Cyber security for Mansfield businesses
Managed cyber security for small and owner-managed businesses across Mansfield and Ashfield. Protect Microsoft 365, business email, laptops and data without building your own security team.
Small-business specialists
Local support from nearby Chesterfield
Managed protection, email security & Cyber Essentials
Where should you start?
What cyber security does a small Mansfield business actually need?
If you run a small or founder-led business, you probably do not have an internal cyber security team. You may not even have a full-time IT person. That should not prevent you from protecting your accounts, devices and business data properly.
Most businesses with fewer than 20 employees should begin with secure user accounts, multi-factor authentication, properly protected devices, reliable backup, email security, software updates and a clear plan for what happens when something goes wrong.
You do not need to buy every security product at once. You need to understand where your biggest risks are, close the gaps that matter and build protection that suits the size of your business.
Business email security
Business email security services for Mansfield businesses
Email is still one of the easiest ways into a business. An attacker does not always need to break through a firewall. They may only need to steal one Microsoft 365 password, impersonate a supplier or send a convincing fake invoice.
We provide business email security services for Mansfield organisations using Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. We help reduce the risk of phishing, account takeover, supplier impersonation, fake invoices, malicious links and business email compromise.
View business email securityWhat does business email security include?
- Phishing and malicious-link protection
- Protection against fake invoices and impersonation
- Microsoft 365 account and sign-in reviews
- Multi-factor authentication and admin security
- Email, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams backup
- Help improving domain and email authentication
Payment fraud and BEC
What is business email compromise?
Business email compromise, often shortened to BEC, happens when an attacker gains access to a genuine email account or convincingly impersonates a trusted person or supplier.
They may use that trust to request a change of bank details, redirect an invoice, impersonate a director or persuade someone to make an urgent payment. The email can look completely genuine because it may come from a real, compromised mailbox.
The safest approach is simple: if a supplier, customer or colleague asks you to change payment or bank details, verify the request using contact details you already know and trust before making the change.
We recently highlighted the issue in the local press after new fraud figures prompted a warning for Mansfield and Ashfield businesses. Read: Mansfield and Ashfield firms urged to tighten payment checks
Before changing supplier bank details
- Pause if the request is unexpected, urgent or out of character
- Verify the change using contact details you already hold
- Do not rely on the phone number or link in the change request
- Use a second-person check for higher-value payment changes where practical
- Keep MFA enabled and review suspicious Microsoft 365 sign-ins
- If a payment has already been sent, contact your bank immediately
Local organisations
Cyber security for small businesses and organisations across Mansfield
We specialise in helping businesses with fewer than 20 employees, including founder-led and owner-managed businesses that do not have their own cyber security team.
The protection a small consultancy needs will not be identical to the protection needed by a manufacturer, school or care provider. We begin with the risks that matter to your organisation rather than trying to sell the same package to everyone.
Small and founder-led businesses
Practical cyber security for businesses with fewer than 20 employees. Protect email, Microsoft 365, laptops and business data without employing an internal IT or security team.
We help you understand what to fix first, what can wait and how to meet customer, insurer and supplier expectations without buying enterprise tools you do not need.
Accountants and professional services
Reduce the risk of mailbox compromise, payment fraud, unauthorised access and the loss of confidential client information.
Manufacturers, engineers and contractors
Protect supplier accounts, design files, laptops and production-critical systems. Prepare for customer security questionnaires, tenders and Cyber Essentials requirements.
Schools, academies and nurseries
Strengthen Microsoft 365, backup and device security while meeting DfE expectations and treating cyber security as part of safeguarding.
Care providers, charities and community groups
Protect sensitive information and provide clearer security evidence to trustees, insurers, commissioners, regulators and partners.
The everyday risks
Cyber attacks do not only happen to large companies
Most incidents do not begin with an attacker dramatically hacking through layers of advanced technology. They begin with something ordinary.
