Utilize Plc Celebrates Achieving B-Corp Certification 

A Commitment to Sustainability and Social Responsibility 

We are delighted to announce that Utilize Plc has officially achieved B-Corp certification. This prestigious designation marks an important milestone in our journey towards sustainability and social responsibility. For those who may be unfamiliar with B-Corp, let us explain briefly what it entails. 

What is B-Corp Certification? 

B-Corp certification is awarded to companies that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It signifies that we are not just in business to make a profit; we are also committed to making a positive impact on our community and the environment. Essentially, it reflects our values and the responsible way we conduct business. 

Being B-Corp certified means that when you do business with Utilize Plc, you are partnering with a company that places equal importance on profit and purpose. We are dedicated to creating value not only for our shareholders but also for our employees, customers, and the communities we serve.  

This certification ensures that our operations are ethical, sustainable, and contribute to the greater good. 

“Achieving B-Corp certification is a proud moment for Utilize Plc. It reflects our increasing commitment to sustainability, social responsibility, and the collective hard work of our teams. Together, we continue to make a positive impact on our planet, community and our people, and this certification is a testament to that.”  –  Managing Director, Guy Hocking 

Achieving B-Corp Certification 

Achieving B-Corp certification has been a collective effort, involving many departments across our business. Our dedicated Sustainability Committee, a team of six remarkable individuals, has been the driving force behind this success. Their commitment and hard work over the past 18 months have been instrumental in guiding us through the rigorous certification process. 

We want to take a moment to personally thank everyone involved, both directly and indirectly, in this achievement. Their efforts have been extraordinary, especially considering the challenge of balancing day-to-day responsibilities with the additional work required for certification. This accomplishment is a testament to the team’s dedication to doing the right thing. 

“It has taken an immense amount of dedication and effort from our entire team over the past 18 months to achieve this certification. The rigorous standards we must meet aren’t easily attained. We were already doing a significant amount, and I am delighted we have been able to showcase that and achieve this important accolade.” – Lucy Johnson, Sustainability Committee 

Becoming B-Corp certified was also made significantly easier thanks to the support received from the Ingram Micro Trust X Community. The guidance, framework, and connections provided by this community have been invaluable throughout our journey. Leveraging these relationships has been instrumental in achieving B-Corp certification, and we are immensely grateful for everyone’s support. 

As we celebrate this achievement, we are laser focused on the positive impact we are making together and encourage others to join us in our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. If you want to find out more, visit our Sustainability page or reach out to the team: sustainability@utilize.co.uk.  

Together, we are making a difference. 

Utilize PLC Adopts Halo PSA for Enhanced Service Management

Utilize PLC, a leading provider of innovative solutions in the service and operations sector, is thrilled to announce its adoption of Halo PSA as its preferred platform for service management and operational oversight. This strategic move underscores Utilize PLC’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance efficiency, streamline workflows, and deliver superior services to its growing client base. Halo PSA, renowned for its comprehensive features and adaptability, offers a unified platform that integrates critical aspects of service delivery, including ticketing, project management, billing, and customer relations, ensuring a seamless operational experience.

By transitioning to Halo PSA, Utilize PLC aims to empower its teams with robust tools that foster collaboration, improve resource management, and elevate service standards

The adoption of this state-of-the-art platform is a testament to Utilize PLC’s dedication to innovation and excellence, aligning with its vision to remain at the forefront of industry advancements. With Halo PSA as its cornerstone for service and operations management, Utilize PLC is poised to set new benchmarks in efficiency and client satisfaction, marking a significant milestone in its journey toward operational excellence.

David McConnell, Group Service Director, commented “Halo is a top tier platform and having joined Utilize just as Halo was being signed off was a great position to be in, having had past experience with Halo I am hugely enthusiastic on how Halo will support us through our future technological journey”.

Attackers are upping their efforts to breach Microsoft 365 accounts and exfiltrate sensitive data. You will have seen from our previous posts how attackers are using advanced MITM dark web services to trick users into entering their credentials, and even bypassing MFA. Protect yourself against Phishing Email Attacks – Utilize

We have noticed a huge increase in attackers gaining unauthorised access to Microsoft 365 accounts. Once breached they use third party applications such as PerfectData to download a full copy of the victims mailbox. Not only does a mailbox have sensitive information, but also data that allows them to plan and execute future attacks. This could include email addresses for other colleagues at their company, or suppliers and external contacts to phish attack for financial gain.

