and one-off projects
    • Onboarding work, usually between £500 and £2,000

    A short review lets us provide a clear exact quote with no hidden assumptions.

    No obligation. We will tell you clearly what is included and whether managed support is the right fit for your business.

    Email me this estimate

    We will send a copy to your inbox. Tick the box if you would also like ATS to review it and provide an exact quote.

    We will only use your details to send the estimate and respond if you request a quote. Privacy policy.

    Request my exact quote Benchmark your current IT

    Cyber Essentials certified · Microsoft Partner · rated 5.0 on Google

    OUR PRICING

    Our IT support packages and what they cost

    Most pricing guides stop at the market range and leave you no better off. So here are our IT support packages and prices. Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month. Complete IT and security, which adds managed cyber security, Microsoft 365 management, backup and Cyber Essentials guidance, is £55 to £90. Both are billed per user, per month, on a rolling annual agreement, with licences at cost. The full breakdown of what each package includes is on our IT support packages and pricing page.

    For a team of 15, that is roughly £500 to £700 a month on Core support, or £850 to £1,350 a month on Complete IT and security. For comparison, a single in-house IT hire costs upwards of £2,500 a month before employment costs, and ad hoc support runs at £75 to £150 an hour once something has already gone wrong.

    The three ways IT support is priced

    1. Per user, per month

    The most common model, and generally the fairest. You pay a fixed monthly fee for every member of staff who uses IT, whatever devices they have. Someone with a laptop, a desktop and a mobile counts once.

    Typical range: £30 to £90 per user per month.

    It is easy to budget for, it scales cleanly as you hire, and it does not punish you for giving people the equipment they need.

    2. Per device, per month

    You pay for every machine, server and piece of hardware being supported.

    Typical range: £15 to £50 per device per month, with servers charged considerably more.

    This can work out cheaper if your staff share machines. It works out expensive if everyone has a laptop and a desktop, and it can create an odd incentive where you avoid buying equipment your team actually needs.

    3. Pay as you go, or ad hoc

    You call when something breaks and you pay for the time.

    Typical range: £75 to £150 per hour, often with a minimum charge.

    It looks like the cheapest option and it is the most expensive one for most businesses. More on that below.

    IT support pricing models compared

    Pricing model How it works Typical UK range
    Per user, per monthA fixed monthly fee for every member of staff who uses IT, whatever devices they have. Easiest to budget for and scales cleanly as you hire.£30 to £90 per user
    Per device, per monthYou pay for every machine, server and piece of hardware supported. Cheaper if staff share machines, expensive if everyone has a laptop and a desktop.£15 to £50 per device, servers considerably more
    Pay as you goYou call when something breaks and pay for the time. No monitoring, no prevention, and staff hesitate to raise issues because every call costs.£75 to £150 per hour

    Typical UK market ranges for small and medium businesses, 2026.

    What is fixed price IT support?

    Fixed price IT support means you pay a set monthly amount and the support itself is not metered. You are not charged per ticket, per call or per hour for day to day work, so nobody in your team has to weigh up whether a problem is worth reporting.

    It is worth being precise about what “fixed” covers, because it rarely means everything.

    Normally inside the fixed fee: unlimited helpdesk support during business hours, proactive monitoring, patching and updates, endpoint protection, user onboarding and offboarding, and account management.

    Normally outside it: hardware, Microsoft and software licensing, projects such as office moves and migrations, and often out of hours support. That is reasonable, as long as it is stated upfront rather than discovered later.

    The genuine benefit of fixed price support is not the price itself. It is that it changes the incentive. When support is metered, the provider earns more when things break. When it is fixed, the provider earns more when things do not, which is why fixed price contracts tend to come with monitoring and prevention attached.

    Watch for two things. A cap described as unlimited, meaning a fair use clause that bites at a certain number of tickets. And a low headline fee that excludes monitoring or backup testing, which are the two things you will miss most on the day something goes wrong.

