Working for yourself shouldn’t mean defending yourself
QuantumCare Sole Trader: real cyber security for a business of one
The same monitoring that watches over our largest clients, running on your computer. £35 per computer a month. No base fee, no minimum, nothing else to pay.
Find out where you actually stand
Book your free consultation30 minutes. No obligation. You keep the findings either way.
Check the email now
Paste the delivery record from the email and this checker reads it the way a security analyst would, then tells you in plain English whether the sender really is who they claim to be — and which of the usual tricks are present.
That is how most invoice fraud actually happens, and it is why a pass here is never permission to pay. Before you pay an invoice, change any bank details, or send anything confidential, ring the person on a number you already had — not one from the email.
Not the message itself — the hidden delivery record behind it. It usually starts Delivered-To:, Received: or Authentication-Results:. Copy the whole thing; half of it is worse than none.
Where do I find these?
Outlook (Windows desktop). Double-click the email so it opens in its own window, then File → Properties. The headers are in the Internet headers box at the bottom. Click inside it, press Ctrl+A then Ctrl+C. Step by step, with screenshots.
New Outlook and Outlook on the web. Open the email, click the three dots at the top right of the message, then View → View message details. Step by step, with screenshots.
Outlook on a Mac. There is a guide for that.
Gmail. Open the email, click the three dots beside the reply arrow, then Show original. A new tab opens — use the Copy to clipboard button on it.
Apple Mail. View → Message → All Headers, or Raw Source. Select it all and copy.
On a phone. Most phone mail apps will not show you the headers at all. Wait until you are at a computer — and do not tap anything in the email in the meantime.
Not sure what it is telling you?
If this is an invoice, a payment request or a change of bank details, do not act on it until somebody has looked properly. Send me what the checker said and I will tell you what I see.
What this can and cannot tell you. It reads the verdicts your own mail provider stamped on the message when it arrived, and the addresses hidden behind the one you were shown. It is not re-running those checks and it cannot — if the headers were forwarded, shortened or edited, it is reading whatever it was given. A pass proves where a message came from, never that it is true. A fail is a strong signal, not a certainty: a badly configured forwarder or mailing list can fail these checks with nothing sinister behind it.
No responsibility accepted. This checker is provided free of charge, as is, for general information only. It is not advice on your particular situation, it is not a security audit, and it is not a substitute for judgement. No guarantee is given that what it reports is accurate, complete or current. Systems Secure Ltd accepts no responsibility or liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense arising from its use — including anything it reports, anything it misses, and any decision taken on the strength of it. What you do about an email remains your decision and your responsibility. Use of this tool is subject to our terms and conditions.
If you think you have already paid a fraudulent invoice or handed over a password, ring your bank first, then report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Speed matters more than anything else at that point.
Your IT support keeps the business running. That isn't the same as keeping it safe.
The people attacking your business go to work in the morning. They have teams, tooling, budgets and targets. Some of them have HR departments.
There's nothing wrong with what you already have. Antivirus, a sensible password, a laptop that installs its own updates — that was a reasonable position to take, and for years nobody offered you anything better.
But security is a different discipline. It needs someone watching around the clock, someone who knows what a compromised login looks like at 3am, and someone whose job is to ask what happens when — not if — something gets through.
We built this tier because we kept turning one-person businesses away. The package we sell to a company of fifty makes no sense for somebody working alone, and even the one we sell to a team of three assumes there are staff. Quoting you for either would have been dishonest. So for years the answer was no.
There's a reason for that, and it's worth knowing. Most of what defends a computer is software, and software costs us the same whether it runs on three hundred machines or on yours. What doesn't scale down is people — the assessment, the hardening, the monthly report, the time. So we took those out rather than charge you for them and hope you never asked. That is the entire reason this can be £35 a computer instead of a project quote.
So the work quietly doesn't get done, and nobody notices until it matters.
That gap is exactly what QuantumCare Sole Trader fills.
Built for a certain kind of business
You’re the right fit if
- You work for yourself — no employees, and one computer or several
- You handle client data, money, or both — and a breach would matter
- You’re happy running your own computer day to day — this is protection, not IT support
- You’d rather pay a predictable monthly fee than find out the hard way
- You use Microsoft 365, Google, or neither — this tier doesn’t depend on any of them
- You’re prepared to act on what we find
You’re probably not the right fit if
- You want free, or nearly free — this is a real service with real cost behind it
- You’re looking for someone to fix laptops and reset passwords — that’s IT support, and it isn’t what this is
- You want someone able to take over your screen and sort a problem out for you — there is no remote support on this tier
- You need your Microsoft 365 data backed up, your settings hardened, or a monthly written report — that’s Micro Business
- You employ someone, even part-time — that’s Micro Business
- You need on-site presence more than once in a while — we work remote-first
Taken someone on? Micro Business is the right package, and it isn’t a rounding — it starts at £206 a month, because it adds cloud backup, hardening, vulnerability assessment, training and a monthly report. We’ll tell you before you get there rather than after. See Micro Business.
