When dealing with sensitive information, such as financial data, personal information and intellectual property, cybersecurity has become just as important (if not more so) than conventional security.
Organisations without sufficient cybersecurity could find themselves at the mercy of cybercriminals, who could steal your data, endangering both your business and your customers. Such attacks can be incredibly costly, with the average cyber-attack to UK businesses costing £9270 on average, while cybercrime as a whole costs the UK economy approximately £27 billion every year.
For this reason, the UK government launched the Cyber Essentials certification scheme in June 2014 to ensure businesses meet a minimum level of cybersecurity protection. The scheme quickly gained a positive reputation thanks to the impact it has had. In fact, as of 2023, not only have tens of thousands of UK businesses received their certifications, various companies from overseas have also chosen to undergo the process to attain a more secure business.
In this article, we’re going to explore what the Cyber Essentials Certification Scheme is and how you can get Cyber Essentials certified.
What are Cyber Essentials?
As mentioned, Cyber Essentials is a government-led certification scheme managed by the National Cyber Security Centre. The scheme was put in place to highlight whether or not an organisation has the minimum level of cybersecurity protection in place.
Being Cyber Essentials verified reassures your customers, both prospective and existing, that your business is secure, and gives a clear picture of the organisation’s cybersecurity level.
For any businesses that work with the government, being Cyber Essentials certified may also be a requirement to take on certain contracts.
Cyber Essentials comes in two tiers – Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials Certification involves undertaking a self-assessment that determines whether or not you’re vulnerable to basic attacks. This is important as succumbing to basic attacks can highlight that you are a good target for more intense attacks from cyber criminals at a later date.
By completing the self-assessment, you can be comfortable in the knowledge that you and your business are protected against the majority of common attacks and that you have addressed the basics of cybersecurity.
Cyber Essential Plus
Cyber Essentials Plus is a more in-depth, but still relatively simple, approach to certification.
It involves a third party, who will independently conduct a more comprehensive test of your security systems. To gain a Cyber Essentials Plus certification, the business must first be Cyber Essentials certified.
How can you get Cyber Essentials Certified?
Cyber Essentials Certification is achieved by assessing your business against five basic security controls, which a qualified assessor will then verify.
These are:
- User Access Control – Specialised privileges (such as administrator rights) should be given out sparingly, as having unfettered user access could make it easier for hackers to gain access to your information.
- Patch Management / Security Updates – Ongoing patch management should be practiced to minimise any technical vulnerabilities. Failing to update your systems can lead to such vulnerabilities that, if discovered, can be easily exploited.
- Secure Configuration – Managing the proper configuration of your servers is key to preventing security problems. Computers and network devices should be configured provide only necessary services and reduce any potential vulnerabilities.
- Malware Protection – Businesses should be able defend against breaches through software such as emails. If left unchecked, malicious software that could steal private data, corrupt your files and block access to your property.
- Firewalls – Essential for any company using digital programs. Firewalls stop unauthorised access to (and from) private networks, to protect the business against external threats.
The questions you need to answer for the assessment can be downloaded for free from the IASME website. Prices for the certification are from £600.
The more comprehensive Cyber Essentials Plus ranges in price depending on the assessor but is usually upwards of £1000.
Be Cyber Essentials Ready with our Cyber Smart Software
At APOC IT, we offer everything from IT Consultation to full Cyber Security Solutions. Our APOC IT Enhanced Support Plan can make your business Cyber Essentials ready with the help of our Cyber Smart Software.
As part of the support package, we also provide cybersecurity training, and a range of other security benefits, including:
- Next Gen Anti Virus and Anti Malware Software
- Security Patches Management
- Education and Management of a Password Management Tool for extra security
If you would like to discuss how you can optimise the cybersecurity of your business, reach out to APOC IT today.