Advice

Practical IT guidance, in plain English.

Short, honest articles on the IT questions small organisations are asking, security, platform choice, backups, migration and the things funders and clients now expect.

Notebook, pen and laptop on a desk, illustrating practical IT advice and guides from Live IT

Platforms

Google Workspace vs Microsoft 365 for small charities

Both are excellent. The right one depends on how your team works, not which is technically 'better'.

6 min readRead article

Security

What is Cyber Essentials and does your organisation need it?

It's a short, practical security baseline, and increasingly, funders and clients expect it.

5 min readRead article

Backup

Microsoft 365 backup: what your subscription doesn't cover

Microsoft keeps your data online. They don't protect it from you, your staff or ransomware.

4 min readRead article

Security

Phishing for non-technical staff: the 60-second checklist

Most phishing emails fail one of five basic checks. Teach your team those five, and the rest takes care of itself.

4 min readRead article

Migration

Moving from personal Gmail to a business domain (without losing anything)

Done well, the team barely notices. Done badly, you lose ten years of email history.

5 min readRead article

Security

Multi-factor authentication without the headaches

MFA stops the vast majority of account takeovers. Done right, your team barely notices it after the first week.

5 min readRead article

Hardware

Choosing laptops for a small team in 2026

Buy for the next four years, not the next four months. The cheapest laptop is rarely the cheapest laptop.

6 min readRead article

Operations

What to do, technically, when an employee leaves

Offboarding is when most security incidents quietly happen. A simple checklist eliminates most of the risk.

5 min readRead article

Security

A security checklist for small organisations

You don't need a security team. You need a short list of the right things, done consistently.

6 min readRead article

Setup

Setting up a new laptop properly from day one

The first hour with a new laptop sets the tone for the next four years. Do it once, do it right.

5 min readRead article

Working Practices

Remote working: best practices for small teams

Remote work is normal now. A few consistent habits make it secure and sustainable for small teams.

5 min readRead article