Security maintenance sounds like a full-time job, and for large organisations it is. For a sole trader or a household, though, the honest truth is that a small, regular habit does most of the work. Ten minutes a month, done reliably, beats a heroic all-day effort once a year that you dread and eventually skip. Here is the list, and it really is this short.

First, updates. Open your phone, your laptop and the handful of apps you actually rely on, and let them install whatever is waiting. Most of the flaws that get exploited are old ones with fixes already published; installing the fix is the whole defence. If you can switch on automatic updates while you are there, do, and then this step mostly looks after itself.

Second, one restore check. Pick a single file from your backup - a photo, a document, anything real - and confirm it comes back and opens. This is the step everyone skips, and it is the one that tells you whether your backup is a safety net or just a reassuring light. One file, once a month, is enough to catch a backup that has quietly stopped working.

Third, one look at who has access. Glance at the connected apps on your main email and accounts, and at anyone you have shared files or logins with. Remove anything you no longer recognise or use. That is the list. Updates, a restore, a look at access - most of what protects a small setup, in less time than it takes to make a cup of tea and drink it.