Free cyber security review · Fife businesses with 1 to 15 staff
Know where you stand, and what to fix first.
Our free cyber security review is for Fife businesses with 1 to 15 staff. We check your email and Microsoft 365, accounts, devices, backups, Wi-Fi and how payments are approved, then send you a plain-English report with the fixes in order.
Seen the attacks in the news and wondered how your business would cope?
43% of UK businesses identified a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months, including 42% of businesses with 1 to 9 staff and 46% of those with 10 to 49, according to the UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026. Phishing was the most common attack.
Big names keep making the news after cyber attacks, and you wonder how your own business would cope
A clear, plain-English picture of where you stand, with the fixes in order
Staff get emails, texts or calls asking them to pay an invoice, change bank details or read out a code
A check of your email protection and how payments are approved, with simple rules your team can use straight away
Everything is meant to be backed up, but nobody has tried restoring a file
What’s backed up, where it goes and whether a restore has been tested, with Microsoft 365 included
Former staff, shared logins and admin rights that nobody has looked at in years
Every account checked against your staff list, with what to switch off
The same passwords are used everywhere, and not every account asks for a code
Multi-factor sign-in checked on every account, with a plan for any that don’t have it
A customer, insurer or tender asks about your information security
A Cyber Essentials readiness check, so you know what to fix before you apply
In our news: fake IT help desk calls that take over Microsoft 365 accounts, the Revolut data breach and how the ASOS breach began.
Six areas we check in every free cyber security review.
Each area covers a common way into a small business. We look at your settings with you, read-only and with your permission, and we never ask for your passwords.
Email and Microsoft 365
Multi-factor sign-in on every account, admin accounts, old sign-in methods, forwarding rules that send mail outside the business, and your email filtering.
Accounts and access
Former staff, shared logins, who has admin rights, how passwords are managed and who can see your shared files.
Computers, laptops and phones
Security updates, computers still on Windows 10 (its support ended in October 2025), antivirus, disk encryption, screen locks and the phones that get your email.
Backups and recovery
What’s backed up, Microsoft 365 included, whether a copy is kept away from your network where ransomware can’t reach it, and whether a restore has ever been tested.
Wi-Fi, router and remote working
Network security basics: router passwords and updates, guest Wi-Fi, open connections from the internet, and how staff connect from home.
People, payments and phishing
How staff spot phishing, how bank detail changes are checked, what happens after a wrong click, and whether you have a plan and cyber insurance.
Online first, with a visit if needed.
You fill in the form below, so we understand your setup before we start. We call to arrange an online session at a time that suits you, then go through your settings together, read-only and with your permission.
With your permission, we also look at your business from the internet: whether someone could send email pretending to be you, your website’s security certificate and updates, and whether staff email addresses appear in known data breaches. If something needs hands on, such as an office network or a server, Matt visits.
Matt looks after our networking, cybersecurity and IT work. You get a written report and a call to go through it, with no obligation to use us for any of the fixes.
- A form about your business and IT
- An online session at a time that suits you
- Read-only checks, with your permission
- We never ask for your passwords
- A written report in plain English
- A call to go through it, with no obligation
A plain-English report, with the fixes in order.
Every check is marked red, amber or green, with what we found, what to do about it, who can do it and how much work it is. Here’s part of an example report for Larch & Lathe Joinery, a made-up business, to show the format.
Cyber security review
Overall
Amber
Checks passed
28of 40
To fix soon
9
Cyber Essentials
3of 5
In short
- Two accounts, including the owner’s, can be signed into with just a password, and one mailbox copies every email to a personal Gmail address.
- Backups run every night, but nobody has tried a restore, and email, OneDrive and SharePoint aren’t backed up.
- Devices are well looked after apart from one Windows 10 laptop and the router’s software. Fix those and the account issues, and Cyber Essentials is within reach.
Your plan · example
What to do, and who does it
- YouApprove multi-factor sign-in for every account, and we’ll switch it on with your team.
- UsRemove the forwarding rule and check that mailbox’s recent sign-ins.
- YouBlock the former employee’s account, or ask us to.
- YouWrite down the rule that bank detail changes are always checked by phoning a number you already have.
- UsTest a restore and add a Microsoft 365 backup.
Fix these first
Three things to fix this week
Fix now · Email and Microsoft 365
Two accounts without multi-factor sign-in
What to do: Switch it on for both, starting with the owner’s account. It’s quick, and we can do it with you on a call.
Fix now · Email and Microsoft 365
Every email in one mailbox is copied to a personal Gmail address
What to do: Remove the rule. Work email can be read at home in Outlook once multi-factor sign-in is on for every account.
Fix now · Accounts and access
A former employee’s account is still active
What to do: Block sign-in today. Keep the mailbox if you need it, and check every account against your staff list.
From the example report · 40 checks across six areas
About this example
- Larch & Lathe Joinery is a made-up business, and every finding here is made up.