    What should be included in a managed IT contract

    The headline price means nothing until you know what sits behind it. A proper outsourced IT support service should include all of the following as standard:

    • Unlimited remote support during business hours, so nobody hesitates to raise an issue
    • Proactive monitoring of your systems around the clock, so most problems are caught before you notice them
    • A guaranteed response time, in writing, not a vague promise
    • Patching and updates applied automatically across every machine
    • Antivirus and endpoint protection
    • Backup and disaster recovery, and just as importantly, regular testing that the backup actually restores
    • Microsoft 365 management, including user setup, permissions and security settings
    • Onboarding and offboarding of staff
    • Account management, meaning someone who knows your business and reviews it with you regularly

    If a quote looks unusually cheap, one of these is almost certainly missing. Usually it is backup testing or monitoring, and those are the two you will miss most on the day something goes wrong. To see how your own setup measures up against this checklist, try our free IT and cyber benchmark.

    What is usually charged separately

    Even with a good contract, some things sit outside the monthly fee. That is normal and reasonable, but you should know about them upfront:

    • Onboarding or setup fee. Typically £500 to £2,000, covering the work to audit, document and take over your systems properly
    • Hardware. Laptops, servers, firewalls and phones are bought, not rented, unless you agree otherwise
    • Microsoft and software licensing. Usually billed at cost or with a small margin, on top of support
    • Projects. Office moves, migrations, new server installs and similar are quoted separately
    • Out of hours support. Some providers include it, most charge extra

    Why the cheapest quote is usually the most expensive

    Businesses that stay on pay as you go support tend to believe they are saving money. In practice they pay in three ways.

    They pay in downtime. With no monitoring, nobody spots the failing hard drive, the backup that stopped running three months ago, or the machine quietly missing security updates. Problems are only found when they become emergencies.

    They pay in hesitation. When every call costs money, staff put up with slow machines and broken processes rather than pick up the phone. That lost productivity never appears on an invoice, but it is real.

    They pay in the bad month. Reactive support is cheap until the month it is not. A serious incident, a failed server or a security breach turns a modest monthly saving into a very large bill, alongside days of lost trading.

    Managed support is not just cheaper support. It is a different product. You are paying for problems that never happen.

    What drives the price up or down

    Two businesses of the same size can get very different quotes. The main factors are:

    • Number of users and devices. The single biggest driver
    • Servers. On premise servers cost meaningfully more to support than a cloud only setup
    • Security and compliance needs. Businesses handling sensitive data, or working in regulated sectors, need more protection and often managed cyber security and Cyber Essentials certification
    • Age of your equipment. Old hardware breaks more, so it costs more to support
    • Number of sites. Multiple locations mean connectivity between them and more to keep in sync
    • Response times. A 15 minute guarantee costs more to deliver than a next working day one

    Does the price change by industry?

    Somewhat. What changes most is what you need, rather than the rate itself. Sectors handling sensitive client data or working to compliance requirements tend to need more security, tighter access control and formal certification, which pushes them towards the upper end of the range.

    We publish sector specific guidance for solicitors, accountants, veterinary practices, architects and construction firms, because the right setup genuinely differs between them.

    Questions to ask any IT provider before you sign

    1. What exactly is included, and what will I be billed extra for?
    2. What is your guaranteed response time, and is it in the contract?
    3. Do you monitor our systems proactively, or only react when we call?
    4. How often do you test that our backups actually restore?
    5. Is support genuinely unlimited, or is there a cap?
    6. What is the contract length, and what happens if we want to leave?
    7. Who will actually answer the phone, and will they know our business?

    An honest provider will answer all seven without hesitating.

    If you are asking these questions because your current provider is falling short, it is worth reading our guide to the signs it is time to change your IT support provider.

    Frequently asked questions

    How much does IT support cost per user in the UK?

    Most UK businesses pay between £30 and £90 per user per month for managed IT support. The range depends on what is included, particularly whether security, backup and Microsoft 365 management are part of the package or charged separately. ATS charges £30 to £48 per user per month for Core support and £55 to £90 per user per month for Complete IT and security.

    How much does IT support cost for a small business?

    A 10 person business should typically budget £400 to £900 a month for a fully managed service. A 25 person business should expect £1,000 to £2,000 a month. Businesses with on premise servers or higher security requirements sit at the upper end. See our small business IT support page for more.

    Is managed IT support worth it for a small business?

    For most businesses with five or more staff, yes. Below that, ad hoc support can be reasonable. Above it, the cost of downtime, the security risk and the productivity lost to staff struggling on alone usually outweigh the monthly fee comfortably.

