IT Bytes

There are many types of malware. One of the most common is called “malvertising.” It crops up everywhere. Including social media sites and websites. You can also see these malicious ads on Google searches. Two things are making malvertising even more dangerous. One is that hackers use AI to make it very believable. The other

Like many other businesses you may have embraced remote and home working. The changes in employment law to support flexible working, means we have to embrace change to ensure we continue to deliver outstanding service to our customers. With this continued rise in remote working, cybersecurity has become more critical than ever. A significant 73%

Phishing has evolved. Designed to get us to reveal information through deceit, just when you think you have it under control it grows another leg and looks like your most trusted friend! The new wave, dubbed Phishing 2.0, leverages artificial intelligence to create more sophisticated and convincing attacks. My research revealed that in recent studies

Creating a culture of cyber awareness doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. The key word is culture. Proving you are a trustworthy organisation to work with is imperative for your continued success. In our experience, a major way of safeguarding your business is helping your people do the right thing. Always. We’ve put together

At Heron IT, we take immense pride in supporting the businesses that are the backbone of our community. Two of these businesses are Iris Carr Restorations and Deben Joinery, both of which have earned acclaim for their exquisite craftsmanship. We provide essential IT support and secure email solutions to ensure their operations run smoothly, allowing

We have had the pleasure of working with Crispin Clay, the entrepreneurial mind behind Munchy Seeds, since December 2009. Over the years, we have witnessed Munchy Seeds grow to become one of the leading artisan seed specialists in the UK. But a new challenge beckoned. Last year marked a significant transition for Crispin and his

Jonty: Today, I’m interviewing Heron IT’s Colin Hammond about Subject Access Requests (SARs) and how how organisations can effectively manage them. Jonty: What exactly is a Subject Access Request (SAR)? Colin: A Subject Access Request, or SAR, is a powerful right granted to individuals under data protection laws. When you share personal information with an

We are very pleased to welcome Aisha to our team at Heron IT. With an impressive and varied background Aisha is set to make a positive impact in her new role as a purchasing assistant, helping Sarah to provide our clients with any requirements they have for the computer equipment such as laptops, PCs, monitors,

Heron IT has just celebrated 15 years since it was formed! It has been quite the journey from Colin working in his home office to having ten employees and a 2-floor office. Here are the highlights so far:   Milestones:  The main challenges The first challenge Colin faced when he first formed the company was

We recently had the pleasure of hosting Pru and Michael for a special lunch at The Shard, celebrating over a decade of collaboration with Heron IT. This special occasion was more than just a meal—it was an opportunity for us to express our gratitude for our partnership since July 2010. Fourteen Years of Growth and

Here at Heron IT, we tailor our services to meet the needs of our clients. In a way, we hold our own mini-Olympics every day due to the variety and expertise we have in the broad scope of IT in 2024. Clients Going the Distance Like a Marathon Runner: With consistent IT support, clients can

We are celebrating ten years of Sarah Black working with us, making life easy for IT Managers and Company Owners who are responsible for buying IT equipment for their organisations. Her expertise and commitment has often surprised them with the value and simplicity she brings to the process. She takes away all the head-scratching (and

Technology plays a massive role in driving efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness. For small businesses, workforce technology modernisation is both an opportunity and a challenge. Embracing modern technology can empower small businesses. It can help them thrive in a digital era. Yet many of them don’t keep up with modernisation. For example, over 30% of small businesses

Have you every wondered how wireless charging of things like toothbrushes and smartphones works? Colin has, and thought he’d find out. This is what he found: Imagine you’re at a campfire on a chilly evening, warming your hands over the flames. The fire is the charging pad, and your hands are like your phone. 1.

