Cyber Essentials Certification

Comply

Cyber Essentials certification helps organisations to prove that they have understood the basic principles of cyber security and show they have taken basic precautions against cyber attacks. It also gives the public sector sight of how seriously organisations looking to work with them take cyber security. From May 2018, there’s the possibility of increased fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office if you fail to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Cyber Essentials certification can help you to meet the requirements of GDPR. Certification is mandatory for some sectors including suppliers of MOD contracts and for central government contracts advertised after 1 October 2014 which involve the handling of personal information and the provision of certain ICT products and services Certification helps organisations look more attractive to potential buyers and means that buyers will not see you as a potential ‘weak link’ in the supply chain.  

Protect

With many high-profile cyber attacks reported in 2017 – particularly the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attack that seriously affected the NHS – it has become apparent that many organisations, regardless of scale, are under-prepared to deal with these threats. Did you know that in 2016 46% of UK SMEs suffered a cyber security breach? On average, each instance of a cyber attack costs the affected company £1,340. Certification is an affordable alternative. The controls put in place to achieve Cyber Essentials certification protect a business from around 80% of common cyber attacks. Based on the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2017*:

• Only one in ten businesses have a plan in place in the event of a security breach.
• Just under half (46%) of all UK business identified at least one cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.
• Around 13% of UK business are attacked daily.

It is estimated that security breaches will continue to increase in the next year. The survey found 59% of respondents expected to see more security incidents. Businesses need to ensure their defences keep pace with the threat.

Promote

Certification allows your business/organisation to promote itself as cyber secure up to the Cyber Essentials standard level, which can make a real difference when bidding for contracts. When you receive your Cyber Essentials certificate, you will also receive the relevant Cyber Essentials branding to use on collateral. Cyber Essentials is a globally recognised certification and cuts through the noise.