    What is the difference between managed IT support and pay as you go?

    Pay as you go is reactive. You call when something breaks and pay for the time. Managed support is proactive. Your systems are monitored continuously, problems are prevented rather than fixed, and support is included in a fixed monthly fee so there is no hesitation about picking up the phone.

    What are the different IT support pricing models in the UK?

    There are three common models. Per user per month, typically £30 to £90, where you pay a fixed fee for each member of staff whatever devices they use. Per device per month, typically £15 to £50 with servers charged considerably more. And pay as you go, typically £75 to £150 per hour, where you are billed for time when something breaks. Per user is the most common and generally the fairest, because it does not penalise you for giving people the equipment they need.

    What should managed IT support include?

    A proper managed package should include unlimited remote support during business hours, proactive monitoring, a guaranteed response time in writing, patching and updates, endpoint protection, backup and disaster recovery with tested restores, Microsoft 365 management, staff onboarding and offboarding, and account management. Hardware, software licensing, projects and often out of hours support are normally charged separately. If a package looks unusually cheap, one of the items above is usually missing.

    Should IT support include Microsoft 365 licences?

    Not usually. Licences are typically billed separately from support, because the cost depends entirely on how many people you have and which Microsoft plan you are on. Your provider should manage the licences as part of the service, but the licence cost itself sits on top.

    How much does an IT support contract cost to set up?

    Expect an onboarding fee of £500 to £2,000 depending on the size and complexity of your setup. This covers auditing your systems, documenting them, deploying monitoring and security tools, and taking over from your previous provider properly.

    Get a real number for your business

    We have supported businesses across West Sussex since 2015, from Arundel, Chichester and Worthing to Horsham, Crawley and Brighton. We are Cyber Essentials certified and a Microsoft Partner, and we look after everyone from architects and engineers to hotels, vets and property firms.

    If you would like a straight answer on what IT support would cost for your business, book a free IT review or get a quote and we will give you a real number.

    School IT Support and the DfE Digital and Technology Standards: A 2026 Guide

    Posted on by Jake Boase

    The short answer: The Department for Education expects every school and college to meet six core digital and technology standards by 2030: broadband internet, wireless network, network switching, digital leadership and governance, filtering and monitoring, and cyber security. Most of the cyber security and filtering requirements apply now, not in 2030. Few schools have the in-house staff to meet them all, which is why many use outsourced school IT support, either fully or alongside an on-site technician. If you are choosing a provider, our IT support for schools page sets out what we do and what it costs.

    Last updated: 29 September 2026. Checked against the DfE’s digital and technology standards guidance and the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 on that date.

    In this guide

    What are the DfE’s core digital and technology standards?

    The DfE’s guidance, Meeting digital and technology standards in schools and colleges, says all schools and colleges should be working towards six core standards by 2030. The timing is set requirement by requirement, and several parts apply now:

    Core standardWhat it coversWhen
    Broadband internetFull fibre connection, a backup connection, security and safeguardingSecurity now; full fibre as soon as you can
    Wireless networkWi-Fi that covers teaching spaces and supports current standardsWhen you next upgrade an underperforming or unsupported network
    Network switchingCore switches, including connection to an uninterruptible power supplyWhen you next replace switching
    Digital leadership and governanceA senior leader responsible for digital, asset registers, digital in continuity plans, an annual digital strategyRegisters and continuity plans now
    Filtering and monitoringBlocking harmful content and monitoring activity, with named roles and annual reviewNow
    Cyber securityRisk assessment, training, protection, access control, updates, backups and incident reportingNow; backups must be in place immediately
    Summarised from the DfE guidance, last updated 16 September 2026.

    The DfE also publishes further standards for cloud solutions, digital accessibility, IT support, devices, network cabling, and servers and storage.

    What does the cyber security standard require?

    The cyber security core standard is the most demanding, and it applies now. Its requirements cover seven areas:

    1. Risk assessment carried out annually and reviewed every term.
    2. A cyber awareness plan for staff and students, with training at least annually.
    3. Anti-malware and firewalls protecting digital technology and data.
    4. Controlled user accounts: multi-factor authentication must be enabled for all staff accounts with access to cloud services or remote access to on-site systems, and for all IT administrator accounts.
    5. Licensed, up-to-date technology: critical or high-risk vulnerabilities (CVSS 7.0 or above) fixed within 14 days.
    6. Backups: at least three copies of your data, two on separate devices and one offsite. Backups must be immutable, meaning they cannot be changed once created, and tested every term or after significant changes.
    7. Reporting cyber attacks to your insurer or the RPA, to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud), and to the DfE’s sector cyber team, with the ICO also informed of serious personal data breaches.