What’s included
One price, one list. Everything in the first table runs on every computer you protect. Everything in the second comes with it, whether you have one computer or four.
The monitoring below is identical to our largest clients’. The software watching your computer is the same software watching a two-hundred-person company — not a cut-down version — because it costs us the same either way. What you are not paying for is the human work that a business with staff needs. The next section lists exactly what that means.
On every computer
£35 each per monthWhatever you pay
No extra charge, however many computersAdd on if you need it: email domain protection, which stops criminals sending email that looks like it came from you, is £30 per domain per month. It is not included, and most one-person businesses do not need it — we’ll tell you honestly whether yours does.
What Sole Trader does not include
This is the longest list on any QuantumCare page, and that is deliberate. £35 a month buys less than £206 does. Here is exactly what less means.
None of this is a trap. Everything above was taken out on purpose to reach £35, and every one of them is listed rather than buried. If it turns out you need one, tell us — Micro Business starts at £206 a month, which is a real step rather than a rounding, and we’ll be straight with you about whether it is worth it for a business your size.
How it works
Four steps from first conversation to ongoing protection. No long procurement, no surprise costs.
Consultation
A conversation, not a pitch. We work out whether you’re a fit, and you work out whether we are.
A look at what you have
A one-off look at your computer and what’s exposed, done during the consultation. You get the findings whether or not you go ahead.
Setup
We install it, configure it and check it is working — usually a day or two from agreement, and mostly without you noticing.
Ongoing
Round-the-clock monitoring, updates applied in the background, and a straight answer whenever you have a security question.
The findings are yours either way. Whatever you decide after the consultation, you’ll leave knowing exactly where you stand — and if the honest answer is that you don’t need us, we’ll say so.
Pricing
See your price before you speak to us
We publish our pricing because you shouldn't have to sit through a discovery call to find out whether you can afford it.
QuantumCare
Sole Trader
£35 per computer, per month
Real cyber security for a business of one. Set the number of computers you want protected to see your price.
No base fee — one computer is a real customer, not an exception.
Count every computer you actually work on — a laptop and a desktop are two. Each one gets round-the-clock threat monitoring, patching and web filtering. Phones and tablets aren’t counted and aren’t covered.
Stops criminals sending email that looks like it came from your address. £30 per domain, per month, and it is not included as standard. Leave it at zero if you don’t have your own domain — most one-person businesses don’t need this, and we’ll tell you honestly whether yours does.
Your monthly price
£35/month
- 1 computer × £35.00 Threat monitoring, patching, security monitoring and web filtering £35.00
- 1 email domain × £30.00 Optional add-on — stops email being sent in your name £30.00
That’s £420.00 a year, and it includes the annual security training.
You save £0.00 a month against the rolling rate — £0.00 over the year.
All prices exclude VAT. No base fee, no minimum, no setup fee.
That’s a lot of computers for one person. If you employ anybody — even part-time — Micro Business is the right package: it adds cloud backup, hardening, vulnerability assessment and a monthly report, and starts at £206 a month. We’d rather tell you now than take your money.
Book a callWhat am I paying for?
On every computer
£35 each per month
- 24/7 endpoint protection and threat detection
- Security monitoring (SIEM)
- Patch management
- Web & DNS filtering
Whatever you pay
No extra charge, however many computers
- Annual security awareness training
- Ask the Team — security questions answered
- Setup and onboarding
- We contact you if we detect something serious
Not included: backup of any kind, identity protection,
vulnerability assessment and scanning, proactive hardening, a monthly written report,
Cyber Essentials and insurance readiness, and phishing simulations. Those sit on Micro
Business, and every one of them is explained in the section above this calculator.
IT support is not included on any tier — QuantumCare is a cyber
security service, not a helpdesk.
On-site visits are charged separately — £240 for a short visit up
to two hours, £400 a half day, £760 a full day, plus travel and accommodation at
cost and never marked up. Short visits are West Sussex and nearby; further afield starts at a
half day. We work remote-first and at this price a visit almost never makes sense.
Indicative pricing based on computer count. On-site visits are not included — they are charged separately, and the rates are in the FAQ below. Final quotations may vary where bespoke requirements apply. QuantumCare is delivered by Systems Secure Ltd.
£35 per computer per month covers the threat monitoring, security monitoring, patching and web filtering on every machine you work on. It also covers your annual security training and the ability to ask us a security question whenever you have one, at no extra charge.
There is no base fee. One computer is £35, two is £70. Count the computers you actually work on — a laptop and a desktop are two, and phones and tablets aren't counted or covered.
Email domain protection is £30 per domain per month, and it is not included. Most one-person businesses don't need it. If you invoice by email from your own domain, ask and we'll tell you honestly whether yours does.
On-site visits are not included. When one is genuinely needed: £240 for a short visit of up to two hours, £400 for a half day, £760 for a full day — plus travel and accommodation at cost, never marked up, and agreed with you before anything is booked. Short visits are West Sussex and nearby; further afield starts at a half day. We work remote-first, and most things never need one.
