Author: Scott Bickerton

Free Email Security Check

Posted by on in Email Security

Did you know that the National Cyber Security Centre has a range of free tools and security advice available to all UK businesses?

The Email Security Check tool allows you to validate your email domain’s anti-spoofing and privacy controls via a self-service form which provides instant results.

https://emailsecuritycheck.service.ncsc.gov.uk/

This free resource helps you to identify areas of your email domain configuration which could be made more secure, and provides guidance on how to address the findings. It runs similar checks to those we run with our clients, as in our experience almost all organisations could improve the security of their email domain to protect against impersonation and improve deliverability.

If you require assistance understanding the findings, Activon can work with your in-house IT department or liaise with your outsourced service providers to define and deliver a remedial plan, in many cases with same-day results.

Forward planning in a post-lockdown business landscape

Posted by on in News

It’s that time already! A new year is a mere four months away, and here at Activon we’re dusting off those project proposals which were shelved during the lockdown and reviewing which ones will still deliver value in our 2021 portfolio.

Many of our clients are in the same position, and for those who have survived this strangest of years, we are ready to help with our full range of services, from ad-hoc consulting days through to long-term contracts and fixed-price solutions.

We offer a free, no-obligation, one-day introductory consultancy for new clients, which we can provide via online collaboration tools or, subject to social distancing measures, in person at our offices or client locations.

Call us on 0141 370 5900 or email projects@activon.co.uk for a no-obligation chat about how our Project Management and Business Analysis services can help you review, prioritise and structure your business objectives in to deliverable projects and measurable benefits.

Dr Philippa Whitford, MP, visits Activon to discuss IR35

Posted by on in News

Dr. Philippa Whitford, MP, visited Activon’s Liberator House office today, kindly giving up her time to understand the impact of proposed changes to the Off-Payroll legislation on small businesses like ours.

We enjoyed a constructive discussion on the intended and unintended consequences of the legislative changes, and in particular the prevalence of blanket status determinations and blanket bans on PSCs severely disrupting the UKs flexible workforce.

Dr Whitford stated:

“Whilst it is only fair that contractors pay their fair share of tax, experts have raised concerns IR35 does not achieve its stated aim of equalising tax between those under its scope and employees. IR35 has also been criticised as burdening contractors with an unfairly high level of bureaucracy, making it more difficult to play their flexible role in the economy.

“My colleagues used last year’s Autumn’s Budget to highlight our concerns over IR35’s complexity and apparent ineffectiveness and it is an issue we will continue to raise with the UK Government.”

Our sincere thanks to Dr. Whitford for taking the time to visit us in person, and for taking a genuine interest in the plight of local businesses as a result of the changes to IR35.