Microsoft 365 has a powerful suite of cloud-based productivity tools. They can help you work smarter and faster. Microsoft has consistently been at the forefront of innovation. M365 was one of the very first all-in-one cloud tools, introduced as Office 365 in 2013. Now, Microsoft and its business tools are at the leading edge of

How the Scam Works: Someone might stick a fake QR code, which is a type of barcode, over a real one. You could find these on an ad for a discount or a movie poster. If you scan the fake one, you might end up on a bad website that tries to steal your personal

Happy World Password Day! Heron IT has some ideas here to keep your systems secure.  The Pillars of a Strong Password: 1. Length and Complexity: Aim for passwords that are at least 12 characters long, combining letters, numbers, and symbols to create a complex key that guards your digital doors.    2. Uniqueness: Use a different

AI and Cybersecurity Lately, the internet has become a trickier place with smarter threats. But, AI (artificial intelligence) is stepping up as a strong partner, offering new tools and ways to stay ahead of hackers. We’re diving into the latest AI movements that are transforming how we defend ourselves online against a growing number of

We are very proud to announce that we have earned a Britain’s 50 Best Managed IT Companies Award by e-Channel News, an international IT news channel. This is a true testament to the hard work everyone has put in over the years. We have interviewed the founder and managing director, Colin Hammond, to find out

We would like you to know that we supply, either directly or through trusted partners, all sorts of technology solutions such as VoIP telephony, headsets, Xerox photocopiers, data cabling, PoS tills, printers, video-conferencing, office furniture and Smart TVs; in fact, anything that might have a slight impact on your IT! We like to provide these

In the ever-evolving world of IT, it is paramount to have a team equipped not only with technical knowledge but also with a diverse set of practical skills. This month, we are thrilled to introduce Aaron Bevis as the latest addition to our dynamic IT support team here in Ipswich. Aaron steps into his new

Breached or stolen passwords are the bane of any organization’s cybersecurity. Passwords cause over 80% of data breaches. Hackers get in using stolen, weak, or reused (and easily breached) passwords. At Heron IT we try to ensure that all our clients’ systems are protected by strong passwords and two-step verification, which makes it very hard

As part of our efforts to build our London client base, Heron IT were at the Business Junction Expo in The City last week!  It was great to have a stand at their first ever Expo and was nice to meet new faces in London. We especially enjoyed the gin fountain provided by Creative Output.

Massive congratulations to Glenn Castle of Simple by Designs who has won our competition on our social media channels (having guessed where Nick is!) Check out: https://heronit.co.uk/spot-the-techie/ to see if you can spot him! A big thank you to Glenn for coming to our office near Ipswich to collect his bottle of Prosecco.

Heron IT will be at the Business Junction Spring Expo 2024 on Thursday the 29th of February in London! We will be one of over 50 companies showing off our services so please come and meet us at our stand. As one of the newer members of the Business Junction it would be great to

We are looking to fill an IT Technician’s role and thought we would start by interviewing Arty Fissial of ChatGPT to see how AI could help us. Here is a transcript of the interview, with Arty being in blue. Please stay tuned for an official job posting! Hello Arty, welcome to Heron IT. My name

Most people are familiar with their device’s Airplane Mode. You’ve probably used it when jetting off to exotic locations. But did you know that it’s not just for globetrotters? That’s right! Airplane Mode isn’t only for flying; it can be a handy feature for your everyday life, whether you are in Ipswich, London or somewhere

One lucky person who spots our Nick in the photo of a big screen TV we recently installed at our client Aquabridge Law will win a bottle of Prosecco! We’ve been working with Aquabridge Law providing their IT Support in both their Felixstowe, Suffolk and Chelmsford, Essex offices, and very importantly since the pandemic, working

Heron IT have upped their game in the security field, and we now offer clients various options to improve their cybersecurity. Firstly, we have developed an interactive seminar around Cyber Security and Data Protection and has presented this to several clients already. The aim is to make the topics personally-relatable so that staff can appreciate

Colin recently attended the British Touring Car Championships practice day at Brands Hatch London and had an enjoyable day on a seminar with the MSF Finance Team which was very useful for learning more about IT security and how to organise a fast-paced team, thanks to Tom Ingram and EXCEL8 Motorsport.

