I would like to wish all our regular and new readers a very Happy New Year. It has been a strange start to 2016, we finished off last year relatively quiet, which was nice, but 2016 has gone off like a rocket and long may it continue. Yes, we are still working on a lot of core solutions, backup, Infrastructure upgrades and Anti-virus etc. But what has been strange, is we have had two enquires from companies looking at improving their security and want to get the government accreditation, Cyber Essentials. So, I thought I would tell you a bit more about what Cyber Essentials is and what it can do for your business.
What is Cyber Essentials?
The Cyber Essential scheme is a government initiative to make the UK a safer place to conduct on-line business. It has been designed for businesses of any size and in any sector, and gives you clarity on good Internet security practices. It enables you to focus on security and ensure your company is better protected.
Cyber Essentials is mandatory for any business looking to win government contracts, which involve handling personal information or providing certain ICT products and services.
You have the choice of two levels of accreditation:
- Cyber Essentials – This requires your organisation to complete a self-assessment questionnaire and your responses will be reviewed by an external certifying body
- Cyber Essentials Plus – All your internal IT Systems will be tested by an external certifying body using a range of tools and techniques
Why should I look at Cyber Essentials?
You will find that by obtaining the Cyber Essentials certification you will help protect your business, your cash flow and very importantly, your reputation. By displaying the Cyber Essentials badge you will prove to you customers and potential customers that you can be trusted and will protect their data that is shared with you.
What areas does Cyber Essential cover?
Cyber Essential will look at the following five areas:
- Boundary firewalls and Internet gateways
- Secure configuration
- Access Control
- Malware protection
- Patch management
To ensure you are compliant, your business will need to determine the technology you are using is in scope and review each of the five categories and apply the relevant controls.
There is obviously a lot to take in and to comply, will mean a lot of work on your behalf. However, if you want a helping hand then please get in touch and we can help you to get started.
You can call us on 0333 240 0565 or contact us here.
