Local Circuit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who in your business can change the bank details on an invoice? Your accounting software is connected to your bank and holds payroll data. Turn on MFA, give everyone their own login, and use roles so only the people who need to move money can. Review access every few months.

MFA isn't bulletproof. Google's June 2026 advisory warns attackers build fake login pages that pass your password and MFA code through to the real site, stealing your session. Use passkeys for important accounts, and never log in through an emailed link.

Our latest fraud and scams advisory An overview from Google’s Trust & Safety teams on the most recent online scam trends.

Your router or firewall connects your business to the internet, and on default settings it's an easy way in. The admin password is often still the default, the firmware is out of date, and remote management may be switched on. Ask your IT provider to fix all three this week.

Your team's home wifi routers are part of your security now. A lot still run the default admin password from the sticker. Have them change it, turn on WPA2 or WPA3, and work from a company device rather than the family laptop. Give every remote worker a short checklist.

Soon, some of the calls coming into your business won't be from a real person.

Google has started giving people AI assistants that ring businesses for them. The assistant will call a shop to check if something's in stock, book an appointment, or ask about a price.

For now this is mostly a consumer thing, and it's early. But if a lot of your business comes in over the phone, it's worth knowing about.

Tell your team some callers will be AI, not people. And whatever they say on a call can be recorded, so it pays to be accurate about prices, opening hours and what you've got available.

There's a good side to this too. You can use the same kind of assistant for the dull calls you'd rather not make, like chasing a supplier or waiting on hold.