All prices exclude VAT. Pay monthly either way — there's nothing to pay upfront, and no setup fee.
Straight dealing
A business of one gets the same monitoring
as a business of two hundred
Working for yourself usually means being told to buy the consumer version and get on with it. This is built the other way round — the software watching your computer is the software watching our largest clients, and the price is published so you never have to ask what you’re worth to us. The list of what it doesn’t include is longer than the list of what it does, and it is printed on this page rather than buried in a contract.
No base fee, no minimum
One computer is £35 and that is the whole invoice. There is no floor to climb over before we’ll take you seriously, and no discount you are missing out on for being small.
The same protection as our largest clients
The software watching your computer is the software watching a two-hundred-person business. Identical, not a cut-down edition, because it costs us the same either way.
No lock-in
Rolling monthly means 30 days’ notice and no penalty. No setup fee and nothing to pay upfront — if it isn’t earning its keep, you leave and we won’t make it difficult.
We’ll tell you when you’ve outgrown us
The day you take somebody on, Micro Business becomes the right package and it costs a good deal more. We’ll say so before you get there rather than after — and it’s a conversation, not an upsell.
Who you'll be working with
James Batt
Founder, Systems Secure Ltd
Systems Secure has been trading since 2010. In that time the thing that has changed most is not the threats — it is how small a business now has to be before it is worth attacking.
QuantumCare is how I do this work now. A small number of clients, a complete programme rather than a shopping list of products, and one person who knows your business well enough to be useful at short notice.
When you ring, you get me.
Qualifications
What the letters actually mean, since nobody explains them.
CISSP
Certified Information Systems Security Professional
The senior, internationally recognised security qualification. Requires years of documented experience before you can even sit it.
C|CISO
Certified Chief Information Security Officer
Focused on running a security programme — governance, risk and reporting to a board, rather than configuring the technology.
C|EH
Certified Ethical Hacker
Formally trained in the techniques attackers use. It is difficult to defend against methods you have never seen from the other side.
NCSP
Certified NIST Cybersecurity Professional — Practitioner
Qualified to build and run a security programme against the NIST framework — the structure insurers and larger clients increasingly expect to see behind your answers.
Security+
CompTIA Security+
The foundational security certification, and a common baseline requirement in government and defence supply chains.
Recognition
Cybersecurity Company of the Year
Winner — West Sussex Business Awards 2025
Security Solution Specialists of the Year
Winner — E2 Media Awards 2025
Systems Secure Ltd · trading since 2010 · company registration 7295869 · Copthorne, West Sussex
STILL NOT SURE?
Questions you're probably asking
The main ones that come up on almost every call, answered here so you don’t have to book one to find out.
Cost and Contracts
How much does QuantumCare Sole Trader cost?
QuantumCare Sole Trader costs £35 per computer, per month. There is no base fee and no minimum, so one computer is £35 a month and two computers are £70.
Email domain protection is an optional extra at £30 per domain per month and is not included as standard. Nothing else is added on.
All prices exclude VAT. There is no setup fee and nothing to pay upfront, and it is rolling monthly — cancel any time with 30 days' notice. Use the calculator further up this page to see your exact figure before you speak to anyone.
£35 a month sounds too cheap to be serious.
It is cheap because things have been taken out, and they are all listed further up this page rather than discovered later.
What is not cheap is the software. The threat monitoring on your computer is the same product watching a two-hundred-person business, at the same cost to us, because software doesn't get more expensive per machine when there are more machines. What you are not buying is our time — no vulnerability assessment, no hardening, no monthly report, no Cyber Essentials work.
£35 a computer is what is left when you take the people out and leave the protection in. It is a real product with a thin service around it, and we would rather say that than dress it up.
Is there a contract?
Rolling monthly only. £35 per computer, 30 days' notice, no penalty and no minimum term.
Micro Business and Business Pro both offer a 12-month agreement with a frozen price. At £35 the saving would be small enough that two prices would confuse more than they helped, so we don't offer one here.
Is there a minimum?
No. One computer is fine, and it is a real customer rather than an exception we grumble about. There is no base fee to make it work — you pay for what you protect.
Micro Business, by contrast, starts at £206 a month whatever your size. Business Pro starts at ten accounts.
Is there a setup fee?
No. Onboarding and deployment are included in your monthly price, and there is nothing to pay upfront.
Can I add or remove computers during the month?
Yes — your bill follows what you're protecting. We count computers on the first of the month, so changes are picked up on your next invoice rather than mid-cycle.
Buy a new laptop and want it covered from day one? Tell us and we'll get it on there straight away; the billing catches up at the start of the next month.
What if it doesn't work out?
Then you leave. Rolling monthly means 30 days' notice and no penalty.
There is no minimum term on this tier at all, and nothing to pay upfront, so the most you can ever be out of pocket is a month you've already had.
What's covered — and what isn't
What counts as a computer?
Any Windows PC or Mac you actually work on. If it is switched on and you use it for the business, it counts, and it needs protecting.
You choose which ones to cover — there is no requirement to put every machine you own on the service. The one you do your work and your banking on is the one that matters.
