What is: Cyber Essentials Accreditation
Barely a month passes by without news of another major data breach in the business community, with personal and financial data falling into the hands of organised cyber criminals, and a relentless rise in disruptive ransomware events. More than ever, businesses are seeking to improve their cyber-security posture in an attempt to minimise the risk of financial or reputational loss.
To support this process, especially within the SME business community, the government has endorsed a scheme which provides a best practice framework for essential cyber-security known as ‘Cyber Essentials’. The scheme encourages the adoption of fundamental cyber protection measures, but without the cost or administrative overheads of heavy weight standards such as ISO-27001.
Cyber Essentials explained
All businesses collect data about customers, suppliers and employees, and in the modern workplace this data is inevitably stored digitally. With the need to comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), businesses are more aware than ever of the rules relating to stored personal data. However, there has been less of a focus on the security of this data and to the safety of business critical information.
To achieve annual Cyber Essentials accreditation, a business is required to identify and understand the fundamental risks associated with cyber threats, and to adhere to a standard framework for systems and processes which provides essential protection.
Certification demonstrates that a business is engaged in continuous cyber-awareness due diligence, and is proactive implementing best practice cyber-security safeguards. Cyber Essentials is increasingly becoming a mandatory requirement, particularly in the public sector, but also in connection with valuable cyber insurance.
Certify with Sota
Sota is one of the UK’s leading providers of IT managed services, with expertise in firewalls, secure configurations, user access controls, malware protection, and patch management. Sota is also an authorised Cyber Essentials Assessment Centre, which means that any business or organisation which needs to enhance its cyber-security posture, can engage with a single supplier for the entire journey through discovery, remediation, annual certification, and ongoing cyber-security support.
Cyber Essentials provides security benefits which significantly outweigh the costs, with basic self-certification available from as little as £300+vat. Higher levels of accreditation can be achieved with the assistance of Sota’s experienced technical consultants, who can provide implementation and support services to successfully guide a business through the Cyber Essentials Plus annual audit.
To discuss your cyber security needs, or to arrange an assessment, contact us today.