Almost every claim an IT provider makes about itself is written by the IT provider. Independent assessment is rarer, and it is worth more to the person who has to sign the contract.
Damien Harrison
Adapt or face enemy attacks: why AI Is redefining global warfare
AI powered cyber attacks are no longer a forecast. An OpenAI system, set a cyber security challenge, reached outside the isolated environment it had been given and interacted with resources on Hugging Face. Its developers believed internet access had been blocked. It had not been. Garry Brown, Managing Director of Bondgate IT, discussed the incident […]
Windows Server 2016 End of Life: What It Means for Your Business and How to Prepare
Most growing businesses have a server that everyone has quietly agreed not to think about. It runs the line of business application, the shared drives, or the database finance leans on at month end. It has been steady for years, so it sits in the comms room doing its job while attention goes to the things that feel more urgent. In a lot of UK organisations, that server is running Windows Server 2016, and on 12 January 2027 Microsoft stops supporting it.
Six Years After Redcar: What Actually Changes When the Systems Go Down
The BBC’s new podcast, Cyber Hack – The Conti Files, revisits the 2020 Redcar and Cleveland Council attack. Our Managing Director Garry Brown went on BBC Radio Tees to talk about what has changed since, and what hasn’t.
Cyber Insurance Renewal Checklist
47 questions every SME should answer before cyber insurance renewal. Identify gaps in MFA, backups, EDR and compliance before your renewal form arrives.
Why Bondgate IT Doesn’t Run Its Own SOC
We could build a Security Operations Centre. We’ve chosen not to. Here’s why structural independence between your MSP and your SOC protects your business better than the alternative, and why “we own everything end-to-end” is starting to look less like a strength and more like a conflict of interest.
DSPT 2025/26
Most organisations do not ignore DSPT. It sits on the list, gets discussed, and there is usually a broad expectation that it will get done.
Then June arrives and the tone changes.
Questions start surfacing that no one can answer quickly. Where is the training evidence? Who last reviewed access permissions? Has anyone checked whether your suppliers meet the required standard?
At that point, the issue is whether the organisation can stand behind what it believes is in place. That gap between belief and proof is where pressure builds and where risk sits.
Cyber Essentials v3.3: What Darlington and North East SMEs Need to Do Before 27 April 2026
If you run an SME in Darlington, Tees Valley or the wider North East, Cyber Essentials v3.3 is not just another minor update. From 27 April 2026, the standard becomes clearer and stricter around cloud services, end-user devices, MFA, patching and supported software.
Published: 27 April 2026 | By Bondgate IT
Cyber Security Is No Longer Optional: What UK SMEs Need to Focus on Now
Cyber security for SMEs in the UK is no longer a background IT concern. It is an operational issue that sits with leadership.
Many businesses believe they are protected because they have antivirus, firewalls, and backups in place. Yet attacks continue to land, not because tools fail, but because control, visibility, and ownership are unclear.