I have a laptop and a desktop. Is that two?
Yes — £70 a month. Protection is installed on each machine, so two machines is twice the cost. This is the one place Sole Trader works out differently from Micro Business, where a laptop and a desktop for the same person count once.
If you only really use one of them for work, cover that one. We'll tell you straight whether the second is worth protecting rather than assuming it is.
What about my phone or tablet?
Not covered, and not charged for. This tier protects computers.
That is worth knowing rather than glossing over, because plenty of people run their business mostly from a phone. Keep it updated, use a screen lock and be careful what you install — and if your phone is genuinely where the business lives, say so on the call and we'll be honest about whether this is worth buying.
Do I need Microsoft 365?
No. Sole Trader works whether you use Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or neither — everything in it runs on the computer rather than on your email account.
This is a real difference from our other packages. Micro Business and Business Pro are built around Microsoft 365 and include protection for your logins; that part is not in this tier, so the requirement disappears with it.
Is my data backed up?
No. There is no backup of any kind on this tier — not your files, not your email, not your cloud storage. It is the sharpest thing missing and we would rather you read it here than find out at the worst moment.
Microsoft and Google keep your data available. Neither keeps a spare copy for you if you delete something, get locked out, or have the account taken over. People assume otherwise all the time.
Backup is billed per person and would take a large bite out of £35, so it is left out rather than half-done. If you have nothing at the moment, an external drive you unplug — or any paid backup service — is far better than nothing, and we'll happily tell you what we would use. Proper managed backup starts at Micro Business.
Do you help with Cyber Essentials?
Not on this tier. Getting a business through Cyber Essentials is real work with our name attached to the answer, and it cannot honestly be done inside £35 a month.
That is a straight no rather than a maybe, because a certificate is only worth having if the controls behind it stay in place — and on this tier nobody is checking that for you.
If a client or an insurer is asking you for Cyber Essentials, that is a Micro Business conversation and we'll have it honestly with you. It is included there.
What if I have more than one email domain?
Email domain protection isn't included as standard, so the number of domains you have doesn't change your base price. It is £30 per domain per month if you want it, and you can protect one domain without protecting the others.
It is worth understanding what it does. Without it, a criminal can send email that looks like it came from your address — to your clients, asking them to pay a different bank account. Old trading names and campaign domains can be spoofed just as easily as your main one.
Most one-person businesses don't need this. If you invoice by email from your own domain, ask, and we'll tell you honestly whether yours does.
Risk and threats
I already have antivirus.
Antivirus is one control, and it's the one attackers plan around. It waits to recognise something it has seen before.
What it doesn't do is have a human watching. It doesn't patch the programs Windows Update ignores, block the malicious website before you reach it, join up signals across your system, or wake anybody up at 3am when something looks wrong on your machine. Those four things are what you are buying here.
There's a saving in this too. What we install takes over the antivirus job as well, so you don't need a separate paid antivirus subscription on top — whatever you renew every year, you can stop renewing. It won't cover the whole £35, but it comes off it. Don't cancel anything until we've confirmed you're covered, and we'll tell you when that is.
I've never had a breach.
Neither had any of our clients, until the ones who did.
The businesses that get hit aren't targeted for being interesting — they're targeted for being reachable. The question isn't whether you've been unlucky yet.
I'm too small to be a target.
Nobody chose you. Attacks are automated, run at scale, by organisations measuring their return on investment.
Smaller businesses get hit precisely because they're reachable and under-defended. You're not too small to be a target — you're the right size to be an easy one.
Do you guarantee I won't ever be hacked?
No. Nobody credible can promise that — and you should be wary of anyone who does.
What we do commit to is fast action: quick detection, rapid containment, and telling you straight away and in plain English when something has happened.
The goal is simple — fewer incidents, smaller impact, faster recovery.
What happens if something goes wrong at 2am?
Threats are monitored around the clock by a human security operations centre. Isolation and containment happen whether or not you're awake — a compromised machine gets shut off without waiting for anybody.
You'll hear from us afterwards explaining what happened and what was done about it, in plain English. There is no monthly report on this tier, so you hear from us when something happens rather than on a schedule.
Do I still need cyber insurance?
Yes. QuantumCare isn't insurance and doesn't replace it — the two do different jobs. Insurance pays out after something goes wrong. QuantumCare is there to stop it going wrong in the first place.
Be careful here, though. Most cyber policies now require multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, patching, backups and staff training. This tier gives you the endpoint protection, the patching and annual training — it does not give you backup, and nobody here is putting together the evidence for your insurer's questionnaire.
If you declare controls you don't actually have, a claim can be refused. So check what your policy asks for before you answer it, and if the form asks about backups, make sure your answer is true. Micro Business is where we take that work on.
We aren't insurance brokers and can't advise on cover. Speak to your broker about what's right for your business.
Working with your IT
I already have someone who does my IT.
Good — keep them. QuantumCare works alongside your IT provider, not instead of them. They keep the business running; we keep it secure.
