Private email and VPN
Mail nobody reads but you, and a connection that does not give away where you are.
Proton Mail
Private email from Switzerland. Your messages are encrypted so that not even Proton can read them, and nobody is scanning them to sell you ads.
About 15 minutes · 9 steps
Open the guideProton VPN
A VPN hides your real location and your internet traffic from the network you are on, so the café Wi-Fi, the hotel and the websites you visit cannot see where you really are.
About 10 minutes · 8 steps
Open the guide
Passwords and protection
The first things to set up on any computer or phone, before anything clever.
Proton Pass
A password manager from the makers of Proton Mail. It makes a strong, different password for every site, remembers them all, and fills them in for you. Everything is encrypted so only you can see it.
About 15 minutes · 9 steps
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1Password
A password manager. It makes a strong, different password for every website, remembers them all, and fills them in for you. You only remember one.
About 20 minutes · 9 steps
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Keeper
A password manager with strong admin controls. It keeps every login safe and filled in for you, and lets a business see who has access to what.
About 20 minutes · 8 steps
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Bitdefender
Antivirus and web protection. It catches dodgy downloads and scam websites before they do harm, without slowing your computer down.
About 15 minutes per device · 7 steps
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Backups
A copy of everything that matters, somewhere safe.
Proton Drive
Encrypted online storage for your files and phone photos, from the same people as Proton Mail. Even Proton cannot open what you put in it.
About 15 minutes · 6 steps
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IDrive
Online backup for whole computers. It copies your files every day by itself, keeps older versions, and lets you get everything back if a computer dies or gets ransomware.
About 15 minutes, then the first backup runs on its own · 8 steps
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Your domain and your premises
The website address, the email that comes from it, and the alarm on the wall.
EasyDMARC
Stops scammers sending email that pretends to come from your business, and shows you who is trying.
About 30 minutes, then a few weeks of watching · 6 steps
Open the guideCloudflare
A free service that sits in front of your website and domain. It makes changes to your domain fast, keeps the site quick, and blocks a lot of attacks before they reach you. It also has a free app that blocks dodgy sites at home.
About 30 minutes for a domain, 2 minutes for the app · 7 steps
Open the guideAjax security
The alarm system Beyond installs. Intrusion, fire, water and 24/7 monitoring on one hub, run from an app on your phone.
About 10 minutes once your system is installed · 7 steps
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AI tools
The ones we use day to day, and how to get going without getting lost.
Claude
An AI assistant you talk to in plain English. It writes, summarises, explains and checks things, and says when it is not sure.
About 5 minutes · 6 steps
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Gamma
Turns a rough outline into a good looking presentation, document or one page website in minutes.
About 10 minutes · 7 steps
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ElevenLabs
Turns written words into natural sounding speech. Good for phone greetings, training videos and voice-overs.
About 10 minutes · 6 steps
Open the guide
Running the business
Invoices, payments and the everyday creative.
Xero
Online accounting. Send invoices, see what you are owed, match your bank account and get GST done, from any device.
About 30 minutes to get going · 8 steps
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Stripe
Take card payments online, on invoices and by link, with the money paid into your bank.
About 20 minutes · 6 steps
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Canva
Make social posts, flyers, quotes and signage that look professional, from templates, with no design skills.
About 15 minutes · 6 steps
Open the guide
Need more help? Contact Beyond.
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More free tools
Open to anyone, no sign up. Use them as often as you like.
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- AI for your businessFind, plan and track where AI saves you timeOpen it
- Scanner and threatsSee your website the way an attacker doesOpen it
- Live threat mapAttacks aimed at New Zealand, as they happenOpen it
- Tech fines trackerEvery big fine handed to the tech giantsOpen it
- ExperimentsTell Atlas what to build and watch it appearOpen it
- Free tech health checkA free 20 minute look at your tech, no obligationOpen it