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AI, Supply Chains, and the New Reality of Cyber Resilience

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AI, Supply Chains, and the New Reality of Cyber Resilience

Every SMB owner I have spoken to lately is asking the same thing: “What’s the biggest cyber risk we should be watching right now?”

The truth?  It’s not just one.  Two issues are dominating the resilience landscape today, and they’re hitting SMBs as hard as the big players:

AI-Powered Scams

Generative AI isn’t just making life easier for your marketing team, it’s also turbo-charging cybercrime.

  • Phishing emails no longer look like they came from a dodgy hotmail account.  They’re polished, localised, and convincing.

  • Deepfake voice calls and even video messages can now trick staff into approving payments or sharing access.

  • The old “spot the typo” training simply doesn’t cut it anymore.

Supply Chain Weakness

Big brands from Jaguar Land Rover to airport systems have recently been knocked offline, not by direct attack, but through suppliers.

  • One weak link can cause days (or weeks) of disruption.

  • For SMBs, being part of a larger supply chain makes them a target, often the path of least resistance.

  • Resilience today means asking tough questions of your vendors and proving your own house is in order.

What This Means for SMBs

Resilience isn’t about a single tool, policy, or insurance policy.  It’s about being able to:

  • Identify risks (internal and external)

  • Strengthen defences in layers

  • Train staff to spot the real threats

  • Recover quickly when things go wrong

  • Adapt as new risks like AI evolve

That’s the difference between hoping you’re safe and knowing you’re resilient.

At SJ Cyber Aware, we’ve built a structured, practical programme, The Journey to Cyber Resilience, that helps SMBs embed these pillars into daily operations.  The stark truth is that in 2025, hoping for the best is no longer a strategy.

What’s your view?  Do you see AI-driven scams as the bigger threat, or supply chain risk?

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Why SMBs Can’t Ignore Mobile Device Security

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Why SMBs Can’t Ignore Mobile Device Security

For most of us, our mobile phone is more than a phone.  It’s a wallet, a diary, a filing cabinet, a camera, a sat-nav, and a direct link to the office.  That makes it one of the most valuable, and vulnerable, devices in your business.

Why SMBs Should Take Note

Big companies have teams of IT staff, layered defences, and enterprise tools.  Most small and medium businesses don’t.  That makes mobiles the easiest way in for cybercriminals.  Here’s why it matters:

  • Mobiles are business gateways.  Staff often use them to access company emails, finance apps, file shares, and client records.  If a phone is compromised, so is your business.

  • Lost or stolen devices = instant breach.  A single unattended phone in a café could expose sensitive emails, invoices, or even banking logins.

  • BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).  Many SMBs let staff use personal phones for work.  That’s convenient, but it also means your company data is sitting on devices you don’t control.

  • Phishing on the go.  People are more likely to fall for fake texts, dodgy links, or WhatsApp scams when they’re busy, distracted, or working outside the office.

  • Regulatory and financial risk.  A breach from an unsecured mobile can lead to lost clients, reputational damage, and regulatory fines.  For an SMB, that can be the difference between survival and closure.

Good Habits That Help

  • Require screen locks, strong passcodes, or biometrics on all devices.

  • Enable remote wipe so lost or stolen phones don’t become open doors.

  • Keep devices updated, security patches close known holes.

  • Stick to trusted apps only, and remove unused apps regularly.

  • Provide staff training so people know how to spot phishing texts and malicious links.

Bottom line for SMBs.

Your business is no longer protected by the walls of your office.  It now travels around in handbags, jacket pockets, and glove compartments.  One lost or hacked phone can expose your entire organisation.

Big companies can afford to bounce back.  Most SMBs can’t.  That’s why mobile device security isn’t a nice to have, it’s a survival tactic.

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 When Your Supplier Gets Hacked, So Do You!

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Why SMBs Must Take Third-Party Cyber Risks Seriously

Running a business today means relying on others.  You’ve got suppliers delivering parts, cloud providers hosting your emails, accountants filing your numbers, maybe even a marketing agency running your socials.  They keep things moving, but they also introduce risk.

If you think that only “the big guys” have to worry about supply chain cyber-attacks, think again.  Just look at what’s happened recently:

  • Jaguar Land Rover had to halt production after a cyber-attack hit their systems.  The knock-on effect?  Hundreds of suppliers couldn’t deliver parts, and smaller businesses in that chain faced weeks of uncertainty.

  • A cyber incident at European airports shut down baggage and check-in systems, causing chaos at Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels.  The problem didn’t come from the airlines themselves, it came from a third-party software provider many of them rely on.