Most are relieved. Security is the part of the job they are least equipped for and most exposed on.
Do you replace my IT provider?
No. We work alongside them. They keep the business running, we keep it secure, and we'll coordinate directly with them so nothing falls between the two of us.
If you'd rather we handled IT support as well, ask — but it isn't part of QuantumCare.
Can you log on and fix things for me?
No — that is IT support, and QuantumCare is a cyber security service on every tier. We don't fix printers, set up laptops, recover forgotten passwords or investigate why something is running slowly.
What we will do is tell you clearly what needs doing and why, and talk you through it. If you want somebody to take the work off you entirely, you need an IT provider as well as us, and we'll work happily alongside whoever that is.
Choosing the right package
Is this the same protection as Business Pro?
Partly, and it is worth being precise about which part.
The threat monitoring and security monitoring on your computer are identical — the same products, watching the same way, because the software costs us the same either way. The patching and the web filtering are the same too.
What Business Pro adds is everything around it: identity protection, backup, vulnerability scanning, hardening, security leadership, quarterly reviews, a policy pack, email domain protection and network device management. That is most of what you are not paying for.
What happens if I take somebody on?
You move to Micro Business. Be aware it is a step up in price, not a rounding — Micro Business starts at £206 a month, because it includes things Sole Trader deliberately doesn't: backup, hardening, vulnerability assessment, training and a monthly report.
We'll flag it before you get there rather than after. Nothing breaks the day you hire somebody — but the moment there is a second person, there is a second way in, and this tier isn't built for that.
What does "vCISO" actually mean?
A Chief Information Security Officer, on call, shared between a small number of clients. You get the seniority and the judgement without the salary.
It is not part of Sole Trader, and it is not part of Micro Business either. It is the single biggest thing Business Pro adds, and it is the main reason Pro costs what it does. We'd rather tell you that plainly than let you assume it is in there.
Is Sole Trader capped like Business Pro?
No. Business Pro is capped at twenty clients because that package includes our time every month — the leadership, the quarterly reviews, the policy work — and that does not scale to hundreds of businesses.
Sole Trader is deliberately built to run properly without that constraint, so there is no cap and no waiting list.
Who you're dealing with
Who will I actually be dealing with?
James Batt. Every conversation, every time you pick up the phone. Not an account manager, not a rota, and not somebody who needs your setup explained to them again.
Is QuantumCare just one person?
The advice and the relationship are one person, deliberately. That is what buys you someone who knows your systems rather than someone reading a ticket.
The protection behind it is not one person. Monitoring, detection and containment run around the clock through a dedicated security operations centre, on enterprise security tooling. None of that waits for anyone here to be at a desk.
You get a named, accountable person sitting on top of infrastructure that never sleeps.
What happens if James is away or unwell?
Your protection carries on exactly as normal. Monitoring, detection, isolation and containment are handled by the security operations centre, twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. A compromised machine gets shut off at 3am on a bank holiday without anyone here being involved.
I take planned leave a few times a year and you'll know well ahead. Routine questions get answered within two working days rather than the same day. Anything security-critical reaches me wherever I am.
It is a fair question to ask of any small provider, and you should ask it of anyone you are considering.
Would you take on one of my competitors?
Possibly, and we'd rather say so than imply otherwise. Competitor exclusivity is a Business Pro promise, and it only works because that package is capped at twenty clients. Sole Trader is uncapped, so we cannot make the same commitment.
What we do commit to is that nothing about your business — your systems, your data, your weak points — is ever discussed with another client, whoever they are.
If exclusivity genuinely matters in your market, that is a
Business Pro conversation, and we'll have it honestly with you.
Getting started
How quickly can I start?
Usually a day or two from agreement. There is very little to set up on a single computer and most of it happens in the background while you work.
Monitoring and endpoint protection go live first, so you're covered before everything else is finished.
Do you work on-site?
We're remote-first, which is a large part of how we keep the price where it is. On-site visits are not included and happen only when they're genuinely needed. When one is: £240 for a short visit of up to two hours, £400 for a half day, £760 for a full day.
Travel and accommodation are added at cost, never marked up, and we agree the whole figure with you before anything is booked. Short visits are for sites within reach of us in West Sussex; further afield starts at a half day.
At £35 a month, a single visit costs more than several years of the service. We'll always tell you first whether one is genuinely necessary, and it almost never is.
What this actually changes
Beyond not being hacked, here is what it buys somebody working on their own.
You stop being the one who notices
At the moment the only thing between a problem and your business is you spotting it, in between doing the actual work. From day one somebody else is watching around the clock, and watching is their whole job rather than the thing they’ll get to on Sunday night.
Disruption gets smaller
Fewer incidents, caught earlier, contained faster. The difference between losing an afternoon and losing a fortnight is almost always how quickly somebody noticed — and when you are the whole business, a fortnight off is a fortnight unpaid.
You can answer the security questions
Agencies and larger clients increasingly send a short security questionnaire before they’ll put you on the books. This won’t get you a Cyber Essentials certificate — that’s Micro Business, and we’d rather say so — but it does mean you can answer yes, truthfully, on threat protection, patching and web filtering.