Attackers use various methods to trick users into entering credentials or approving MFA requests, examples in the above blog post.  Attackers use MFA bombing and Additional Persistence Techniques to bombard users with requests until they get frustrated and approve. Once attackers have breached an account, they often add additional phone numbers or devices to the MFA methods for future logins.

Steps to protect yourself

• Remember – “your daily driver” account should never have any level of administrator privilege for this reason. This could allow lateral movement allowing attacker to breach other accounts
• As a rule of thumb, if your not expecting the MFA request, decline it
• Train staff on understanding why security is important
• Provide staff with examples of what these attacks look like and how can be prevented
• Report any suspicious activity immediately

In this day and age, data is everything! Its almost a currency which is not only sold, but also can cause huge reputational damage and have fall out for years.

Just think of a scenario we see almost daily on the Utilize Service Desk…

•  an employees account is breached because they approve a non genuine MFA request
•  attacker logs in (end user unknowing) and they download a copy of the mailbox and do recognisance for weeks
•  this data is sold on dark web. Months and years later further attacks happen, your customers are receiving emails they believe are genuine and replying with sales orders. This damages your reputation. At this point you report the ICO, and investigation shows the mailbox has been breached for some time.

This is all a nightmare for a business, and is completely avoidable with a proper MFA solution and end user training. Utilize offer training and solutions to avoid this, but end users will always be the weakest link in the chain. That is why its imperative for staff to understand and appreciate the importance of security, as one simple approval of an MFA prompt can cause unthinkable damage to an organisation!

We are here to support you, if an account is breached Utilize have a highly detailed process to quickly secure the account. Unfortunately at this stage the damage can already be done, so this is why its so important to make sure users understand these types of attacks. You wouldn’t leave your keys in your front door would you, so why would you willingly approve an MFA prompt you aren’t expecting!?

Feel free to contact Utilize if you have any questions or want to learn more about how we can help secure your IT environment.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in managing their IT infrastructure. As a C-level executive, you understand the critical role technology plays in driving business growth and efficiency. Partnering with a Managed IT Services Provider (MSP) can be a game-changer for your organisation using IT outsourcing. Here’s why:

Ensuring Seamless Operations with Managed IT Support

Protecting Against Cyber Threats and Data Loss

Maximising Limited Resources for SME Success

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing IT Support for SMEs

Evaluating Service Scope and Expertise

Prioritising Customer Service and Response Times

Incorporating Cloud Solutions for Scalability

Comparing IT Service Providers for Small Businesses

Credentials and Experience

Security Measures

Scalability and Flexibility

Client References and Reviews

Conclusion

Ready to transform your IT infrastructure and drive business growth? Contact us today to learn more about our Managed IT Services and how we can tailor our solutions to meet your specific needs. Schedule a call with our experts to discuss your requirements and explore how we can help your business thrive with a simple monthly subscription.

We are delighted to announce that Access Information Security Ltd (AIS), a trusted name in IT
security since 2003, is now part of Utilize Plc. Over the past 22 years, AIS has demonstrated
remarkable growth, positioning itself as a leader in the cybersecurity sector. This acquisition marks a
significant milestone for both companies as we combine our expertise and resources to offer even
more comprehensive solutions to our clients.

Warren Davies, Founder and CEO of Utilize and who heads up acquisition strategy, shared his excitement: “This
is a great step forward for both AIS and Utilize. AIS has built a strong reputation for delivering
exceptional customer service alongside market-leading security solutions. Their commitment to
excellence aligns perfectly with our purpose of ‘Making our clients’ technology journey exceptional’.
Together, we will continue to innovate and provide services and solutions that empower businesses to
thrive in this ever-evolving landscape.”

Guy Hocking, Managing Director of Utilize, added: “The strategic partnerships AIS has formed with
some of the industry’s most recognised security providers, including SonicWall, Sophos, Barracuda,
and more, will significantly bolster our service offerings. Security is a critical factor for most
businesses, and this allows us to leverage our combined expertise to deliver the highest quality
services to our clients.”

Specialising in comprehensive cybersecurity solutions, AIS offers expertise across a broad spectrum
of services, including:

• Firewall and perimeter security
• Threat detection and prevention
• Device control and encryption
• Email and web security
• Secure remote access and wireless security

Combined, we now hold the very highest partner accreditations from our carefully selected vendor
network.

Spencer Starkey, Executive Vice President EMEA of SonicWALL, added: “The partnership between AIS
and Utilize marks a pivotal moment for our mutual clients. Both companies have a strong heritage in
security and service excellence, and together they will provide unparalleled value. By joining forces,
they are set to deliver cutting-edge technology services and solutions with security integrated into
every facet. In today’s digital landscape, where security is paramount, our combined expertise
ensures that clients remain safeguarded against ever-evolving threats.”