Both cases prove a simple point: you’re only as secure as the weakest link in your supply chain.

Why SMBs Should Care

For a smaller business, the stakes can actually be higher.  You might not make the headlines like Jaguar Land Rover, but if a supplier is hacked and your data or services are caught up in it, you could lose customers, revenue, and reputation in a heartbeat.

Imagine:

  • Your IT provider gets hit with ransomware, and suddenly your systems go dark.

  • Your payroll processor suffers a breach, leaking your employees’ personal details.

  • Your parts supplier has to shut down, leaving you unable to deliver orders on time.

Sound dramatic? It happens every day, and SMBs are often left carrying the cost without the safety nets bigger firms can fall back on.

What This Teaches Us About Resilience

The Jaguar Land Rover and airport incidents highlight a few truths every business owner should keep in mind:

  1. Shared suppliers, shared risk
    If your supplier gets hit, chances are many of their customers are affected too.

  2. Out of sight, out of mind
    Just because you don’t see their systems doesn’t mean you’re safe.  Their weaknesses can quickly become your problem.

  3. Recovery is expensive
    Getting back on your feet after a supplier fails takes time and money, resources SMBs can’t always spare.

Practical Steps for SMBs

You don’t need an army of cyber experts to protect yourself. Start with these practical moves:

  • Know your critical suppliers: Who do you rely on most? Make a simple list.

  • Ask basic questions: Do they have backups? Do they use multi-factor authentication? How quickly will they tell you if something goes wrong?

  • Update contracts: Even small businesses can ask for simple commitments around cyber-security and breach notification.

  • Plan a “what if”: Could you keep running if a supplier went offline tomorrow?  Do you have a backup option or a manual workaround?

  • Keep communication open: Treat your suppliers like partners.  Share concerns, swap advice, and work together on security.

Bottom Line

Cyber resilience isn’t just about protecting your own systems.  It’s about making sure your whole ecosystem, the suppliers, partners, and providers you depend on, is strong enough to withstand an attack.

Because when your supplier gets hacked, you feel it too.  The businesses that survive aren’t the ones who think, “That could never happen to me.” They’re the ones who prepare for when it does.

At SJ Cyber Aware, we help SMBs build resilience using The Journey, our five-pillar approach (Identify, Strengthen, Train, Recover, Adapt). Supplier management is baked into it, because resilience isn’t just about you, it’s about everyone you connect with.

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Cyber Resilience: An Essential Aspect of Running Any Business

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Cyber Resilience: An Essential Aspect of Running Any Business

In today’s digital world, no business is immune to cyber threats.  Whether you’re a sole trader juggling client emails from a home office or a multinational corporation managing thousands of transactions daily, the risks are the same, cyberattacks are no longer a question of if, but when.  That’s why cyber resilience has become an essential part of running any business, large or small.

Cyber Security vs Cyber Resilience

It’s easy to think of cyber security as a locked door, keeping the bad guys out.  Firewalls, antivirus tools, and password policies are all part of that lock.  But resilience is more like your entire house, not just the lock, but also fire alarms, escape routes, insurance, and a plan if something goes wrong.

Cyber resilience means accepting that breaches happen, then building the ability to identify, withstand, recover, and adapt when they do. It goes beyond just prevention, it’s about ensuring business continuity.

Why It Matters for Every Business

  • Small Businesses:  Many think they’re “too small” to be a target, but cybercriminals often see smaller organisations as easier prey because of limited budgets and weaker defences.  A single ransomware attack could freeze operations, damage client trust, and drain cash flow.

  • Large Businesses:  Bigger organisations may have more resources, but they also have sprawling networks, third-party suppliers, and thousands of staff, all potential entry points for attackers.  A breach at scale can hit reputation, operations, and compliance obligations.

In both cases, resilience protects the most valuable business asset: the ability to keep operating.

The Five Pillars of Cyber Resilience

  1. Identify: Know what assets, systems, and data you rely on most. You can’t protect what you don’t know you have.

  2. Strengthen: Apply layered security controls: strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, regular patching, and employee training.

  3. Train: People remain the biggest risk, but also the strongest defence.  Regular awareness training helps staff spot phishing emails, scams, and unusual behaviour.

  4. Recover: Backups, disaster recovery plans, and incident response playbooks mean you can get back on your feet quickly after an incident.

