Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus
Helping improve your cyber security posture
About 39% of businesses in the United Kingdom experience cyber attacks. These attacks are more than just minor annoyances, in many cases they cost businesses time, money, and resources that are taxing.
There are a set of standards and protocols you can put in place that can help your business’ cyber security profile. These credentials, called Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, can take your company to new heights while protecting your interests.
So, what should you understand about this protection scheme?
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a government-backed set of protocols to assist you with your cyber security. This certified scheme will ensure you’re protected from common cyber threats and uphold a certain minimum of protections.
The initiative was instigated and devised by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in 2014 and has set the tone for how businesses in the UK protect themselves, their data, and their customers. Companies that want to take advantage of Cyber Essentials can do so with a two-pronged approach. First, Cyber Essentials:
Cyber Essentials requires you to run down a checklist to make certain that your company’s protocols are up to par, adding technologies / services or practices and processes to ensure you are adhering to some basic practices.
There are five main areas that you’ll need to look into when seeking Cyber Essentials certification:
.1
Overseeing firewalls and boundaries in your business
.2
Engineering your system with configuration management (CM) requirements
.3
The ability to handle access control settings
.4
Putting malware scanning and protection in place
.5
Addressing patch management needs
Go down your checklist point by point so that your company can reap the rewards of these protocols.
What Is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Get to know Cyber Essentials vs. Cyber Essentials Plus.
For the second tier of the process, Cyber Essentials Plus, you need to get your credentials validated by an independent party. The independent party needs to be fully accredited and will give you documentation for your records.
Cyber Essentials Plus handles the same five-point checklist, with subtasks you need to undergo to put your cyber security protocols in good standing. The independent verification adds another layer of expertise and checks and balances that will keep your systems at their best.
What Are the Benefits of Both?
In a survey, 83% of companies said they had experienced phishing attacks. Many other companies get hit with malware attacks of all varieties. Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus will help mitigate these types of attacks.
There are a number of other threats that Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus can assist you with, including:
Man in the Middle (MitM) attacks
Tether attacks
Ransomware attacks
Denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
Trojans and various other types of malware
Not only will your business security be ramped up to protect against these sorts of attacks, but there are also a plethora of other benefits you’ll enjoy.
You Might Be Eligible for Government Contracts
Since these are government standards for cyber security, the government also rewards companies that decide to make the upgrade. Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus is often a prerequisite if you are bidding for government contracts. These contracts can help you increase your company’s bottom line and grow revenue streams.
Government contracts tend to involve the facilitation of sensitive information. Because of that, you’ll need your security standards to be up to the job. By showing you already are Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certified, you’ll have a better chance of getting approved and moving forward with the government contract process.
This opens your company up to new possibilities and opportunities. If you’re in the tech sector, construction, finance, or healthcare, this can be particularly rewarding and necessary.
It Offers Mastery Over Your Technical Controls
A skilled company is more likely to thrive and communicate effectively each day. By brushing up on your cybersecurity protocols through Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, you’ll appreciate the level of control you have over your systems and an understanding of how they work.
For instance, learning about access control requirements will help you set tiers of access for different managers and employees in your company. You will be able to set up administrative accounts that have more privileges, and can more easily keep track of your company’s internal traffic.
Here are five ways that Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus can help you gain mastery over your controls:
.1
You’ll be able to customise and have more control over your operating system (OS)
.2
More control over your software’s security settings
.3
Safe and secure onboarding by creating new user accounts with protocols in place
.4
Preventative maintenance to protect your company’s digital assets
.5
Remote access that adds to your company’s flexibility
Shoring up your cyber security needs is an ongoing process that requires you to understand these sorts of matters first. From there, your company can grow and scale while maintaining a strong digital foundation.
Koris365 can help you with your networking, security and connectivity needs
You Can Reduce Your Insurance Costs
Insurance is all about mitigating risk. Once you take control over your cyber destiny with either of these two schemes, you will also appreciate a reduction in your insurance costs. Cyber Essentials and CE Plus make your company less risky since it’s more prepared to thwart attacks.
Present this certification to your commercial insurance provider and you will likely be eligible for lower insurance premiums. These savings reduce your company’s overhead and operating costs while still keeping you safe, secure, and in compliance.
It Minimises Your Risk of Being Fined
Countries are cracking down and putting cyber security standards in place that companies must uphold. If your company is out of compliance, you can get stuck with a hefty fine.
By having Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus in place, you will always have checks and balances to keep you in compliance. This helps you avoid unnecessary fines as you conduct business as usual, fines that can add up over time and lead to some financial hardship – particularly if you’re already dealing with a tight budget.
Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus Make Your Company More Productive
Companies that aren’t dealing with cyber security setbacks are always more organised and productive. By putting these standards in place, your company will be better able to increase its output, which also leads to more revenue.
Productivity is an asset that companies in all sectors will appreciate, and it allows you to get more prosperous years out of your enterprise.
It’s the Standard of the United Kingdom
You never have to worry about getting left behind when you stick to the standards of the day. In the United Kingdom, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus keep you up to date so you’re ahead of the curve, and best able to provide for your customers. Sticking to the standards prevents you from having to take courses and brush up on these skills in your own time. Knowing that you’re using the national standards also allows your small to medium-sized business to compete with the titans of your industry.
Your Company Becomes More Credible
Instituting these standards will also lend more credibility to your company. The average consumer today is aware of cyber security threats and is vigilant about protecting their sensitive information. Because of this, customers go out of their way to do business with companies that uphold these sorts of standards. This credibility can attract more customers to your business and can cause consumers to choose your company over another company that is quality but doesn’t have the same standards in place.
If you are working with partners / service providers to help you with your company’s IT infrastructure , make sure both the outsource and inhouse team is up-to-date and willing to adapt to Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
They’ll be in charge of helping you keep your cyber security systems at their best so you can thwart threats, keep your company in good standing, and reduce your liability risks.
Address the Stricter Measures
In January 2022, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus created new stricter measures for endpoint security. This wave of changes, called ‘Evendine’, required your business to adapt to these standards so you can pass the test.
Here are five main points you’ll need to address:
.1
Your company needs to install High Importance and Critical updates within two weeks of the release
.2
Stronger smartphone and tablet security measures, including a PIN of at least six characters
.3
New standards for backing up data
.4
Must incorporate Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus measures to cloud access
.5
All end-point devices are in scope and should be considered
When preparing your company for Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus applications, start by outlining the scope of what you’d like to accomplish. Run an audit to make sure every requirement is fulfilled before undergoing any independent verification.
Put Cyber Essentials to Use
Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus can help you handle your business’s cyber security needs. As you can see, there are numerous benefits that you will appreciate when you start taking these matters seriously. These protocols are backed by the government and will benefit your business no matter what industry you’re in.
We would be happy to take the next steps toward protecting your company’s digital assets.
Koris365 can help you out with networking, security, and connectivity needs. Take the time to contact us on our site or by calling:
0345 2300 365
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