The partnership not only fortifies the technological capabilities of both companies but also enhances
their cultural synergy. This is set to create a dynamic, forward-thinking environment where
employees are empowered to excel.

Hannah Kent of AIS expressed her enthusiasm for the future: “Joining the Utilize family is an exciting
opportunity for AIS. We have always provided market-leading security solutions and customer
service, and this collaboration will allow us to expand on and enhance our offerings to the next level.
We look forward to working closely with the Utilize team to continue our mission of safeguarding
businesses against ever-evolving digital threats.”

Exciting Release: Sage 200 2024 R2

We are thrilled to announce the release of Sage 200 2024 R2, packed with innovative features designed to enhance your business operations and streamline your workflows. This release brings significant updates to both the Sage 200 desktop and the Web Portal, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for all users.

New Features in the Sage 200 Desktop

Bank Feeds

Managing your bank transactions has never been easier. With the new update, you can now import bank transactions from a file, perfect for those whose banks do not support direct download of bank feeds. Additionally, Sage have made some changes to the Sage bank feeds service. If you’re already using bank feeds, a brief update will be required the next time you use this feature to ensure everything runs smoothly post upgrade.

Sales Orders

Sage understands the importance of flexibility in managing sales orders. Now, when you change the requested or promised dates for an order, quotation, or pro forma, you can choose to update the dates for all items in that order. This feature simplifies the process and ensures consistency across your documentation.

General Updates

Sage have listened to your feedback from the ideas hub and increased the length of references from 20 to 40 characters for customer transactions, supplier transactions, and nominal transactions. Additionally, they have withdrawn the Sage Contact app to streamline their offerings and focus on enhancing other features.

New Features in the Web Portal

General Updates

Like the desktop version, the Web Portal now supports references up to 40 characters for customer transactions, supplier transactions, and nominal transactions. This update ensures consistency and ease of use across all platforms.

Coming Soon!

Introducing Sage Network & Sage Connect: Revolutionising Business Connectivity

Sage is excited to unveil Sage Network, a ground-breaking initiative designed to connect businesses through seamless accounting integration. Their vision is to synchronise and automate financial transactions and processes across various businesses, including those not currently using Sage. This innovation aims to reduce processing times and eliminate late payments, enhancing overall efficiency.

The cornerstone of this initiative is the new Sage Connect App, powered by Sage Network. This app will integrate effortlessly with Sage 200, using a state-of-the-art data connector. Among the many features being developed, one of the most anticipated is Accounts Receivable (AR) Automation.

AR Automation: Streamlining Your Payment Processes

Sage’s AR Automation feature is crafted to help you receive payments faster and with minimal effort. Key functionalities include:

• Automated Customer Onboarding and Verification: Ensuring that invoices are accurate from the start.
• Efficient Communication: Enabling you to schedule, send, and track payment reminders and invoicing communications effortlessly.
• 24/7 Customer Access: Providing your customers with a secure platform to view invoices, amounts due, and payment statuses at any time.

Currently, Sage Network and Sage Connect are undergoing rigorous testing before being made available to all Sage 200 customers. Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to roll out these exciting new features.

Terms and Agreement Updates

Sage have also made some changes to the Sage 200 Product Terms & Conditions and their Online Service Level Agreement. You can find the updated Product Terms here and the Online Service Level Agreement here.

Next steps 

We are confident that these new features will significantly improve your experience with Sage 200. Stay tuned for more updates and enhancements as we continue to innovate and support your business needs. If you’d like to learn more about upgrading, please contact your Account Manager or complete the enquiry form.

You can also read some of our latest insights into Sage 200

The first step on our journey to a “World Class” workplace culture

We are proud to share that our company has been awarded a 1-star “Very Good” rating by Best Companies. This recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our entire team. It marks an important milestone on our journey towards creating a “World Class” culture.

For those who don’t know, Best Companies is an independent organisation that recognises and celebrates the best workplaces in the UK. Their mission is to help companies become better places to work by providing detailed insights into employee engagement and satisfaction. The ratings are based on comprehensive surveys that gauge employees’ perceptions of their work environment, leadership, personal growth opportunities and overall job satisfaction.

Achieving a rating from Best Companies is not just about earning a badge of honour (not for us at least), it is a reflection of an organisation’s commitment to fostering a positive and supportive work environment. This accolade shows that we are doing just that and, most importantly, demonstrates that we are always striving to be better.