  5. Adapt: Threats evolve constantly.  Review, test, and update your resilience plans regularly to stay ahead.

How SJ Cyber Aware Can Help

At SJ Cyber Aware, we understand that building resilience can feel overwhelming, especially when resources are tight or cyber jargon gets in the way.  That’s why we’ve built a scalable approach called The Journey, designed to guide businesses of all sizes through the five pillars of cyber resilience.

  • We help you identify your critical systems and risks.

  • We work with you to strengthen defences in a way that suits your size and budget.

  • We train your people, making security part of everyday business rather than extra work.

  • We prepare you to recover fast with tested backup and incident response plans.

  • And we make sure you can adapt as threats evolve, keeping resilience active and relevant.

The Journey is flexible, practical, and scalable, whether you’re a 5-person accountancy practice, a 50-staff construction company, or a 500-employee enterprise.  It’s about giving you a clear roadmap to resilience, so you’re not just secure for today but ready for tomorrow.

Final Thoughts

Cyber resilience isn’t optional.  It’s not a “nice to have” or something only big corporations need to worry about. It’s a fundamental part of modern business management.  Just as you wouldn’t run a business without insurance, you shouldn’t operate without resilience.

Because when the inevitable happens, the question isn’t just “did we stop the attack?”  It’s “can we keep going?”

And with SJ Cyber Aware’s Journey, you can.

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Security v Resilience

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I am often asked what the difference is between Cyber Security and Cyber Resilience.

It’s a great question, because the two terms are often used interchangeably, but in reality, they mean very different things.  Understanding that difference is crucial if you want your business not only to stay safe but also to stay standing when things go wrong.

Cyber Security: Building Strong Defences

Cyber security is all about keeping the bad guys out.  It’s the firewalls that block unwanted visitors, the multi-factor authentication that stops password thieves, and the software patches that close off security holes.

The mindset is defensive: “How do we stop an attack before it happens?”

Think of it like locking your doors, setting an alarm, and posting guards around your business.  The stronger the locks and guards, the harder it is for anyone to break in.

Cyber Resilience: Surviving and Thriving

Cyber resilience takes a different view. It says: “What if the attacker still gets in?”

Resilience is about continuity and recovery, making sure your business can carry on, adapt, and recover quickly even if an incident occurs. That means:

  • Having reliable backups and knowing how to restore them,

  • Running regular incident response drills,

  • Communicating clearly with staff, customers, and regulators,

  • Keeping critical services online while the clean-up happens.

The mindset is adaptive: “Even if the worst happens, how do we keep moving?”

Using the same analogy: cyber resilience is like having an escape route, insurance, and emergency supplies, so that even if someone smashes through the door, you’re not paralysed.

The Key Difference in One Line

  • Cyber Security = protecting against attacks.

  • Cyber Resilience = preparing to recover when they happen.

Why Both Matter for SMBs

Too often, smaller businesses think cyber security alone will cover them. They install antivirus, set up strong passwords, and call it done. But prevention isn’t perfect.

  • A phishing email slips through.

  • A laptop gets stolen.

  • A supplier suffers a breach that exposes your data.

Without resilience, the ability to respond, recover, and adapt, even a minor incident can snowball into lost clients, regulatory fines, or weeks of downtime.

With resilience, the same event might cause a short disruption, but you bounce back stronger, with customers reassured that you had a plan.

A Castle Analogy

Picture your business as a castle:

  • Cyber security is the moat, walls, and guards.

  • Cyber resilience is the emergency tunnel, the food stores, and the rebuilding plan.

One keeps threats out. The other makes sure you survive if they get in.

Cyber Security vs Cyber Resilience

AspectCyber Security Cyber Resilience
DefinitionProtecting systems, data, and networks from attack.Preparing for, responding to, and recovering from attacks.
Primary GoalKeep threats out.Keep the business going.
MindsetDefensive: “Stop it happening.”Adaptive: “Cope when it happens.”
Focus AreasFirewalls, MFA, antivirus, patching, monitoring.Backup, recovery, incident response, business continuity.
ScopeMainly IT/security teams.Whole organisation (boardroom to front line).
OutcomeReduced likelihood of attack.Reduced impact of attack.
AnalogyLocks, alarms, and guards around a castle.Escape routes, emergency supplies, rebuilding plan.
Weakness if AloneCan fail if attackers find a way in.Can fail without strong protection in the first place.

The Takeaway

If you only invest in cyber security, you’re hoping your walls never crack.
If you build resilience too, you’re ready for the day they do.

