Cyber Security

Cyber Essentials Certification

In the world that we live in cyber crime is a very real risk to all small businesses and one that must be taken seriously.

Protection Against Cyberthreats

Our recommendation to all of our clients is to undertake Cyber Essentials certification. Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed and industry-supported scheme to help businesses protect themselves against cyberthreats.

By adhering to this widely-endorsed standard, your business can display the Cyber Essentials badge and demonstrate that it takes cybersecurity seriously.

With over 80% of UK businesses vulnerable to avoidable security threats, the Cyber Essentials framework has been designed as a strong security baseline for every business in every industry. Mapping against five simple technical controls means it’s easy to achieve Cyber Essentials certification.

The Five Key Controls

Firewalls & Gateways

Use devices designed to prevent unauthorised access to or from private networks.

Secure Configuration

Ensure that systems are configured in the most secure way for the needs of the organisation.

Access Control

Ensure only those who should have access to systems are provided access at an appropriate level.

Malware Protection

Ensure that virus and malware protection is installed and up to date.

Patch Management

Ensure the latest supported version of applications is used, and all patches and updates applied.

Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus?

There are 2 levels of certification: Essentials and Essentials Plus.

Both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus demonstrate that your organisation is taking cyber security seriously and has the five technical controls in place: access controls, firewalls and routers, malware protection, secure configuration, and software updates.

Cyber Essentials is an independently verified self-assessment questionnaire and the goal is to get all questions correct/compliant to obtain a pass.

Cyber Essentials Plus is the next step after Cyber Essentials. It can be thought of as an independent verification of everything that was claimed in Cyber Essentials. This extra level of scrutiny means your Cyber Essentials Plus badge will hold more weight with potential customers.