In today’s fast-moving digital world, staying ahead with your IT strategy isn’t just smart—it’s essential. Here’s a quick checklist to assess if your business is in good shape or needs action.
✅ 1. Have You Upgraded from Microsoft 365 Business Standard to Business Premium?
If you’re still on Business Standard, it’s time to consider the upgrade. Microsoft 365 Business Premium includes all the productivity tools you’re used to—like Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams—but adds a powerful layer of security and device management features that Business Standard simply doesn’t offer.
We recommend all users be on Business Premium as standard. It’s the best way to protect your business against modern threats and enable secure, flexible working,
✅ 2. Have You Deployed Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) to Protect Your Devices?
Traditional antivirus is no longer enough. As threats evolve, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) offers real-time monitoring, threat detection, and rapid response capabilities that legacy tools can’t match.
We recommend all businesses deploy EDR as standard. It’s a critical layer of defence in today’s threat landscape and a key part of a modern security posture.
✅ 3. Have You Explored Microsoft 365 Copilot Yet?
Microsoft 365 Copilot is transforming the way small businesses work. By integrating AI into your everyday apps, Copilot helps you write faster, analyse data more efficiently, and automate repetitive tasks.
We recommend every customer book a demo and put Co-pilot in the hands of a trusted team member. Let them explore how it benefits your business—you might be surprised at how quickly it becomes indispensable.
✅ 4. Are You Running Cyber Security Training and Phishing Simulations for Your Staff?
Many organisations have already recognised that investing in staff awareness is one of the most effective ways to reduce cyber risk. Cyber training and phishing simulations help employees spot threats, respond appropriately, and build a culture of security awareness.
We recommend all businesses adopt cyber training and phishing simulations as standard across all users. It’s a small investment with a big return in resilience.
✅ 5. Are You Working Towards Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus?
Everything we do at CTO is aligned with the Cyber Essentials framework—a government-backed scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats.
If your IT is already aligned with Cyber Essentials, we strongly recommend taking the next step and getting accredited. It’s a clear signal to your customers, partners, and suppliers that you take cyber security seriously.
👉 Learn more about the scheme on GOV.UK
📣 Where are you on your IT journey?
If you’re ticking all the boxes—great! If not, don’t worry. We’re here to help you get there.
- ✅ Book a free IT posture review
- ✅ Get tailored advice from our expert team
- ✅ See how CTO can help you stay secure, productive, and ahead of the curve
And to all our customers who have already adopted these services—thank you.
We provide a lot of advice and recommendations, and it means a great deal to see so many of you appreciate and act on it. It makes our efforts feel truly worthwhile, and we take great pride in helping you protect and strengthen your business IT systems.
Let’s keep moving forward—together.