Setting the benchmark for future improvements

Receiving a “Very Good” rating is a great achievement in itself. But it also provides us with a solid foundation to build upon and sets a great benchmark for future improvements. We are truly dedicated to listening to our employees and will continue to make meaningful changes based on their feedback.

We believe employee engagement is critical to the success of our company. If our employees feel valued, heard and supported, they are more likely to be productive, motivated and dedicated. The Best Companies survey has enabled our leadership team to gain valuable insights into the experiences of our employees and to identify areas for improvement. What a valuable tool to have.

We are dedicated to fostering a positive work culture, and this survey has given us the opportunity to thoroughly understand our employees’ needs and concerns. With this feedback, we are better equipped to create an even more inclusive, supportive, and dynamic workplace – something we always aspire to do.

Earning a “Very Good” rating from Best Companies is a proud milestone for us, and it reinforces our commitment to excellence.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this remarkable achievement. We’ve always believed our company is a fantastic place to work, and this recognition confirms it in the most gratifying way.

Copilot for Microsoft 365

Microsoft have announced that Copilot for Microsoft 365 will be released for enterprise customers from the 1^st of November 2023, with the release date for SMB customers proposed for early 2024.

Copilot for Microsoft 365 is an AI assistant that helps users to streamline their work activity by creating content, learning from past actions, and solving time-consuming problems. It uses Large Language Models (LLMs) to help process natural language queries and generate relevant and responsible actions from a user’s data and the web. It works across Microsoft 365 apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams, and also offers enterprise-grade security, privacy and compliance

Copilot in Windows

To help drive your business forward, your organisation needs to be at the forefront of AI but also protecting the corporate data that you share with AI models.   

Copilot in Windows has addressed this problem with Bing Chat Enterprise. Bing Chat Enterprise brings the same time-saving and intelligent capabilities of Copilot but with added protections to help businesses guard their commercial data. You can direct Copilot to quickly make sense of long articles on the web, craft and polish content or create stunning images all from within a secure Windows 11 experience. When using Bing Chat Enterprise, none of your sensitive corporate data is shared or used to train the LLM.  

A preview of Copilot in Windows became available with the 22H2 version of Windows 11 which was released on the 26^th of September 2023.  

You can help your organisation take advantage of generative AI in Windows by modernising your IT Infrastructure.

• Modernise your infrastructure with Microsoft 365 – The best way for your organisation to manage Copilot in Windows, is to utilise a cloud-based approach. ‘Functional Productivity’ is Microsoft’s term for making sure your workloads are in the correct location and structure to enable secure productivity and the most efficient use of Copilot is through a cloud-based solution.
• Adopt Windows 11 – Now is the time to upgrade to Windows 11. Windows 11 offers features that are designed to support seamless hybrid working, advanced security, cloud-based collaboration, and accessible and inclusive experiences for all.

If you are looking to take advantage of these capabilities in your organisation, get started today by talking to your Account Director or emailing us at copilot@utilize.co.uk  you can also register for our upcoming Copilot webinar by clicking here: Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot: The AI-Powered Future of Work

Utilize have seen an increase in advanced Phishing Email Attacks and CEO impersonation emails across our client base and in the Cyber Security Space.

Phishing Attacks

Attackers can now pay for AITM (Adversary Man in the Middle) services on the DarkWeb. Essentially this is a Service where, you can import targets email addresses and it will send them a specifically crafted email link. Once this link is clicked it will load a very genuine looking website, hoping the recipient will input their Office365 credentials. Simply put, this website acts as a middle proxy server sending your genuine credentials to Office365 services, then displaying an MFA prompt for the user to approve. If this is done, the attacker not only has your Office365 credentials, but also the MFA token to use for future use for 90 days. Until the token is revoked, and credentials changed the attacker can access everything you can in Office365!

This is why it’s imperative to not input any credentials or approve any MFA prompts unless:

1. You know it’s a genuine MFA prompt you are expecting

2. The website address is a genuine Office365 website

If you are ever unsure, pause what you are doing and log a ticket with the Utilize Service Desk who can confirm if genuine. Either by email: service@utilize.co.uk or telephone 0333 006 9060.

Attackers are investing more resources, time, and money in these attacks to try and fool targets. Most attacks rely unfortunately on social engineering, to try and trick the end user into believing a link or website is legitimate.

Let’s take a look at some examples we have seen in the ‘wild’.