Colin and Jonty enjoyed a pre-Christmas chat with ISSBA with some delicious beer at the Dove Street Inn, recently. The usual topics of IT Support for Ipswich and Cyber Security were flying around, along with far more interesting banter about Ipswich Town and their current exciting team! Father Christmas appeared from the chimney and joined in too. (Scroll down to

In a bustling city where technology is in every aspect of business, London is a beacon of innovation and progress. Recognising the immense potential and the needs of the city, Heron IT’s Colin Hammond recently ventured into the heart of Belgravia, attending a networking event hosted by IntroBiz. The goal? To broaden Heron IT’s horizons

Colin recently attended an enjoyable event from Ipswich Suffolk Business Club. There were over 130 guests including a star turn from Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Commons. A delicious dinner was provided by Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, in the heart of Suffolk, Heron IT’s primary technical support region. See if you can spot

Heron IT staff recently embarked on an unforgettable Halloween night out, filled with thrills, chills, and a touch of the supernatural. Our destination? The spine-tingling Trinity Scares event at Ipswich Suffolk Showground. It promised haunted parks and hair-raising mazes, and we were more than ready to embrace the eerie atmosphere. As the night unfolded, we

Let’s dive into a topic that might give you the chills—cybersecurity skeletons in the Suffolk IT closet. You may not have old skeletons hidden away in the basement. But there’s a good chance of cybersecurity vulnerabilities lurking in the shadows. Just waiting to wreak havoc.  You can’t fix what you can’t see. It’s time to

Heron IT is pleased to announce another recent addition to our team, Sarah-Jane Vincent, who has joined us as our Finance Officer. With an impressive track record and a wealth of experience in the financial sector, Sarah brings a fresh perspective to our organisation. Sarah’s journey in finance has been very interesting. She has honed

We’re pleased to introduce a talented individual, a globetrotter, and now our new Marketing Assistant – Jonty Whelan. With a rich history at Heron IT, a company renowned for offering professional IT support in Ipswich, Jonty’s journey, skills, and accomplishments are nothing short of awe-inspiring. A Journey of Four Remarkable Years Jonty’s association with Heron

Exciting news for a businesses looking to expand or relocate! Our neighbours are leaving and their ground floor office is available to let. Located on Orion Court Business Park in Great Blakenham which has access to the main A14 dual carriageway, and is situated approximately 6 miles from Ipswich town centre. Orion Business Park provides

Ipswich, Suffolk Ipswich, Suffolk – In the heart of Suffolk, where football passion burns blue and white for Ipswich Town FC, another success story has been written, albeit in a different field. Dan Larson, a true Ipswich native and an unwavering supporter of Ipswich Town FC, recently celebrated a significant milestone in his career. Heron

Cyber Essentials is the Government-backed, industry-supported scheme to help organisations protect themselves against common online threats.

We deal with major suppliers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo and take the heavy lifting out of procurement for IT Managers across different industries from professional services to construction companies, retailers and event venues.

Leasing is one solution for any business wanting to stay competitive, but without the outlay of high capital expenditure.

PCI DSS is not a legal requirement but is considered best practice and mandatory within most contractual arrangements between a business and its bank or card issuer. Compliance will drastically reduce the risk to your business and your customers.

Employees should resist the temptation to download software from the internet.

Heron IT replaces faulty equipment at its own cost, handles the return of the faulty equipment and removes all the worry and hassle.

Transitioning BC Designs from an antiquated phone system to VoIP saves over £8,000 per year on phone lines and calls.

An expanded team has moved to a larger office in Great Blakenham. It’s great to have the space to be together again and be ‘COVID secure’.

The Heron IT team is proud to have said “Yes2Test” in order to keep our staff, clients and Suffolk Covid safe.

Heron IT provides IT support for Dream Hatcher’s new business tenants at their business centre in Great Blakenham, Suffolk.

Like so many others Kieran Lowe of Aquabridge Law works from home due to COVID restrictions. He called us when he lost connection to his shared drives meaning he couldn’t access key documents.

We were recently approached by Joanna Keeling of Ibis Ideas to run an eye over the firm’s Office 365 configuration, making sure it’s secure, working properly and not costing more than it should.