Managed cyber security for schools, care providers and small businesses
Cyber security does not need to feel frightening, expensive or built only for large organisations. It should be practical, proportionate and clear, helping you protect your organisation without adding more stress to your day.
Black Swan Cyber helps organisations across Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and North Notts protect Microsoft 365, email, devices, backups and client data.
“We can’t thank Black Swan Cyber enough for their cloud backup solution. Knowing our school’s vital files are safely backed up gives us real peace of mind.”
Cyber security and technology leadership for smaller organisations
Know what is protected. Know what is missing. Know what to do next.
You may already have Microsoft 365, an IT provider, antivirus, backups and a few security products.
Black Swan helps make sure it all joins up: protecting the technology you rely on, finding the gaps and helping you make sensible IT and cyber security decisions.
You do not necessarily need more technology. You need to know what is working, what is missing and who is looking at the whole picture.
What would you like to improve?
Start with the outcome rather than trying to work out which product, acronym or service name you need.
Protect the organisation Reduce risk across devices, Microsoft 365, email, identities, ransomware and recovery. Managed Cyber Security Get cyber security under control Build a clear plan for risk, compliance, resilience, insurance and governance. vCISO Make better technology decisions Get experienced help with suppliers, projects, budgets, resilience and IT strategy. Fractional IT DirectorMost people do not come to us asking for an EDR, ITDR or MXDR.
They come because something does not feel quite right, somebody has asked a difficult question or they want more confidence that the organisation can deal with an incident.
Keep accounts and email safer
Worried about Microsoft 365, MFA, phishing, inbox rules, privileged accounts or identity attacks?
Improve Microsoft 365 securitySpot threats before they become incidents
Improve device protection, ransomware defence, patching and human-led monitoring.
Improve protection and monitoringKnow you can recover
Protect Microsoft 365, servers and endpoints with backup, restore testing and recovery planning.
Improve backup and recoveryProve you take cyber security seriously
Prepare for Cyber Essentials, insurance, client checks, tenders and compliance questions.
Improve assuranceProtection when you need tools. Leadership when the problem is bigger than tools.
Black Swan can work alongside your existing MSP, internal IT person and technology suppliers. The objective is not to replace things that already work. It is to make sure the whole picture works better.
Managed Cyber Security
Protect the organisation
Reduce the chances of an incident and catch problems earlier.
Practical managed protection around the technology and data your organisation depends on.
- Protect devices from malware and ransomware
- Reduce risky identity and Microsoft 365 activity
- Block more phishing and malicious email
- Keep software patched
- Improve backup and recovery
- Add 24/7 monitoring where required
vCISO
Get cyber security under control
Know what matters, what to fix and what good looks like.
Senior cyber security guidance without the cost of employing a full-time CISO.
- Create a practical cyber roadmap
- Understand and prioritise risk
- Prepare for cyber insurance
- Improve policies and governance
- Challenge supplier security
- Plan for incidents and recovery
Fractional IT Director
Make better technology decisions
Get somebody on your side of the table who sees the whole picture.
Experienced IT leadership when technology, suppliers, security and business decisions overlap.
- Plan technology around the business
- Challenge MSPs and suppliers
- Make better procurement decisions
- Control budgets and projects
- Improve resilience and continuity
- Make sense of AI and technology change
Solve the gap. Then choose the tool.
Advice first does not mean avoiding products. Sometimes a better security tool is exactly what is needed.
The packages below are examples, with clear starting prices. We prefer to tailor our solutions and services to your organisation’s needs, supplying, configuring and managing the right protection for you.
Nest Protect
Practical baseline
Keep devices protected and patched
Managed device protection, automated patching and ransomware encryption protection.
A sensible step up when basic antivirus is no longer enough.
Cygnet Shield
Device + web protection
Stop more threats before staff reach them
Builds on core device protection with safer web access to help block malicious and phishing destinations.
Useful for teams working across the office, home and on the move.
Swan Guard Pro
24/7 managed monitoring
Make sure somebody is watching
Adds 24/7 human-led threat monitoring and response for organisations that need suspicious activity investigated.
Because an alert sitting unnoticed in a dashboard is not much of a defence.
Black Swan Secure Pro
Broader protection
Protect more of the organisation
Broader protection across devices, Microsoft 365, email, identities, passwords, backup and other security requirements.
Built around the organisation rather than a one-size-fits-all bundle.
Not sure which level fits?
You do not need to work that out before speaking to us.
We will look at what you already have and tell you
where spending more would help, and where it would not.