    Cyber Essentials is a funding requirement for colleges. For schools it is optional, but the DfE notes that meeting the standards helps you work towards it.

    The threat is real and rising. The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 49% of primary schools and 73% of secondary schools identified a breach or attack in the previous 12 months, compared with 43% of businesses. The secondary figure was up from 60% the year before.

    What are the RPA cyber cover conditions for academies?

    Academies and other schools in the DfE’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) have cyber cover, but only if they meet its conditions. The DfE’s Cyber Security Hub lists four:

    • Keep offline backups of your data.
    • Staff and governors with access to the school’s IT complete the free NCSC cyber security training for schools, and you can evidence it annually.
    • Register with Police CyberAlarm.
    • Have a cyber response plan in place.

    If one of these is missing when an incident happens, the school may find it is not covered. They are worth checking with your IT provider now rather than after an attack.

    How do filtering and monitoring relate to KCSIE 2026?

    The filtering and monitoring standard asks schools to assign clear roles, review provision at least annually, block harmful and inappropriate content without unreasonably restricting teaching, and monitor activity effectively. Every part applies now, and the guidance now also points schools to the DfE’s standards for generative AI products.

    The DfE describes these standards as its recommended approach to meeting the online safety duties in Keeping Children Safe in Education. The 2026 edition came into force on 1 September 2026 and replaces KCSIE 2025, so policies and IT settings written against the old version should be reviewed.

    What does the DfE say about IT support?

    The DfE has a standard specifically for IT support, whether it is in-house or outsourced. It says IT support should:

    • Help you meet the digital and technology standards.
    • Actively maintain and improve your technology in line with your digital strategy.
    • Be responsive and meet agreed service expectations.
    • Be reviewed at least once a year.
    • Make sure staff get clear guidance and training on the technology they use.

    The guidance also makes a point worth remembering at contract time: value for money does not necessarily mean the lowest cost. It suggests considering credentials such as Cyber Essentials certification when choosing a provider.

    Should a school use an in-house technician, outsourced support or both?

    Each model has a place. The right one depends on the size of the school and what you already have:

    ModelStrengthsWeaknessesOften suits
    In-house technicianOn site every day, knows staff and roomsOne person cannot cover every standard; no cover for absenceLarger secondaries, alongside specialist support
    Fully outsourcedBreadth of skills, tools, security expertise, cover built inNeeds good scheduling for on-site timePrimaries and small schools
    Hybrid (technician plus provider)Daily presence plus specialist back-up, monitoring and securityNeeds a clear split of responsibilitiesSecondaries and multi-academy trusts

    The government’s survey found 77% of primary schools and 54% of secondary schools already use an external cyber security provider. For many schools, the question is not whether to outsource but how much. Remote support now resolves most day-to-day issues quickly, so on-site visits can be kept for installations, hardware and network work. We compare the models more generally in IT outsourcing models explained.

    How should a school choose an IT support provider?

    Ask any provider to show how it will help you meet the standards, not just fix problems. In particular:

    1. Can you map our current setup against the six core standards and give us a prioritised plan?
    2. How will you evidence the cyber security standard: MFA, 14-day patching, backups and termly restore tests?
    3. Are our backups immutable, and is one copy offline for RPA cover?
    4. Who configures and reviews our filtering and monitoring, and how do you report to our designated safeguarding lead?
    5. Are you Cyber Essentials certified?
    6. What response times do you guarantee in writing, and how often will you be on site?
    7. How will you support our annual IT support review and digital strategy?

    ATS Connection supports schools and education settings alongside our business clients. At Brighton College, we rolled out endpoint antivirus across the whole network, where hundreds of pupils use computers and plug in storage devices every day, and it now runs with minimal attention from the network manager. See our IT support for schools and education and telecoms for education, or book a free cyber security audit against the standards.