That’s the difference. And in today’s world, it’s not a choice between them, you need both.

clean desk policy

Desk of Doom

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Why Your Messy Workspace Might Be a Cybersecurity Crime Scene

Let’s talk about your desk.

Not the metaphorical “desk” where dreams are born and spreadsheets go to die.  I mean the actual desk, the one buried under coffee-stained receipts, half-eaten biscuits, sticky notes with passwords like “Fluffy123,” and that USB stick you found in the car park and thought, “Eh, might be useful.”

Welcome to the frontline of cyber resilience.  Population: you.  Weapon of choice: a clean desk.

Cyber threats don’t always come from hoodie-wearing hackers in neon-lit basements.  Sometimes, they come from Dave in accounting who snaps a photo of your login credentials while pretending to admire your Funko Pop collection, or from the cleaner who innocently plugs in a rogue USB to charge their phone and accidentally unleashes ransomware.

A cluttered desk is a buffet for opportunists:

  • Passwords on sticky notes = free access.
  • Unattended devices = unlocked treasure chests.
  • Sensitive documents = GDPR nightmares waiting to happen.

Clean Desk = Clear Mind (and Fewer Breaches)

Implementing a clean desk policy isn’t about being a neat freak, it’s about building a culture of intentional security.  It says: “We care.  We’re switched on.  We don’t leave the keys to the kingdom next to the kettle.”

It also:

  • Reduces accidental data exposure.
  • Makes it easier to spot suspicious items (like that mystery USB).
  • Sends a message to staff and visitors: this place takes security seriously.

How to Clean Up Without Killing the Vibe

Let’s be real, no one wants a sterile, soul-sucking workspace.  So here’s how to keep it practical, and protected:

  • Lock away devices and documents when you leave.
  • Shred sensitive papers like they insulted your mum.
  • Wipe down surfaces, yes, even the keyboard crumbs.
  • Memorize passwords or use a password manager. Sticky notes are for passive-aggressive fridge messages only.
  • Challenge the culture: make clean desks part of your brand. Bonus points for posters that say “Messy Desk, Messy Breach.”

Final Word from the Desk of Doom

Cyber resilience isn’t just firewalls and fancy tech, it’s habits, culture, and the little things that add up.  A clean desk policy is your low-cost, high-impact way to stop data leaks before they start.

So next time you leave your desk, ask yourself: If this were a crime scene, what would the evidence say?

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AI & Cyber Security: The New Dream Team

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A very quick and simplistic overview of AI in Cyber Security.

Think of AI in cyber security like a sniffer dog at the airport, it doesn’t replace the security staff, but it spots the dodgy suitcase a mile away.

Instead of sifting through mountains of boring logs and alerts, AI keeps an eye out for the weird stuff: dodgy emails, strange login attempts, or a hacker poking around where they shouldn’t be.  It’s like having a super-fast colleague who never gets tired, never takes a tea break, and definitely doesn’t get distracted by TikTok.

But here’s the catch, AI isn’t magic.  It still needs humans to set the rules, sense-check the alerts, and make the smart calls.  Think of it as a trusty sidekick, not the hero of the story.

Bottom line: AI makes cyber security sharper, faster, and (dare we say it) a little less boring.

AI Investment Scam

Day 6: Fools Gold, AI Investment Scams

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Fool’s Gold 2.0: AI Investment Scams Aimed at Business Owners

Running a small or mid-sized business is tough enough without someone dangling “get rich quick” opportunities in your face. But that’s exactly what AI-driven investment scams do, and they’re getting scarily good at it.

Business owners and directors are prime targets.  Why? Because scammers know you control the purse strings, you’re under pressure to grow, and you may be tempted by promises of quick returns, exclusive business loans, or the next big crypto boom.

AI makes these scams look bulletproof. Criminals churn out slick websites, glowing testimonials, and even fake trading dashboards that update in real time. Social media feeds get flooded with “success stories” from supposed investors (who are nothing more than AI-generated faces).  If you bite, the scammers don’t just take your money , they take your reputation with it.  Imagine explaining to your staff, partners, or clients that business funds vanished chasing a phantom investment.

Real-life example: In 2023, UK regulators warned about a wave of AI-powered “green energy investment schemes.”  The fraudsters used cloned voices of well-known entrepreneurs in video ads, backed by professional-looking websites showing fake environmental projects. Several small business directors invested both company reserves and personal savings, only to discover the schemes didn’t exist.  Losses ran into the millions.

What SMB Owners Can Do

  • Be sceptical of unsolicited offers. If an opportunity arrives via cold email, DM, or an online ad, assume it’s a scam until proven otherwise.

