What to do if…

The most common IT scares for a business, with the first steps in order. If in doubt, disconnect the computer from the network and call us on +34 986 165 833.

If your email account has been hacked

Your contacts are getting emails you didn't send, you can't log in, or you see rules and auto-replies you didn't set up.

1. From another computer you trust, change the password and sign out of all sessions.
2. Turn on two-factor authentication if you hadn't already.
3. Check forwarding rules and automatic replies: attackers set these up first so they can keep reading your email.
4. Warn your contacts to ignore recent emails from you, especially any asking for payment or giving new bank details.
5. Call us: we'll check where they got in from and what else may be exposed.

If that mailbox held personal data about customers or staff, this may be a data breach that must be reported to the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) within 72 hours. We'll help you assess it.

If a supplier asks you to pay into a new account

An email arrives, sometimes from a long-standing supplier, with an invoice or a notice saying “we've changed banks”.

1. Don't pay and don't reply to that email.
2. Call the supplier on a number you already had, not the one in the email.
3. If you've already paid, call your bank straight away: sometimes the transfer can be stopped.
4. Report it to the police (Policía Nacional or Guardia Civil).
5. Call us: we'll check whether the scam came from a hacked account, yours or the supplier's.

One simple rule stops almost all of these: never accept new bank details without confirming them by phone. More in Email security.

If a ransom message appears or files won't open

Documents have an odd file extension, won't open, or there's a notice demanding payment to get them back.

1. Disconnect the computer from the network: unplug the cable and turn off Wi-Fi.
2. Don't switch it off or restart it: you could lose evidence and sometimes the means to recover your data.
3. Don't plug external drives or USB sticks into it.
4. Don't pay or reply to the attackers: paying doesn't guarantee you'll get anything back.
5. Call us immediately: we'll find out what's affected and, if there are backups, restore from them.

You should report it to the police and, if personal data is affected, notify the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) within 72 hours.

If the internet goes down

Web pages won't load, email isn't arriving or cloud apps aren't responding.

1. Check whether it's every computer or just one, on cable and on Wi-Fi.
2. Look at the lights on your provider's router: if one is red or off, the problem is usually the line.
3. Restart it once and wait a few minutes.
4. If it's still down, call your provider and note the fault reference number.
5. Call us: if the fault is in your network or firewall, we'll deal with it.

If your business can't afford to stop, a backup connection lets the firewall switch over to it when the main line fails.

If someone leaves and still has access

Someone is leaving and knows passwords, has work email on their phone or logs in from home.

1. Disable their account on their last day (email, Microsoft 365, business software), but don't delete it: the email and files belong to the company.
2. Change any shared passwords they knew: Wi-Fi, online banking, supplier portals, social media.
3. Remove their remote access: VPN, remote desktop and apps on their phone.
4. Collect their company laptop and phone.
5. Redirect their email to a colleague so no customer messages are lost.

Best of all, tell us before they leave: we'll have everything ready for the day, with no doors left open.

If a laptop or phone is lost or stolen

A company device has gone missing with email and documents on it.

1. From another device, change your account password and sign out of all sessions.
2. Call us as soon as possible: if the device is managed, it can be locked or wiped remotely.
3. If it was stolen, report it to the police: your insurer will ask for the report, and sometimes your mobile provider too.

If it held unencrypted personal data about customers or staff, this may be a data breach that must be reported to the AEPD within 72 hours.

If you've clicked a suspicious link or opened an attachment

An email, text or WhatsApp message took you to a page asking for your password, or you downloaded a file.

1. If you typed in your password, change it now from another device and turn on two-factor authentication.
2. If you opened or downloaded a file, disconnect the computer from the network and stop using it.
3. Don't delete the message: it helps us see where it came from.
4. Call us.

Telling us is never a problem; keeping quiet is. The sooner we know, the less damage.

For general cybersecurity advice, INCIBE (Spain's national cybersecurity institute) runs a free helpline on 017. To let us connect to your computer, download the program from Remote support.