    Frequently asked questions

    What are the DfE digital and technology standards?

    Guidance from the Department for Education setting out what schools and colleges should have in place for broadband, Wi-Fi, networking, leadership and governance, filtering and monitoring, cyber security and more. Six core standards should be met by 2030, with many requirements applying now.

    Do schools have to meet the digital and technology standards?

    The DfE says all schools and colleges should be working towards the six core standards by 2030. The cyber security and filtering and monitoring requirements are expected now, and backups must be in place immediately.

    What backups does the DfE require for schools?

    At least three copies of your data, two of them on separate devices and one offsite. Backups must be immutable and tested every term or after significant changes. RPA members also need an offline backup for cyber cover.

    Do schools need Cyber Essentials?

    No. Cyber Essentials is a funding requirement for colleges but optional for schools. The DfE says meeting its standards helps schools work towards certification.

    How many schools have a cyber attack?

    The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found 49% of primary schools and 73% of secondary schools identified a breach or attack in the previous 12 months.

    What are the RPA cyber cover conditions?

    Offline backups, NCSC cyber security training for staff and governors with IT access, registration with Police CyberAlarm, and a cyber response plan.

    Can a school’s IT support be done remotely?

    Most day-to-day issues can be fixed remotely. A good provider combines remote support with scheduled and on-demand on-site visits for hardware, installations and network work.

    Sources

    Microsoft 365 Business Prices UK (2026): Every Plan Compared

    Posted on by Jake Boase

    The short answer: Microsoft 365 for business costs £5.40 per user per month for Business Basic, £10.80 for Business Standard and £16.90 for Business Premium, on an annual subscription and excluding VAT. Apps for business is £9.80. Paying on a monthly subscription instead costs 20% more. For most businesses that hold client data, Business Premium is the plan worth paying for, because it is the only one that includes device management and proper threat protection.

    Last updated: 29 September 2026. Prices checked against Microsoft’s UK compare plans page and plan pages on that date. Microsoft changes prices from time to time, so always confirm before you buy.

    In this guide

    Microsoft 365 business prices at a glance

    These are Microsoft’s published UK list prices for the four Microsoft 365 business plans. All four are capped at 300 users.

    PlanAnnual subscription (per user, per month)Monthly subscription (per user, per month)No-Teams version (annual)
    Microsoft 365 Business Basic£5.40£6.48£4.20
    Microsoft 365 Business Standard£10.80£12.96£8.30
    Microsoft 365 Business Premium£16.90£20.28£14.40
    Microsoft 365 Apps for business£9.80£11.76Not applicable (no Teams)
    UK list prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK plan pages, checked 29 September 2026.

    Microsoft also now sells Standard and Premium with Copilot built in: Business Standard with Copilot at £18.10 and Business Premium with Copilot at £24.60 per user per month on an annual subscription. Microsoft’s UK compare page currently shows the Copilot versions of Standard and Premium, so the plain versions are easiest to find on each plan’s own page.

    If you have more than 300 users, you move to the enterprise plans. Microsoft lists Microsoft 365 E3 at £33.50 and E5 at £51.60 per user per month (annual, excluding VAT).

    What changed on 1 July 2026?

    Microsoft raised the price of Business Basic and Business Standard on 1 July 2026, while Business Premium stayed the same. The change was announced in December 2025 and applied worldwide. These are the UK prices now, with the size of each increase:

    PlanUK price now (annual, per user per month)Change on 1 July 2026
    Business Basic£5.40Up about 17%
    Business Standard£10.80Up 12%
    Business Premium£16.90No change
    Microsoft 365 E3£33.50Up about 8%
    Microsoft 365 E5£51.60Up about 5%
    UK prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK plan pages, checked 29 September 2026. Microsoft set the increase globally; the percentages are calculated from its published list prices before and after 1 July 2026.

    Three details matter if you already pay for Microsoft 365:

    • Existing customers keep their current price until renewal. The new price applies when your annual term renews, so check your renewal date.
    • Basic and Standard gained features. Microsoft added extra mailbox capacity and time-of-click protection against malicious links to both plans alongside the increase.
    • The gap to Premium has narrowed. With Premium unchanged, the step up from Standard now costs £6.10 per user per month at UK list prices.

    Is it cheaper to pay monthly or annually?