One less thing to keep track of
Updates get applied, dodgy websites get blocked, and the antivirus subscription you renew every year goes away. It becomes one line on your bank statement instead of a job you keep meaning to get round to.
The next step
One conversation, and you’ll know where you actually stand
You don’t have to decide anything on the call. We tell you what’s exposed, and you keep the findings either way — even if we’re not the right fit.
No obligation · No sales script · You keep the findings either way
James Batt · CISSP, C|CISO Founder, Systems Secure Ltd
Who checks that your security actually works?
Your IT team keeps the business running. We check it is protected — finding the risks, telling your IT team what to fix, and showing you the proof every month in plain English.
Per computer, sole trader. Excludes VAT.
- Round-the-clock monitoring of every computer
- Updates, ransomware protection, web filtering
- Training so your people spot the scams
Three packages, sized by how many people you have — £35, £204 and £710 a month. Every price is on this page.
Systems Secure Ltd is an independent cyber security company based in Copthorne, West Sussex, run by James Batt and working with businesses across the UK. Its managed service, QuantumCare, works alongside your existing IT support rather than replacing it — finding the risks, telling your IT team what to fix, and checking that important protections are still working.
This is cyber security, not IT support. Prices are published on this site, starting at £35 a month. Cyber security should give you clear answers — not long reports, confusing alerts or guesswork.
Keep your IT support. Add dedicated cyber security.
There's a reason a company's accounts are prepared by one firm and audited by another. It isn't that accountants can't be trusted — it's that nobody, however good, is well placed to check their own work.
Keeps your systems, users and everyday technology running. In-house or outsourced, they stay involved throughout — and receive clear, specific actions from us whenever their help is needed.
Finds the cyber risks, strengthens protection, and checks that important security controls are still working. You get an independent view of what's protected, what has changed, and what should happen next.
- We're not here to replace anyone or catch anyone out
- Clear responsibilities for everyone involved
- Independent checks on important protection
- Clear proof for you every month
Good IT teams tend to welcome this. An independent report is often the evidence they've been trying to get budget on for months.
Most security companies won't show you a price until you've sat through a sales call. Here's ours.
Sole Trader
One person, one computer
From £35
per computer, per month
- Round-the-clock monitoring of your computer
- Updates kept on top of automatically
- Protection against viruses and ransomware
- Dangerous websites blocked before they load
- Yearly training so you spot the scams
- Ask us a question any time
Micro Business
Priced per Microsoft 365 or Google account
From £204
per month
- Round-the-clock monitoring of every computer
- Your files backed up to the cloud
- An alert the moment a login is stolen
- Regular checks for weak spots
- Ongoing training, not just once a year
- A plain-English summary every month
Business Pro
Priced per Microsoft 365 or Google account
From £710
per month
- Everything in Micro Business
- Your network and firewall checked
- Tested from the outside, the way an attacker would
- Security policies written for you
- Cyber Essentials readiness support
- A review with James every quarter
No setup fees. No minimum contract. No penalty for changing your mind. All prices exclude VAT. Compare all packages side by side
Need security ownership at board level?
QuantumCare CISO is the mirror image of the packages above — all people, no software. A qualified security officer for a business of 10 to 250 people, from £1,200 a month. Five published prices, and no quote to ask for.
See CISO pricesNot ready for a monthly plan?
One-off work with James at a fixed price agreed before anything starts. £450 to review one system — your Microsoft 365, your firewall, your backups. £795 for the whole business. Got a question first? There's no charge for finding out whether you need us.
See consulting pricesFour steps from the price on this page to being protected
No form to fill in first, and no sales call needed to find out the number.
Pick your package
Three QuantumCare packages, sized by how many people you have, from £35 a month. Every price is published on this site.
Thirty minutes with James
A conversation, not a pitch. We confirm which package fits — and if the honest answer is that you don't need us, we'll say so.
Setup
We install it, configure it and check it is working — usually inside a week from agreement, and mostly without you noticing.
Every month after
Monitoring, updates applied in the background, and problems dealt with rather than just flagged up. Micro Business and Business Pro add a plain-English summary each month.
What you can hold us to
No lock-in
Month to month on 30 days' notice, no setup fee and no penalty for changing your mind. A 12-month option is there if you'd rather freeze your price — a choice, not a requirement.
A three-month refund
If your business is compromised while you're following the agreed security plan, you get three months' fees back. No security company can promise you'll never be attacked, and we don't.
Only 20 clients
The managed security list is capped at 20, so the person checking your security is actually paying attention — and you deal with the same person every time.
Never your competitor
We will not take on a direct competitor of an existing client, and every price on this site is the price you pay.
The proof is in the numbers, the awards and the qualifications
In IT, networks and cyber security since 1995
Systems Secure trading, full time on cyber security since 2016
Defences strengthened, risk reduced, peace of mind delivered
Trained to spot threats, stop breaches and protect businesses
The gold standard in cyber security, recognised worldwide.