  • Check before you commit. Verify the company with the FCA register and run independent searches, don’t rely on the material provided by the promoter.

  • Separate business from personal.  Never blur the line between company funds and your own savings when it comes to “investment opportunities.”

  • Get independent financial advice.  A 30-minute call with a regulated advisor is far cheaper than losing six figures to a scam.

  • Pause before you leap.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

AI-driven investment scams are the modern fool’s gold.  They shine bright, they look convincing, and they’re designed to lure in busy owners chasing growth.  For SMBs, the smartest investment isn’t in a flashy crypto pitch, it’s in due diligence and trusted advice.

AI Chatty Scammers

Day 5: AI Chatty Scammers

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Chatty Scammers: When AI Holds a Conversation to Steal Your Cash

Traditional phishing was like a smash-and-grab, one dodgy email, poorly worded, hoping someone would bite.  With AI, criminals have become far more patient and polished.  Welcome to conversational phishing, where scammers don’t just send one email,  they hold an entire dialogue with your staff.

Picture this, your accounts team gets an email from what looks like a regular supplier chasing a late payment.  They reply, and instantly, a polite, natural-sounding response comes back. Over the next few days (or even weeks), the “supplier” keeps chatting, sharing believable details, and sounding utterly convincing.  Only later do they slip in the sting, a change of bank details, a link to “settle the invoice,” or a subtle request for confidential data.

For small businesses, this kind of scam is particularly nasty.  Unlike big corporates with complex supplier management systems, many SMBs rely on trust and personal relationships with their partners.  That trust is exactly what criminals exploit.

Real-life example: In 2023, a UK-based manufacturing firm lost £60,000 after an accounts clerk corresponded with what they thought was a long-standing supplier.  The emails stretched over two weeks, building confidence.  On the final day, the “supplier” explained they’d updated their bank account and urgently needed payment.  The transfer went through and the real supplier only flagged the missing money weeks later.

What SMBs Can Do

  • Set ironclad rules for bank detail changes.  No matter how convincing the email, verify any new payment details using a trusted phone number or direct contact.

  • Introduce supplier verification steps.  A short checklist (e.g., “call before you pay”) can stop scams dead in their tracks.

  • Train staff to be politely suspicious.  If something feels off, sudden urgency, unfamiliar tone, or repeated requests, pause and double-check.

  • Use shared mailboxes or monitoring.  If only one person deals with a supplier, scams are easier to miss. Having a backup pair of eyes helps.

AI has given cybercriminals the patience of a saint and the tongue of a silver-tongued salesperson.  But with clear rules and a healthy “verify first, pay second” culture, SMBs can stay one step ahead of the chatty scammers.

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Day 4: Phishing 2.0: AI Scam Emails Look Better Than the Real Thing

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Phishing 2.0: AI Scam Emails Look Better Than the Real Thing

Remember when scam emails were easy to spot? Dodgy grammar, random capital letters, and a promise of millions from a “Prince” who just needed your bank details?  Sadly, those days are gone.

With AI in the mix, phishing emails now look slick, polished, and worryingly convincing. Criminals can generate messages that read like they came from HMRC, your bank, or a trusted supplier.  The branding is perfect, the tone feels right, and even the “from” address can look almost identical to the real thing.

For SMBs juggling multiple clients, suppliers, and invoices every week, this is a nightmare.  A fake tax notice, an urgent utility bill, or a “customer complaint” can slide into the inbox and look completely legitimate. One click to open an attachment or one rushed payment later, and suddenly your business is dealing with malware, ransomware, or financial loss.

💡 Real-life example: In 2024, several UK SMBs in the hospitality sector were hit with AI-crafted phishing campaigns posing as energy suppliers.  The emails looked identical to genuine statements, right down to the logos and reference numbers.  Staff under pressure to pay “overdue” invoices wired thousands before realising the supplier accounts were fake.

What SMBs Can Do

  • Trust but verify. Never approve a payment request or invoice without confirming it through a known, independent channel.

  • Invest in good email filtering. Modern filters can catch many suspicious emails before they hit inboxes.

  • Train your team. Staff should know how to spot red flags like urgent tone, unusual requests, or slightly odd sender addresses.

  • Slow down. Most phishing succeeds because people feel rushed. Taking 60 seconds to double-check could save thousands.

AI has given scammers a new set of tools, but SMBs can fight back with clear processes, good technology, and a healthy dose of caution.

In short: don’t let a well-worded email catch you off guard.

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