    Annual is cheaper. Microsoft offers three ways to pay, and the difference is worth knowing before you commit:

    How you buyCommitmentPrice effectBusiness Premium example
    Annual subscription, paid yearly12 monthsLowest price£16.90 per user per month
    Annual subscription, paid monthly12 months5% more (since 1 April 2025)About £17.75 (our calculation)
    Monthly subscriptionMonth to month20% more£20.28 per user per month
    The 20% monthly-subscription price is published by Microsoft. Microsoft announced the 5% uplift for annual subscriptions billed monthly in November 2024; the Premium example is our own arithmetic.

    The trade-off is flexibility. On an annual subscription you can add licences at any time but generally cannot reduce them until renewal. A monthly subscription lets you drop licences when someone leaves. For a stable team, annual wins. For seasonal staff or a business about to shrink, a mix of the two is often the sensible answer.

    What does each Microsoft 365 business plan include?

    Every plan includes business email (except Apps for business), 1TB of OneDrive storage per user and Copilot Chat. The real differences are desktop apps and security.

    FeatureBasicStandardPremiumApps for business
    Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OutlookWeb and mobile onlyDesktop, web and mobileDesktop, web and mobileDesktop, web and mobile
    Business email (Exchange)100GB mailbox100GB mailbox100GB mailbox, archive up to 1.5TBNot included
    OneDrive storage1TB1TB1TB1TB
    TeamsWith or withoutWith or withoutWith or withoutNot included
    Device management (Intune)NoNoYesNo
    Conditional Access (Entra ID P1)NoNoYesNo
    Defender for Business (endpoint protection)NoNoYesNo
    Data loss prevention and sensitivity labels (Purview)NoNoYesNo
    Maximum users300300300300
    From Microsoft’s UK compare page and the Exchange Online service description, checked 29 September 2026.

    If you want to understand what the security features in Premium actually do, we have separate guides to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra ID.

    Basic, Standard or Premium: which should you choose?

    Choose on how you work and what data you hold, not on price alone. This is how we advise our own clients:

    Business Basic: email, Teams and files, in the browser

    Basic suits people who work mostly in email and Teams and rarely need the full desktop versions of Word or Excel, such as site staff, part-timers or volunteers. It is also a sensible way to give a shared mailbox user a proper account without paying for desktop apps.

    Business Standard: the full Office apps

    Standard adds the desktop apps. It suits office-based teams who live in Excel and Outlook. The catch is that it has no device management and only the free tier of Entra ID, so you cannot enforce security on the laptops and phones that access your data.

    Business Premium: Standard plus the security

    Premium is Standard plus Intune, Conditional Access, Defender for Business and Purview. In practice that means you can require multi-factor authentication, block sign-ins from unmanaged devices, wipe a lost laptop, and stop client files being shared outside the business. If you handle client, patient or financial data, or you are working towards Cyber Essentials, Premium is the plan we recommend. Since April 2026, Cyber Essentials automatically fails any business that has not turned on multi-factor authentication for its cloud services where it is available, and Premium makes that far easier to enforce and prove.

    Apps for business: desktop apps without email

    Apps for business is only the Office apps and OneDrive. It fits businesses that run email elsewhere. For most small businesses, Standard costs only a little more and includes email and Teams.

    You can mix plans. Many businesses put office staff on Premium and frontline or occasional users on Basic. You pay for what each person needs, provided everyone who touches sensitive data is on a plan that can be secured properly.

    Do you need Teams or Copilot?

    Microsoft sells every business plan with or without Teams. The no-Teams versions save £1.20 to £2.50 per user per month, which only makes sense if you already pay for another meetings and chat platform. Existing customers can keep renewing their plans with Teams.

    Copilot Chat is included in all business plans. The full Microsoft 365 Copilot, which works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams using your own files and email, costs extra: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is £16.10 per user per month on an annual subscription, with an introductory price of £13.80 for the first year on annual subscriptions bought by 31 December 2026. Alternatively, buy Standard or Premium with Copilot built in.

    Our advice is to license Copilot for the people who will use it daily rather than the whole company, and to tidy up file permissions first. Copilot can surface anything a user has access to, so overshared folders become a real problem the day it is switched on.

    What costs does the Microsoft price list not show?