Certified to run a security programme — governance, risk and reporting to a board.
Qualified to think like a hacker and find your weaknesses first.
Certified in structured cyber risk management using the NIST framework.
Globally recognised qualification in cyber security best practice.
Hi, I'm James Batt
- CISSP, C|CISO, CEH, NCSP Practitioner, Security+
- 21 years designing multi-million-dollar IT systems in oil and gas
- 16 years running Systems Secure, based in Copthorne, West Sussex
Most cyber security experts talk in acronyms. I talk like a business owner — because I am one.
I went into the oil and gas industry in 1995, doing IT, networks and security for global corporations, and led multi-million-dollar projects across America and Europe. Twenty-one years of it — and security was part of the job from the first day. I'm not an IT man who retrained into it later.
In 2010 I started Systems Secure as a sideline and ran it alongside the day job for six years. By 2016 it had outgrown the evenings and weekends, so I sat the Certified Ethical Hacker exam, left a good salary and better benefits behind, and turned the company from IT to cyber security — because security was, and still is, the weakness most smaller businesses have.
Sixteen years on, I've helped 200+ UK organisations strengthen their defences, pass compliance audits, and sleep easier knowing their data — and their reputation — are protected. You deal with me, not a rotating support desk.
Cybersecurity Essentials for Business Owners
Written for the person who owns the business, not the person who runs the servers. No acronyms, no scare stories, and nothing you need a technical background to act on.
- How attacks on businesses your size actually start — which is rarely the way people expect
- The handful of protections worth putting in place before anything else
- How to tell whether what you already have is genuinely working
We'll email you the PDF. The button opens a short form — one name, one email address.
Send me the guide In a hurry? The ten-point checklist is on the site already, with nothing to fill in.Questions you're probably asking
The main ones that come up on almost every call, answered here so you don't have to book one to find out.
How much does cyber security cost for a small business in the UK?
Systems Secure managed cyber security starts at £35 per computer per month for a sole trader, £204 per month for a business of one to nine people, and £710 per month for a business of ten or more. All prices exclude VAT and there are no setup fees.
What you pay depends on how many people you have. The Sole Trader package is priced per computer. Micro Business and Business Pro are priced per Microsoft 365 or Google account, so the cost scales with your team rather than a fixed licence block. Every price is published on the website — you don't need to sit through a sales call to find out the number.
What is QuantumCare?
QuantumCare is Systems Secure's cyber security service: three managed packages priced by how many people you have — Sole Trader from £35 a month, Micro Business from £204 and Business Pro from £710 — plus QuantumCare CISO, a separate service from £1,200 a month for businesses of 10 to 250 that need a qualified security officer rather than more software.
It is cyber security, not IT support — it works alongside whoever runs your systems rather than replacing them, finding the risks, telling your IT team what to fix, and checking that important protections are still working.
Do I have to sign a long contract?
No. Every Systems Secure package runs on a rolling monthly basis with 30 days' notice and no cancellation penalty. There is no minimum term.
A 12-month option is available if you'd rather freeze your price, which saves £2 per account per month. It's a choice, not a requirement.
Is there a setup fee?
No. There are no setup fees and nothing to pay upfront on any Systems Secure package. You pay monthly, starting from the month the service begins.
Do your prices include VAT?
No. All Systems Secure prices are quoted excluding VAT. VAT is added to your invoice at the prevailing UK rate.
Can I get a one-off piece of work instead of a monthly plan?
Yes. Fixed-price consulting is available with no ongoing commitment: £150 for a single question answered in writing within two working days, £250 for a second opinion, £450 for a review of one system, and £795 for a full review of your business. All prices exclude VAT.
These prices are built for businesses of up to 25 staff. Above that, the price rises with headcount.
Working with your IT team
Do I have to get rid of my existing IT provider?
No. Systems Secure is designed to work alongside your existing IT support, not replace it. Whether your IT is outsourced or in-house, they carry on running your systems, users and everyday technology, and receive clear, specific actions from us whenever their help is needed.
The two roles are different jobs. Your IT team keeps the business running; Systems Secure checks that it's actually protected. You get an independent view of what's protected, what has changed and what should happen next — without disrupting a relationship that's already working.
We have our own IT manager. Do we still need an outside security firm?
Usually yes — and it tends to help them rather than undermine them. An in-house IT manager is responsible for keeping everything running, which means security competes with a hundred other urgent things every week. It also means they would be reporting on the quality of their own work, which isn't a fair position to put anyone in.
Systems Secure gives your IT manager a specialist to escalate to and a second pair of eyes on the things that matter, and gives you a view that doesn't depend on one person's workload or judgement.
What is the difference between IT support and cyber security?
IT support keeps your technology working: fixing problems, setting up new starters, keeping systems online. Cyber security is a separate job — finding weaknesses before an attacker does, strengthening protection, and checking that important controls are still working months after they were switched on.
Good IT teams, in-house or outsourced, do handle parts of security — including updates, backups and access control. What they rarely provide is independent oversight: someone whose only job is to look for the gaps, and who has no reason to report that everything is fine.
