Cyber Essentials – Protecting The Security Of Your Business
Nearly half of new businesses reported a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months.
Cyber criminals are after your money, your data and your intellectual property. If you haven’t taken steps to protect yourself and your business, take action now. At 360ict we strongly recommend to our clients to at least review this UK Government initiative.
It’s easy to get good, basic protection in place with Cyber Essentials – a UK Government based initiative
Cyber attacks cost organisations like yours thousands of pounds and cause lengthy periods of disruption. Do you have a plan for what you would do if your customer database was stolen, your website was forced offline, or you couldn’t access your email or business-critical data?
Cyber criminals don’t just attack banks and large companies – they target any organisation which isn’t properly protected, even small businesses – like yours.
The majority of cyber attacks exploit basic weaknesses in your IT systems and software. Cyber Essentials shows you how to address those basics and prevent the most common attacks. The scheme is designed by Government to make it easy for you to protect yourself.
GET CYBER ESSENTIALS – Visit cyberware.gov.uk
Why should small to medium businesses get Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials helps prevent the vast majority of cyber attacks. Even a simple virus or piece of malware could result in loss of company and client data, disrupt your cashflow and take up staff time. An attack could also put off your customers, stop you trading and damage your hard-earned reputation. It could also be reported in the local media. Loss of data could breach the Data Protection Act and lead to fines or prosecution.
Having a Cyber Essentials badge will reflect well on small and medium businesses
• Protect your organisation against common cyber threats
• Show your customers you take this issue seriously
• Enable you to bid for Government contracts.
Since October 2014 Cyber Essentials has been mandatory for suppliers of Government contracts which involve handling personal information and providing some ICT products and services. Holding a Cyber Essentials badge enables you to bid for these contracts.
What Industry has to say about Cyber Essentials
“The Information Commissioner’s Office supports the Cyber Essentials scheme and encourages businesses to be assessed against it. Protecting personal data depends on good cyber security, and the threats and challenges are getting ever more sophisticated. All too often organisations fail at the basics. This scheme focuses on the core set of actions that businesses should be taking to protect themselves, their customers, and their brand. Cyber Essentials enables businesses to demonstrate that they are taking action to control the risks”
Christopher Graham, Information Commissioner, Information Commissioner’s Office
What is Cyber Essentials?
The Cyber Essentials scheme is a world-leading, cost-effective assurance mechanism for companies of all sizes to help demonstrate to customers and other stakeholders that the most important basic cyber security controls have been implemented.
The Assurance Framework, leading to the awarding of Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certificates for organisations, has been designed in consultation with SMEs to be light-touch and achievable at low cost. The two certification options give organisations a choice over the level of assurance they wish to gain and the cost of doing so.
There are two levels of Cyber Essentials certification available to your organisation:
Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
Cyber Essentials
The Cyber Essentials certification process includes a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) and an external vulnerability scan that independently verifies your security status.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Cyber Essentials Plus certification includes all the assessments for the Cyber Essentials certification but includes an additional internal scan and an on-site assessment.
The benefits of achieving Cyber Essentials certification
The Cyber Essentials scheme provides five security controls that, according to the UK government, could prevent “around 80% of cyber attacks”.
Whether or not you achieve certification to the scheme, these controls provide the basic level of protection that you need to implement in your organisation to protect it from the vast majority of cyber attacks, allowing you to focus on your core business objectives.
Properly implemented cyber security has the additional advantage of driving business efficiency throughout the organisation, saving money and improving productivity.
360ict Managed Services believes that small to medium businesses can benefit in a number of ways including:
Protect your organisation from approximately 80% of cyber attacks
Implementing the five controls correctly will help protect your organisation.
Demonstrate security and help secure the supply chain
Demonstrate your commitment to protecting your own data and that of your customers and suppliers.
Drive business efficiency
Focus on your core business objectives knowing that you are protected from the majority of cyber attacks.
Work with the UK government and the MOD
Cyber Essentials will permit you to work with the UK government and Cyber Essentials Plus will give you the opportunity to work with the MOD.
Increase your chances of securing business
Boost your reputation and have a greater chance of winning contracts.
Cyber insurance agencies often look more favourably on organisations that have achieved Cyber Essentials certification.