    The licence is rarely the whole cost of running Microsoft 365 properly. Budget for these as well:

    • VAT. Every Microsoft UK price is quoted excluding VAT.
    • Backup. Microsoft keeps your data available and offers retention settings, but retention is not the same as an independent backup you control. Most businesses add a third-party Microsoft 365 backup.
    • Setup and security configuration. Premium’s security features do nothing until they are configured. MFA, Conditional Access policies, device enrolment and data loss prevention all need setting up and maintaining.
    • Migration. Moving from another email system or old file server is a project in its own right.
    • Buying route. Prices through Microsoft partners can differ from Microsoft’s list prices, and partner-billed licences may come with different terms.

    When we manage Microsoft 365 for a client, the licences are billed at cost and the management sits in our fixed monthly IT support price. You can see exactly how that works on our Microsoft 365 services page, or use the IT support cost calculator for a figure for your own team.

    Charities pay much less: Business Basic is free for up to 300 users and Premium is heavily discounted. See our guide to Microsoft 365 for charities.

    Frequently asked questions

    How much does Microsoft 365 cost per user in the UK?

    At UK list prices, excluding VAT, on an annual subscription: Business Basic £5.40, Business Standard £10.80, Business Premium £16.90 and Apps for business £9.80 per user per month. A monthly subscription costs 20% more.

    Did Microsoft 365 prices go up in 2026?

    Yes. From 1 July 2026 Microsoft raised Business Basic and Business Standard, along with the E3 and E5 enterprise plans. Business Premium did not change. Existing customers move to the new price at their next renewal.

    What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium?

    Both include the desktop Office apps, email, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive. Premium adds Intune device management, Entra ID P1 Conditional Access, Defender for Business and Purview data protection, plus an archive of up to 1.5TB. Premium is the plan to choose if you need to secure devices and client data.

    What is the difference between Business Basic and Business Standard?

    Business Basic gives web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Business Standard adds the full desktop apps. Email, Teams and OneDrive storage are the same on both.

    Are Microsoft 365 prices shown with or without VAT?

    Microsoft’s UK business prices are shown excluding VAT, so add 20% if your business is not VAT registered.

    How many users can have Microsoft 365 Business?

    Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps for business are each limited to 300 users. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans such as E3 and E5.

    Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?

    For most small businesses that hold client or financial data, yes. It is the only business plan that lets you manage and secure devices, enforce multi-factor authentication through Conditional Access and protect against malware and data leaks, and at current UK list prices it costs £6.10 more per user per month than Standard.

    Sources

    The Hidden Cost of IT Downtime

    Posted on by Jake Boase

    IT downtime is one of the most underestimated threats to a business. On the surface, a short system outage might seem like a minor inconvenience, but when you dig deeper, the hidden costs of IT downtime can be staggering. From lost productivity to reputational damage, IT downtime can impact your business in ways that are often overlooked.

    In this blog, we’ll uncover the hidden costs of IT downtime and how proactive IT support can help you avoid them.

    1. Loss of Productivity

    When your IT systems go down, so does your team’s ability to work efficiently. Employees rely heavily on technology to perform daily tasks, whether it’s accessing emails, using cloud-based applications, or handling customer queries. When those systems are unavailable, productivity grinds to a halt.

    Key Stats:

    • A report by Gartner estimates that the average cost of IT downtime is £4,000 per minute for businesses. Employees can lose hours or even days trying to catch up on work after systems are restored.

    Impact on Your Business:

    The longer the downtime lasts, the bigger the ripple effect. Employees may attempt to work around the issue, but these temporary fixes often lead to inefficiency and wasted effort. Over time, these delays can result in missed deadlines, dissatisfied clients, and stalled projects.

    2. Financial Losses

    IT downtime directly impacts your bottom line. Whether it’s missed sales opportunities, halted production lines, or unprocessed orders, the financial implications can escalate quickly.

    Real-World Example:

    Imagine an e-commerce business experiencing downtime during a peak shopping period. Not only would they lose revenue from unprocessed sales, but they’d also risk future sales if frustrated customers take their business elsewhere.

    How It Adds Up:

    • Missed revenue opportunities.
    • Overtime costs for IT teams scrambling to fix the issue.
    • Potential penalties for failing to meet contractual obligations or SLAs.