My IT company says they already handle security. Do I need you as well?
Possibly not — and Systems Secure will tell you honestly if that's the case. But two things are worth knowing: nobody is well placed to audit their own work, and IT providers are themselves a target for attackers looking for a route into their customers' networks.
In a joint advisory, the UK's National Cyber Security Centre — alongside CISA, the NSA, the FBI and their Australian, Canadian and New Zealand counterparts — warned that managed service providers are granted privileged access to a customer's network, which can create opportunities for attackers.
That isn't hypothetical. In July 2021 attackers exploited a flaw in Kaseya VSA, remote management software used by IT providers, and reached an estimated 800 to 1,500 businesses through around 60 providers. None of those businesses did anything wrong. They were reached through a supplier they trusted.
So the question worth asking isn't "do you handle security?" It's "when did you last check that it's working, and can I see the evidence?"
Risk and threats
Is my business too small to be a cyber target?
No. In the last 12 months, 46% of UK small businesses and 42% of micro businesses identified a cyber security breach or attack, according to the Government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/26.
Most attacks aren't personally chosen — they're automated. Software scans the internet looking for weaknesses and takes whatever it finds. A business with three staff and a website nobody visits still gets probed daily. Phishing remains by far the most common method, experienced by 38% of businesses.
Isn't antivirus enough?
No. Antivirus catches known threats, but most modern attacks don't rely on a recognisable file. Phishing, stolen passwords and misconfigured settings all bypass antivirus entirely.
Proper protection needs several layers: monitoring that spots unusual behaviour, multi-factor authentication, patching, backups you've actually tested, and staff who can recognise a convincing fake email.
Isn't cyber insurance enough on its own?
No. Most cyber insurance policies require you to prove you took reasonable precautions — multi-factor authentication, staff training, patch management. If you can't demonstrate those, a claim can be reduced or refused entirely.
Insurers increasingly expect standards such as Cyber Essentials before they'll offer cover or renew it. Insurance is worth having, but it pays out after the damage. It doesn't prevent it.
What happens if we get attacked anyway?
No security company can promise you'll never be attacked, and Systems Secure doesn't make that promise. What it does offer is a three-month refund guarantee: if your business is compromised while you're following the agreed security plan, you get three months' fees back.
The realistic goal is fewer incidents, caught earlier and contained faster.
The service
What do I actually get each month?
Every package includes round-the-clock monitoring, automatic updates, protection against viruses and ransomware, blocking of dangerous websites, and staff training. Larger packages add cloud backup, alerts when a login is stolen, regular checks for weak spots, firewall and network reviews, written security policies and a quarterly review.
Micro Business and Business Pro also include a short monthly summary showing what's protected, what changed and what needs attention — written in plain English rather than as a long technical report.
What size businesses do you work with?
From sole traders up to businesses of around 250 staff. There are three packages: Sole Trader for one person, Micro Business for one to nine people, and Business Pro for ten to 250. Business Pro has a minimum of ten accounts.
Do you only work with businesses in West Sussex?
No. Systems Secure is based in Copthorne, West Sussex, and works with businesses across the UK. Almost all of the work is done remotely, so your location doesn't affect the service or the price.
On-site visits are available and charged separately: £240 for a visit of up to two hours, £400 for a half day and £760 for a full day.
Can you help us get Cyber Essentials?
Yes. Cyber Essentials readiness support is included in the Business Pro package. That means reviewing your current setup against the requirements, telling you what needs to change, and getting you to the point where you can pass.
Worth knowing: Cyber Essentials reflects the day of assessment, not a permanent state. Ongoing patching, access reviews and vulnerability checks are what keep the certificate meaningful between renewals.
Who you're dealing with
Who will I actually be dealing with?
James Batt. Systems Secure deliberately caps its managed security client list at 20, so you deal with the same person every time rather than a rotating support desk.
Systems Secure will also never take on a direct competitor of an existing client.
What qualifications does James Batt hold?
James Batt holds CISSP, C|CISO (Certified Chief Information Security Officer), CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker), NCSP Practitioner and CompTIA Security+.
Behind those: 21 years designing multi-million-dollar IT systems for the oil and gas industry, and 16 years running Systems Secure. The company was named Cybersecurity Company of the Year at the West Sussex Business Awards 2025, and Security Solution Specialists of the Year at the E2 Media Awards 2025.
Why do you only take on 20 clients?
Because security oversight is only worth paying for if someone is genuinely paying attention. Capping the list at 20 clients means each one gets real scrutiny rather than an automated dashboard nobody reads.
It also means Systems Secure can be honest about capacity rather than selling a service it can't properly deliver.
Thirty minutes, free, and nothing to decide on the call
A conversation, not a pitch. We'll confirm which package fits — and if the honest answer is that you don't need us, we'll say so.
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Systems Secure® Limited·Registered in England and Wales, company no. 07295869 6 The Meadow, Copthorne, West Sussex RH10 3RG·07702 896 910·[email protected]
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