Why Thunderbird IT
Set up properly. Not another support contract.
What we set up, how we're different, and why it matters.
Your plan
Get more from what you already pay for
Your email and office plan probably does far more than email. Depending on the plan, you may already have:
- Appointment booking pages
- Video meetings
- Shared team storage
- Forms and surveys
- Shared calendars and contacts
We'll show you what's in your plan, switch on what helps, and flag any separate subscriptions you might not need.
Why it matters
Small businesses are targets too.
Cyber attacks aren't just a big-company problem. These are the UK government's latest figures.
- 43%
of UK businesses reported a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months
Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 (DSIT) (opens in a new tab)
- 38%
were hit by phishing, by far the most common attack
Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 (DSIT) (opens in a new tab)
- 47%
use two-step sign-in (a code from your phone as well as your password), so more than half don't
Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 (DSIT) (opens in a new tab)
- 612,000
UK businesses had a cyber breach or attack in the last year
Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 (DSIT) (opens in a new tab)
- 46%
of small businesses were affected, more than the average
Source: Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26 (DSIT) (opens in a new tab)
- 92%
less likely to make a cyber insurance claim: organisations with Cyber Essentials, compared with those without
Source: NCSC, “A decade of Cyber Essentials”, November 2024 (opens in a new tab)
The most common attack, phishing, starts with something simple: a convincing email. The good news is that the defences are usually straightforward to put in place.
The default setup
Working isn't the same as secure.
When you buy Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, directly or bundled with your domain or website, you get accounts that work. Locking them down is left to you. Out of the box:
Your email can be impersonated. Protection against people sending email pretending to be you has to be added to your domain by hand.
Files can be shared outside the business. Anyone on your team can share a folder with anyone, often with just a link.
Computers and phones aren't managed. Nothing makes sure they're encrypted, kept up to date, or can be wiped if lost.
The person who set it up holds the keys. The account used to set it up has full admin control. If it's also the one used every day, it's the most valuable account to steal.
Useful features stay switched off. Much of what your plan includes is never set up, so it's easy to pay for a separate app that does the same job.
Fixing this means knowing which of hundreds of settings matter, what to change, and how to do it without locking your team out. You can do it yourself, and the NCSC's free Cyber Action Toolkit is a good place to start. If you'd rather spend that time on your business, we'll set it up properly, to a written standard.
Free checks from the NCSC
See how exposed you are, in a few minutes
The NCSC, the UK's national cyber security centre, runs free checks that take seconds. You don't need to install anything or give any personal details.
Email security
Checks your domain for the settings that stop people sending fake emails in your name, and whether your email is encrypted as it travels.
Check your email on the NCSC website (opens in a new tab)Web browser
Checks whether the browser you're using is up to date, with steps to update it if it isn't.
Check your browser on the NCSC website (opens in a new tab)Internet connection and website
Checks your internet connection and website for common weaknesses attackers look for. Run it from your work network.
Check your connection on the NCSC website (opens in a new tab)
Not sure what the results mean? We'll go through them on a free setup review.
How we're different
Not another IT support contract.
A typical IT support contract is a monthly fee for fixing things when they go wrong. We work the other way round: we set things up so they don't go wrong, and charge a fixed price for it.
| Typical IT support contract | Thunderbird IT | |
|---|---|---|
| How you pay | Per user, every month | A fixed price to set up, then a small flat monthly fee |
| Prices | Often only after a sales call | Published on our pricing page |
| What you're paying for | Fixing things when they break | Setting things up so they don't break |
| Security and compliance | Often extra, or a different firm | Built in: Cyber Essentials, GDPR and policies |
| Your accounts | Can be held in the provider's name | Always in your name |
| Your existing subscriptions | Not usually part of the service | Reviewed for unused features and savings |
| Leaving | Can be hard to unpick | Month to month. You take everything with you; any setup payments still outstanding become due. |
How it works
Who does what
We do
Accounts and sign-in: a code from your phone for everyone, admin rights kept to the minimum, your browser's password manager set up, and your work apps set up to use your work account where they support it
Apps and subscriptions: the features you already pay for switched on, and anything you don't need flagged
Email: protection against fake emails sent in your name, plus phishing protection and secure mail settings
Computers and phones: encrypted and updated automatically; from Secure, managed so they can be wiped remotely if lost
Files and sharing: sensible sharing rules
Website and domain: your domain settings, security certificates, and protection against your domain being hijacked
Business tools: the right apps for customers, bookings, tasks and equipment, set up and connected
Analytics: website analytics and ad tracking, set up with consent and a matching privacy notice
Networks and Wi-Fi: reviewed for security wherever you work (an office, shop, workshop or van), and designed and configured as a project, with guests kept separate
Policies and paperwork: privacy notice, staff IT policy, GDPR records and Cyber Essentials
Keeping it tidy: an annual review of your setup and subscriptions, and help when you need it
Projects: migrations, office moves and new systems
You do
- Tell us when someone joins or leaves, or do it yourself in a few clicks (we'll show you how)
- Reset a forgotten password (we'll show you how)
- Let us know what's coming up: a new office, new software, a tender
We don't
- Run a helpdesk (ad hoc help is £95 an hour)
- Sell you licences: you pay suppliers directly and everything is in your name
- Do physical installation: cabling and hardware are fitted by installers we coordinate, to our design