This Month at BCC IT: October 2026

🎃 October seemed to creep up on us.

One moment we’re enjoying the last of the summer sunshine; the next, there’s a chill in the air, the smell of damp leaves, and darkness settling in before we’ve quite finished the day. And as if October needed any extra help setting the scene, storms Austen and Boelo arrived with howling winds, driving rain, and power cuts. It’s enough to make you want to pull the curtains, put the kettle on and retreat under a blanket until Spring!

Cyber Security Awareness Month: Prevention goes a Long Way

While we can usually see storm clouds gathering outside, the threats facing our digital environment aren’t always so obvious. Much like preparing our homes and gardens for autumn storms, maintaining good cyber security requires regular attention. Keeping software updated, reviewing access permissions, using multi-factor authentication and remaining alert of suspicious activity all contribute to stronger defences.

October’s Cyber Security Awareness Month brought a particularly timely example. Following an urgent security advisory concerning critical vulnerabilities affecting PHP, a technology widely used by websites, BCC IT took precautionary action. This included temporarily taking our own website offline and notifying customers of the potential threat.

Although interruptions are never welcome, swift preventative action can be far less costly than dealing with the consequences of a security incident. Good cyber security isn’t something that should be ignored until the storm arrives, and if you’re unsure whether your website or business systems are affected by a security advisory, speak to your IT support provider or website developer.

Behind the Scenes: Moving Forward While the Clocks Move Back

Despite shorter days and unpredictable weather, our team has been out and about supporting organisations across Wales and England, from Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to Cardiff, Swansea, Bridgend, Gwynedd, Shropshire and Manchester.

October’s projects included:

Improving Wi-Fi, cabling and network infrastructure

Refreshing computers and communications equipment

Moving organisations to Microsoft 365, SharePoint and OneDrive

Upgrading servers, backup capacity and security measures

Supporting office moves, preparing new sites and welcoming new clients into reliable, ongoing support.

Cyber security also remained a priority through security reviews, threat monitoring, access improvements and support towards recognised cyber standards.

Together, these projects reflect the breadth of practical support BCC IT provides, tailored to each organisation’s needs.

Customer Care, Whatever the Weather

Storms Austen and Boelo certainly made their presence felt. But did you know that that research has explored the relationship between weather and customer satisfaction?

A 2008 a study found an association between wind strength and negative mood. Another published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2022 also linked rainy days with slightly longer, more detailed, but less positive customer ratings.

Of course, we can’t control the weather, or human nature. What we can influence is how we respond and at BCC IT, we want every customer to feel listened to, supported, and confident that we’re doing our best to help. Our customer satisfaction remains extremely high and we’re always looking for ways to improve.

When our customers are happy, it genuinely lifts our spirits. And when something isn’t quite right, we’d much rather hear about it so we can help put things right. To everyone who has taken the time to share their feedback, thank you. Whatever the weather brings, we’re here to help.

Supporting Our Community: A Team Effort

Of course, investing in strong foundations isn’t limited to technology, and October was a busy month for community involvement at BCC IT, with everything from grassroots sport and local fundraising to rather glamorous black-tie events.

Team Spirit, On and Off The Pitch

Mid-month, we were delighted to sponsor Tregaron Hockey Club for their home fixture against Cardiff. The match may not have delivered the result the team hoped for, but sport reminds us that progress isn’t always measured by a single performance. Commitment, determination and the support of a community all play their part in future success, and we wish Clwb Caron Hoci all the very best for the rest of the season.

We also contributed to a fundraising evening organised very close to home by Newcastle Emlyn AFC, with former Wales Footballer Dean Saunders. The evening featured stories from Dean’s career and an audience Q&A. Proceeds from the event went towards supporting the clubs junior team.

Towards the end of October, we supported a local Big Breakfast fundraiser, to raise funds for Prostate Cymru, a charity raising awareness of prostate health and supporting research into improved treatments for men in Wales affected by prostate conditions.

Glitz, Glamour and Giving Back

Our community activities weren’t all about sport however.

Members of our team and their partners enjoyed a local charity dinner and auction. By all accounts, it was a wonderful evening, with a few interesting auction pieces making their way home!

Adding a Halloween treat to the mix, we donated a brand-new Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 tablet as a prize for a special Halloween Lottery Superdraw organised by one of our charity clients. We hope the draw was a great success and that the lucky winner enjoys their new tablet!

October concluded on a high note, with our director and sales team attending a star-studded charity gala hosted by Sinclair Group at Celtic Manor Resort on 29 October. The black-tie event brought together around 750 guests in support of Craig Maxwell’s remarkable fundraising efforts for cancer care and research in Wales. An incredible £631,000 was raised on the night, taking the Maxwell Family Fund’s overall fundraising total beyond £2.3 million!

Six very different worthwhile causes in the communities around us. Keep an eye on our social media channels for further updates and news of future community events.

The Trick is in the Preparation

With the clocks turned back and the evenings drawing in, we’re approaching the final stretch of the year. For many businesses, this is a useful opportunity to review what is working well, identify anything needing attention and prepare for winter. Whether that means reviewing cyber security arrangements, planning upgrades or checking that existing systems remain reliable, a little forward planning now can help prevent future disruption. Halloween may bring its share of tricks and treats, but unexpected IT surprises are something we’d rather avoid!

The best results are rarely achieved by accident. They come from preparation, attention and patience. The same is true of the relationships we build, the technology we maintain and the communities we support. Not every storm can be predicted, but the foundations we put in place today can make all the difference tomorrow.

BCC IT is an accredited managed IT support provider in Wales, delivering cyber security solutions, compliance support and fully managed IT services to organisations across the UK. Whether you are looking to improve existing IT systems, strengthen cyber security, support business growth or build a more reliable technology foundation, our team is here to help.

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Further Reading:

Critical security issue affecting PHP | National Cyber Security Centre

Offline Context Affects Online Reviews; The Effect of Post-Consumption Weather: Brandes and Dover (2022), Published in the Journal of Consumer Research, 49(4), 595-615 https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/49/4/595/6516531?redirectedFrom=fulltext

The Effects of Weather on Daily Mood: A Multilevel Approach: Denissen, Butalid, Penke & Van Aken (2008), https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0013497

Contact BCC IT today to find out how we can support your organisation. 🌐