It may be a stolen password, a missed software update, a fake Microsoft login page or an email that appears to come from a customer, director or supplier.
The aim is sensible risk reduction
No business can make itself completely impossible to attack. The goal is to make common attacks much harder to carry out, spot suspicious activity sooner and improve the chance of a quick recovery.
Business email compromise (BEC)
An attacker compromises or impersonates a trusted mailbox and uses that trust to steal data, redirect invoices, change payment details or target customers and suppliers.
Ransomware and downtime
Files become encrypted, systems stop working and the business struggles to operate normally.
Weak or incomplete backup
Important information exists in Microsoft 365, but there is no separate recovery copy when it is deleted, encrypted or compromised.
Insurance and tender pressure
Customers, insurers and suppliers increasingly ask for evidence that basic cyber security controls are in place.
How we help
Cyber security services for Mansfield businesses
Support can begin with a one-off review or develop into ongoing managed protection. We explain what each service does, what risk it addresses and whether it is appropriate for your business.
Managed cyber security
Around-the-clock monitoring and expert-led response to help detect suspicious activity before it develops into a larger incident.
View managed protection → Email protectionBusiness email security
Protect Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace from phishing, impersonation, malicious links, malware and fake payment requests.
View email security → CertificationCyber Essentials support
Understand the five core controls, close common security gaps and prepare your organisation for Cyber Essentials certification.
View Cyber Essentials support → Account securityMicrosoft 365 security reviews
Check MFA, administrator access, risky sign-ins, user accounts, email settings and other common Microsoft 365 weaknesses.
View Microsoft 365 reviews → RecoveryMicrosoft 365 backup
Create a separate backup of Exchange, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams and Entra ID data to improve recovery from deletion or compromise.
View Microsoft 365 backup → Device securityEndpoint protection and patching
Protect laptops and computers against malware and ransomware while keeping commonly used applications updated.
View device protection → Small teamsAffordable cyber security packages
Nest Protect gives smaller businesses practical endpoint protection, ransomware prevention, software patching and asset visibility.
View Nest Protect → Layered protectionProtection for growing businesses
Cygnet Shield adds stronger web and DNS protection to endpoint security, patching and device visibility.
View Cygnet Shield → Start hereCyber security review
Find out what is working, where the most important gaps are and which improvements should come first.
Book a free review →Complementing your IT support
Already have an IT provider? We can work alongside them
We do not need to replace the company that fixes your printers, creates user accounts or provides your everyday IT helpdesk.
We can work alongside an existing internal IT team or external support provider to strengthen areas such as Microsoft 365 security, email protection, backup, Cyber Essentials and managed threat detection.
Cyber security support can focus on:
- Reducing account compromise and phishing risk
- Improving Microsoft 365 configuration
- Providing separate cloud backup
- Monitoring devices and identities for threats
- Preparing for Cyber Essentials
- Answering insurance and supplier questions
Based nearby
Local support without large-consultancy complexity
Black Swan Cyber Security Solutions is based in Chesterfield and supports organisations across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and the wider East Midlands.
Mansfield is close enough for local support when it is needed, but much of our work can also be delivered securely and efficiently online.
We support organisations in Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Warsop, Shirebrook, Rainworth, Blidworth and across North Nottinghamshire.
We commonly support:
- Founder-led and owner-managed businesses
- Businesses with fewer than 20 employees
- Accountants and professional services
- Trades, manufacturers and contractors
- Schools, academies and nurseries
- Charities, care providers and community groups
What happens next?
A straightforward way to improve your cyber security
Discover
We look at your users, devices, Microsoft 365 setup, backup, current protection and business risks.
Prioritise
You receive a clear explanation of what matters most rather than a long technical report full of noise.
Implement
We help put the agreed controls in place, from MFA and backup to email security and managed protection.
Improve
Cyber security is not a one-off project. We help you review, maintain and strengthen your protection over time.
What you receive
Clearer decisions, stronger protection and less uncertainty
Is this right for you?
