Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed simple yet effective scheme to protect organisations from online threats and cyber-attacks.
Cyber Essential is a UK government-backed and industry-supported scheme that protects organisations from some of the most common cyber threats. Developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), it defends organisations from around 80% of common cyber crimes.
The certification process is administered and managed by the IASME Consortium (IASME), which works with a network of more than 300 security organisations across the UK.
Cyber Essentials is suitable for organisations of all sizes across the industry. By implementing cyber security, you can prove to your customers your commitment to security and stay ahead of cyber attackers by evaluating your systems against a recognised framework.
The Cyber Essentials offers two levels of certifications, namely:
Cyber Essentials is the base level of certification within the Cyber Essentials framework. It follows a self-assessment approach where organisations complete a questionnaire. Organisations answer questions that address their scope of assessment, employees, devices and work locations. The questions assess five basic security controls of an organisation, namely user access control, secure configuration, patch management, firewalls and routers, and malware protection. A qualified assessor will evaluate and verify the answers provided. The organisation's physical IT infrastructure is not checked for this level of certification. This certification assures customers that your organisation is poised to counter the most common cyber threats and endorses a government-mandated standard.
This is the advanced level of certification involving technical evaluation and vulnerability assessment to determine if the systems are functioning as intended. One of the prerequisites for this certification is that your organisation should be Cyber Essentials certified. This certification adds an extra layer of protection to your organisation's security posture. It also assures the customers and stakeholders that the security controls are implemented effectively and functioning optimally to provide security against common threats.
To get Cyber Essentials certification, organisations should follow the following steps:
IASME has a network of organisations, licensed to assess and certify businesses on Cyber Essentials. The extensive list is available on the IASME website. You can choose the one that is suitable for your business.
For organisations applying for Cyber Essentials certification, the first step is to complete the questionnaire based on five security controls. Get the questionnaire reviewed by the appropriate licensing body and get a Cyber Essentials certificate.
This step is for those companies that want to go for Cyber Essentials Plus certification. An external investigator will perform an on-site evaluation of the IT infrastructure to assess the functionality of the systems.
This step is for those companies that want to go for Cyber Essentials Plus certification. An external investigator will perform an on-site evaluation of the IT infrastructure to assess the functionality of the systems.
The certification is valid for 12 months. Therefore businesses should apply for recertification annually to enhance security.
Cyberattacks are increasing in volume with every passing day. Many organisations, particularly SMEs, may not have the requisite resources to invest in cyber security.
Cyber Essentials is a low-cost, effective, and government-approved certification that provides a uniform approach to protect against cyber threats.
It helps organisations revamp their security infrastructure by identifying the loopholes and vulnerabilities in the system, thereby enhancing security and business reputation amongst the customers.
Cyber Essentials also helps companies comply with legal and regulatory requirements. It also opens the door for your organisation to work with the UK government, as Cyber Essentials certification is mandatory for bidding on government contracts.
Firewalls act as a barrier between the internal network and the wider internet. Cyber Essential requires that organisations use firewalls to secure internal networks from unauthorised traffic.
Most cyber-attacks happen because of poorly configured systems. Cyber Essentials ensures that secure settings are used for devices and software by implementing strong passwords and disabling unused accounts.
The Cyber Essentials scheme ensures the management of administrator accounts by installing strict user access control. It ensures that only authorised persons have access to sensitive data and information.
Cyber Essentials mandates that proper malware protection measures are in place to protect against malicious software or ransomware which could attack and cripple your system.
The primary step to avoid vulnerabilities is to keep the system upgraded. The Cyber Essentials scheme stresses on applying security patches to fill the gaps and loopholes in the system.
Protecting the business from the ill effects of cyber-crime has never been more important. Cyber Essentials not only protects your business from these criminal activities but also signals to your customers that security is a matter of priority for you, which translates to goodwill towards the business.
Let us help you with this certification process so that you can achieve the Cyber Essentials certificate easily and rapidly.