A Cyber Essentials certification probably won’t be at the top of buzzwords you’ll think of today. In IT currently it is more l likely to be “Cyber Security”. Well here in the UK we have something that is being asked for and being asked about more and more. So we’ve written 10 FAQs to cover some useful insight into what it is all about, and why you should consider having it for your business or organisation.
Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed certification from the National Cyber Security Centre. It is scheme designed to help organisations and businesses protect themselves against the most common cyber threats. It focuses on five key technical controls that reduce the risk of cyber attacks and demonstrate your commitment to cybersecurity.
Cyber Essentials helps protect your business from common cyber attacks such as phishing, ransomware and malware. Certification also reassures customers, suppliers and stakeholders that you take cybersecurity seriously and can improve your eligibility for certain government and public sector contracts. In fact the early adopters in our client base, were businesses tendering for Public Sector work.
Cyber Essentials is suitable for organisations of all sizes, from sole traders, micro businesses and SMEs to large enterprises. Any business that stores customer data, relies on IT systems or wants to demonstrate good cyber hygiene can benefit from certification.
The scheme is based on five key security controls:
Together, these controls help protect organisations against the majority of common cyber threats.
Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment certification verified by an accredited certification body which we can assist you with. Cyber Essentials Plus includes the same requirements but adds an independent technical assessment to check everything and vulnerability testing to verify that the controls are working effectively. So you could say it is a sort of ‘audit’.
Cyber Essentials certification is valid for 12 months. To maintain certification and demonstrate ongoing compliance, organisations should renew annually. The reason for this is that the requirements are constantly updated to reflect the changes in threats. A once off certification would quickly be, well meaningless.
The timeframe depends on your current security setup, so each client can be different based on how you’re setup, how you work and also how many people you have. Many organisations can achieve certification within a few weeks, while those requiring additional security improvements may take longer.
Working with an experienced Cyber Essentials partner like Northstar IT can significantly speed up the process. It can also save you having to decipher the lingo used in the process. But it also means you can get on with what you do best too!
The cost varies depending on the size of your team as it is priced in bands, based on the number of people you have. It is also depends whether you choose Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. In addition to certification fees, some businesses may need to invest in security improvements before they meet the required standards. Again, these are areas we can help with, as we are doing these regularly.
Benefits include:
Yes. We can assess your current IT environment and setup, identify any gaps and help you fill them, recommend the necessary improvements and guide you through the certification process. Whether you’re applying for Cyber Essentials for the first time or renewing your current certification, we’ll help make the process straightforward and stress-free.
To have no obligation chat about Cyber Essentials, click here to get in touch
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