- A real report covers all six areas, with every check marked red, amber or green.
- It also shows how close you are to Cyber Essentials, and ends with a one-page plan for the day something goes wrong.
- We never ask for, or see, your passwords.
Tell us about your business.
The more we know before we start, the more useful your review will be. If you don’t know an answer, choose Not sure. We’ll call you to arrange the online session.
Your review request
* REQUIREDThink you’ve been hacked? Don’t wait for a review. Call 01383 840808 now, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- 01Send the formAnswer what you can. It helps us prepare.
- 02We call youTo arrange your online session at a time that suits you.
- 03Your review and reportWe check your setup with you, then send your report and talk it through.
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm. Out of hours, existing clients can raise an urgent support ticket (SLA terms apply).
Security and IT work we’ve delivered.
From IT support and cybersecurity for a tour operator to managed IT for a dental practice and a corporate network for a golf club.
Scotland Tours
IT Support · Security · DunfermlineIT support and cybersecurity protection for a tour operator.
Pickering Dental
Managed IT · InverkeithingRemote monitoring and managed IT for a dental practice in Inverkeithing.
Dunfermline Golf Club
Cloud · Network · DunfermlineCloud services and a corporate network for Dunfermline Golf Club, connected by Starlink satellite broadband.
What clients say about our security and IT support.
Rated 4.9 on Google, from 63 reviews, including these from IT and security clients.
“Their IT support is second to none, offering quick, efficient, and professional service every time we need it. From resolving technical issues to providing cybersecurity protection, they’ve kept our systems running smoothly without a hitch.”
“Their remote monitoring and management tools keep our operations running seamlessly, and any issues we’ve encountered have been resolved with impressive speed.”
“Always great people to deal with. Depth and breadth of knowledge meet our needs perfectly to help manage and grow our business with IT Support.”
Free cyber security review: questions, answered plainly.
Something else? Call 01383 840808, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
What is a free cyber security review?
It’s a check of how well your business is protected against the most common cyber attacks. We look at six areas: email and Microsoft 365, accounts and access, computers and phones, backups, your Wi-Fi and router, and how your team handles phishing and payments. You get a written report in plain English, with the fixes in order.
Who is the free review for?
Businesses in Fife with 1 to 15 staff, from sole traders to small teams. If you have more staff, or you’re outside Fife, ask about our free Business Technology Review instead.
Is it really free?
Yes. The review and the report are free, and there’s no obligation. You can make the changes yourself, pass the report to your current IT provider, or ask us for a quote.
Do you need our passwords?
No, and we never ask for them. We look at your settings with you on a shared screen while you stay signed in. If anyone who says they’re from Universal Computing asks for a password, hang up and call us on 01383 840808.
How does the review work?
You fill in the form on this page, and we call to arrange an online session at a time that suits you. We go through your settings together, check your business from the internet with your permission, and visit if something needs hands on. Then we send your report and call to talk it through.
What’s in the report?
A one-page summary with your overall rating and the things to fix first, then every check marked red, amber or green, with what we found, what to do, who can do it and how much work it is. It shows how close you are to Cyber Essentials and ends with a one-page incident response plan for the day something goes wrong.
Is a free cybersecurity review worth it?
For most small businesses, yes. It looks at your own settings and answers, so the fixes in your report are specific to your business and in the order that matters. It also shows you the security gaps an attacker would look for first.
Is this a cyber security audit or a penetration test?
It’s a cyber security health check, which is a light audit of the basics. We check what guards against the most common attacks, such as multi-factor sign-in, updates, backups and how payments are approved. A penetration test is a paid, in-depth attempt to break into your systems and find weaknesses an attacker could use. It’s usually for larger organisations, or for a contract that asks for one. For most small businesses, the health check comes first.
Will it help us get Cyber Essentials?
Yes. Your report shows how close you are to the five Cyber Essentials controls and what to fix first. Through the Government’s Cyber Essentials First Step Fund, small and medium-sized businesses getting a new Cyber Essentials certificate can get 75% off the certification fee until the end of March 2027, or until the funding runs out. See our Cyber Essentials support.
What should we do if we think we’ve been hacked?
Don’t wait for a review. Call us on 01383 840808 straight away, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Disconnect any affected computer from the network, change the passwords of affected accounts from a device you trust, and call your bank if money or bank details are involved. Report the crime to Police Scotland on 101. If customer or staff details may have been taken, check straight away whether you must report it to the ICO. The deadline is 72 hours from finding out.
Are there free tools we can use ourselves?
Yes. The National Cyber Security Centre’s free Cyber Action Toolkit gives small businesses personalised steps to improve their security, and you can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and scam texts to 7726. Our review goes further, because we look at your actual settings with you and put the fixes in order.
Request your free cyber security review.
We’ll explain in plain English where you’re exposed and what to fix first.
24 Guildhall Street, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 7NS01383 840808info@universalcomputing.co.ukRequest your free review →