    3. Reputational Damage

    Your reputation is one of your business’s most valuable assets, and IT downtime can tarnish it in minutes. Customers, suppliers, and partners expect seamless communication and reliable service. When downtime disrupts your operations, it can erode trust and credibility.

    Long-Term Effects:

    • Dissatisfied customers may share negative reviews online or spread the word about poor service.
    • Partners and suppliers may view your business as unreliable, impacting future opportunities.
    • Competitors may seize the chance to attract frustrated customers.

    4. Security Risks

    IT downtime can leave your business vulnerable to cyberattacks. During an outage, security protocols may be compromised, exposing sensitive data to malicious actors. Furthermore, rushed fixes to restore systems can sometimes lead to security oversights.

    Potential Risks:

    • Data breaches during downtime, which can result in fines under regulations like GDPR.
    • Increased risk of ransomware attacks targeting weak points in your IT infrastructure.

    By not having robust cybersecurity measures and recovery plans in place, the costs of downtime can spiral even further.

    5. Increased IT Recovery Costs

    Fixing an IT issue isn’t just about getting systems back online. The recovery process can often be time-consuming and expensive, particularly if you don’t have proactive IT management in place. From paying IT specialists overtime to purchasing new hardware or software, recovery costs can pile up quickly.

    Common Expenses:

    • Emergency call-outs for IT specialists.
    • Data recovery services if critical information has been lost or corrupted.
    • Additional hardware or software purchases to replace damaged systems.

    These costs often far exceed the investment in proactive IT support or infrastructure upgrades that could have prevented the downtime in the first place.

    6. Loss of Competitive Advantage

    In today’s fast-paced business world, downtime doesn’t just affect your day, it affects your position in the market. While your business is offline, your competitors remain fully operational, gaining an edge over you.

    Examples:

    • A sales team unable to access customer data during downtime might lose a deal to a competitor with seamless IT systems.
    • Delayed product launches or services due to downtime can give competitors the first-mover advantage.

    Your business can’t afford to let downtime affect your ability to compete effectively in your industry.

    7. Impact on Employee Morale

    Frequent IT issues or prolonged downtime can frustrate employees, leading to decreased morale and engagement. Employees want to feel empowered to do their jobs, but technical disruptions can create unnecessary stress and a sense of helplessness.

    Long-Term Consequences:

    • High employee turnover due to dissatisfaction with workplace tools and processes.
    • Reduced innovation and creativity as employees become focused on workaround solutions rather than strategic tasks.

    Investing in reliable IT support not only keeps systems running smoothly but also boosts employee confidence and satisfaction.

    How to Avoid IT Downtime

    The hidden costs of IT downtime highlight the importance of taking a proactive approach to your IT infrastructure. Here’s how you can protect your business:

    1. Proactive IT Monitoring
      Continuous 24/7 monitoring can identify potential issues before they become full-blown problems, minimising downtime.
    2. Regular Backups
      Automated backups ensure that critical data is never lost and can be restored quickly in the event of an issue.
    3. Disaster Recovery Plan
      A well-designed disaster recovery plan ensures your business can recover quickly from any disruption.
    4. Cybersecurity Measures
      Implementing robust cybersecurity tools protects your systems from external threats that can lead to downtime.
    5. Partner with a Trusted IT Provider
      Having a reliable IT partner like ATS Connection ensures that your systems are maintained, monitored, and secured at all times.

    How ATS Connection Can Help

    At ATS Connection, we specialise in providing proactive IT support to prevent downtime and its costly effects. From 24/7 monitoring to advanced cybersecurity solutions, we tailor our services to meet the unique needs of your business.

    With us, you can expect:

    • Fast response times to resolve issues quickly.
    • Proactive monitoring to identify and fix potential problems before they escalate.
    • Comprehensive IT solutions to keep your systems running smoothly.

    Don’t wait for downtime to cost your business more than it should. Contact us today to schedule a free IT assessment and learn how we can help safeguard your operations.

    Final Thoughts

    IT downtime isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a costly business risk. By understanding the hidden costs and taking proactive measures, you can protect your business, save money, and maintain your competitive edge. Reach out to ATS Connection today to learn more about how we can help keep your business running smoothly, no matter what challenges arise.

    Get in touch