Practical support for businesses that want to improve
This is likely to suit you when:
- You want straightforward advice without jargon
- You need to improve Microsoft 365 or email security
- You are answering insurer or supplier questions
- You want help preparing for Cyber Essentials
- You need to know which security improvements come first
- You want ongoing protection without building an internal security team
It may not be the right fit when:
- You only need general printer or helpdesk support
- You want the cheapest possible tick-box answer
- You want to buy software without reviewing the underlying risk
- You expect cyber security to be completed once and forgotten
- You want scare tactics rather than proportionate advice
Why Black Swan?
Experience that understands smaller organisations
Black Swan Cyber Security Solutions was created for organisations that need better protection but do not have a large internal IT or cyber security department.
Founder Kevin Walker has around 30 years of IT experience, including more than 20 years supporting schools and local organisations. That experience shapes a practical approach based on sensible controls, clear priorities and solutions that people can actually manage.
The right software matters, but only when it protects the right risks, is configured properly and fits the way your organisation works.
Areas we can help with
Frequently asked questions
Cyber security in Mansfield: common questions
Do you have to be based in Mansfield to support us?
No. We are based nearby in Chesterfield and support organisations across Mansfield, Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and the wider East Midlands.
Do you specialise in small Mansfield businesses?
Yes. We specialise in supporting businesses with fewer than 20 employees, including founder-led and owner-managed businesses without an internal cyber security team.
Can you provide managed cyber security in Mansfield?
Yes. We provide managed protection for devices, user accounts and Microsoft 365 environments. This can include 24/7 monitoring and expert investigation of suspicious activity.
Do you provide business email security services in Mansfield?
Yes. We provide business email security for Mansfield businesses using Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. We can help reduce phishing, account takeover, malicious attachments, supplier impersonation, fake invoices and business email compromise, while improving MFA, account security and email protection.
How can a Mansfield business reduce the risk of business email compromise?
Start with strong account security, MFA and good email protection, but do not rely on technology alone. Any unexpected request to change supplier bank details or make an urgent payment should be verified independently using contact details you already trust.
Can you help our Mansfield business with Cyber Essentials?
Yes. We help organisations understand the Cyber Essentials controls, identify common gaps, make the required improvements and prepare for certification.
Do micro businesses really need cyber security?
Yes, but the protection should be proportionate. Smaller businesses still rely on email, online banking, cloud services, customer data and connected devices. A stolen account or ransomware incident can be particularly disruptive when there are only a few people available to keep the business running.
Can you help if we already have an IT support company?
Yes. We often work alongside existing IT providers and internal IT teams. We can concentrate on specialist areas such as Microsoft 365 security, email protection, backup, Cyber Essentials and managed threat detection.
Can you review our Microsoft 365 security?
Yes. A review can cover multi-factor authentication, administrator access, risky sign-ins, user accounts, email settings, backup and other common configuration weaknesses.
Can you provide an IT security consultant in Mansfield?
Yes. Black Swan provides cyber and IT security consultancy for Mansfield businesses and organisations. This is security-focused rather than general IT helpdesk support, covering areas such as Microsoft 365, business email, endpoint security, backup, Cyber Essentials, cyber insurance requirements and managed threat detection.
Need practical cyber security help in Mansfield?
Book a free cyber review and get a clearer understanding of what needs protecting, where your main gaps are and what to do next.
Book a free Mansfield cyber reviewBacked by the world's leading cyber defenders
Meet Kevin: Founder of Black Swan
Concerned about cyber security? Need advice or a tailor-made quote? Kevin is here to help you!
From actionable advice to helping you to see where you could be at risk, Kevin will help you to get your business on a path that is secure-by-design and ready for the unthinkable.
Ready to replace sleepless nights with peace of mind? It all starts with an informal chat!
Either schedule a call by selecting a suitable date and time on the calendar or by clicking the button below to send us a message.