Kevin Walker
Founder, Black Swan Cyber Security SolutionsTurn technology into better business decisions.
Kevin has worked in IT for more than 30 years, including more than 20 years supporting schools, smaller organisations and local businesses.
That means dealing with the things that rarely fit neatly into a product brochure: ageing systems, limited budgets, difficult suppliers, compliance pressure, busy staff and technology that still has to work on Monday morning.
Black Swan combines that practical IT background with managed cyber security, vCISO support and Fractional IT Director services.
Advice first. Tools second. But when the answer is a tool, we can implement that too.
Independent partner coverage of Black Swan's managed cyber security work.
Read case studyBlack Swan's practical cyber security work within UK education.
Read featureRead what organisations say about working with Black Swan.
Read reviewsInterviews and expert commentary from Kevin Walker.
View media profileGet proper protection without building an enterprise-sized IT and cyber team.
The sector matters, but the situation matters more. Our clients depend heavily on technology, need sensible protection and want clear advice without unnecessary complexity.
Keep education running safely
Practical support around DfE expectations, safeguarding, Microsoft 365, recovery and limited internal capacity.
Schools & academiesProtect care without adding unnecessary complexity
Protect sensitive information, staff accounts and operational systems while supporting compliance and continuity.
Care providersProtect the business without an internal security team
Managed protection and senior technology guidance without enterprise cost or complexity.
Small businesses & professional servicesA few things people usually want to know.
Do you replace our existing IT support company?
Not necessarily. Black Swan can work alongside an existing MSP, internal IT person or other technology suppliers. A good IT provider does not need replacing just because you need stronger cyber security or more senior technology leadership.
What outcome should managed cyber security give us?
You should be harder to compromise, more likely to spot suspicious activity early and better able to recover if something still gets through.
That can involve protecting devices, accounts, Microsoft 365, email, patching, ransomware, backup and human-led detection and response.
What is the difference between a vCISO and a Fractional IT Director?
A vCISO helps you get cyber security under control: risk, governance, compliance, policies, resilience and security strategy.
A Fractional IT Director helps you make better technology decisions: IT strategy, suppliers, projects, budgets, procurement, business continuity and how technology supports the organisation.
There is often some overlap between the two.
How much does managed cyber security cost?
Core device protection starts from £3.99 per protected device per month excluding VAT with Nest Protect. Cygnet Shield starts from £5.99 and Swan Guard Pro, which adds 24/7 human-led monitoring and response, starts from £13.99 per protected device per month excluding VAT.
Broader protection depends on the number of users, devices and services required. We explain the full price before you commit.
What if we have no idea what we actually need?
That is often the best reason to talk.
You do not need to decide whether you need Huntress, Heimdal, email security, backup, vCISO support or something else before contacting Black Swan.
Start with the outcome you want. We will help you work out what is already good, where the gaps are and what makes sense to do next.
What would make you more confident about your IT and cyber security?
Better protection? More confidence in recovery? Clearer cyber security ownership? Better supplier decisions?
Tell us what you are trying to achieve. We will help you work out what is already good, what is missing and what is actually worth doing next.
"Staff aren't having to worry about whether they are compliant or not."
David Ratcliffe
Headteacher, Federation of Penny Acres and Wigley Primary Schools
This isn’t typical IT support with a security add-on
Most organisations already have something in place. Antivirus. Microsoft 365. Maybe an IT provider.
The gap isn’t always protection. It’s visibility, ownership and knowing what to do when something isn’t right.
- Cyber-first, not IT-first Everything we do starts with reducing risk and improving visibility - not just keeping systems running.
- Clarity before tools We don’t lead with software. We help you understand what actually matters for your organisation.
- Real-world detection and response For organisations that need it, we provide 24/7 monitoring and response - not just alerts sitting in a dashboard.
- Built for smaller organisations Schools, care providers and small businesses without in-house security teams - that’s where we do our best work.
It’s not about having more in place. It’s about knowing what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do next.
We partner with Huntress, Heimdal, Check Point and more - the tools we'd choose if it was our own business on the line.
About Kevin: Founder & lead security consultant
Kevin Walker has spent 20 years inside schools, care homes and small businesses – not selling to them. Ex Parish councillor. School governor. Charity trustee. He’s sat in the room where competing priorities fight each other and the budget always loses. That experience shapes every conversation. You get clear priorities, not a feature list. You get told what actually needs fixing, and what can wait. No process to navigate. No sales team in the middle.
Ready to discuss your security needs?
Contact Kevin directly – no lengthy sales process, just practical advice from someone who genuinely wants to help.