The “QR Code” Type Attack

Because most spam filtering will scan links and attachments in emails, attackers have tried to think ‘outside the box’ by creating a QR code which when scanned will take you to a fake Office 365 website. (The image had been obscured for security reasons)

The “AITM Phishing” Type Attack

This is where you receive an email with a link that takes you to a fake Office365 website. This could be from a company or contact you deal with regularly, or a random email address. Remember, it’s always possible someone you deal with regularly has been breached and the attacker is leveraging your relationship with that person…abusing trust! See example image below, it looks exactly the same as the official Office365 website, but it is malicious!

NOTE: website address is not https://portal.office.com or https://login.microsoftonline.com

The MFA Bombing Attack

This is where an attacker keeps trying to log into your Office365 with the correct credentials obtained via DarkWeb or alike, until you approve the MFA prompt. They rely on the annoyance of you continually getting MFA prompts, until you reluctantly approve one, therefore letting them into your account. Office365 will not continually prompt you for MFA, so if this happens it’s likely someone is trying to get into your account. Again, if you are unsure or if there is anything out of the ordinary please contact us.

CEO Impersonation Phishing

Firstly, these types of attacks rely on pressure, speedy response, and trust. Typically, these are spear-phishing emails where an attacker impersonates the CEO or another Senior high-ranking employee within your organisation. These will generally try and trick you into transferring money owned by the attacker or sending HR confidential information for extortion. These can be sent to your work email, personal email, WhatsApp, SMS, or any other method of communication an attacker can find online.

Secondly, challenge yourself with what information you want to put online, if it’s online – Ask yourself, if it’s online, who can access it? Look at your LinkedIn or Facebook accounts, could an attacker answer any of your password recovery questions? Where did you grow up? Where did you go to school? What is your personal contact email or phone number? All of these pieces of information paint a picture, and most of the time these are a piece of the puzzle for an attacker.

Thirdly, when an email comes in always check the email address this has come from. Whilst the display name could be the actual CEO’s name, double check the actual email address. Anyone can setup a Hotmail or 3^rd party email account in someone’s name. Would your CEO really email you direct to transfer money, or request thousands of pounds in iTunes vouchers? If you are ever unsure PAUSE, pick up the phone and call the person on the number you know is theirs and NOT by the number they have provided! Example below…

As with any security issue, if you have entered any credentials, or want to check the legitimacy of an email please contact Utilize immediately.

There are many things that you can do to protect your organisation and Utilize offer many services such as Office365 MFA, DarkWeb Scanning and simulated Phishing training. Contact us for more information or speak to your Account Director.

Remember proactive security is just the first step, don’t get caught out!

Microsoft Inspire is the annual event where Microsoft partners connect, empower and celebrate as one community, gaining insights into what’s coming in the year ahead. This year’s event, held on July 18th and 19th, was focused on accelerating AI transformation through partnership, and featured several exciting announcements and innovations that showcased how Microsoft and its partners are reshaping the future of business with AI.

Here are some of the key highlights from Microsoft Inspire 2023:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot understands natural language and can help users with various tasks, such as summarization, post meeting recap, writing, editing, formatting, researching, presenting, and collaborating. And secure productivity is the first step to helping our customers get ready for Copilot. Microsoft has released pricing for Microsoft 365 Copilot with the cost per user being $30 USD along with a Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Premium, and Business Standard license.
• Bing Chat Enterprise the AI-powered copilot for the web allows users to make use of ChatGPT4 powered AI features while protecting all personal and company data. It is now in preview at no additional cost for customers with Microsoft 365 E3, E5, Business Premium, and Business Standard licenses.
• Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability is a new offering that helps organisations measure, report, and reduce their environmental impact with data-driven insights and actionable recommendations.
• Microsoft Viva Connections, a new module of the employee experience platform that enables leaders to communicate with their teams and foster a culture of engagement and wellbeing.
• Microsoft Power Platform Process Advisor, a new feature that helps users discover, prioritise, and automate processes using AI-powered process mining.
• Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium, a new service that provides end-to-end management of meeting rooms, including device setup, monitoring, maintenance, and support.
• Microsoft 365 Sales Copilot is a new feature that helps sales teams optimize their performance and productivity. It uses artificial intelligence to provide insights, guidance, and recommendations based on data from Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and LinkedIn.

These are just some of the announcements that demonstrate how Microsoft and its partners are driving AI innovation across industries and business. To learn more about Microsoft Inspire 2023 and watch the full keynote speeches and sessions, visit https://news.microsoft.com/inspire-2023/.

You can register to attend our next Microsoft 365 Copilot webinar being held on Thursday 7^th September at 11.00. Utilize will be joined with Microsoft who will talk about how Microsoft’s powerful new AI technology can boost productivity, creativity, and communication in your business.

Click here to register: Microsoft 365 Copilot Webinar