Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed, industry-supported scheme which helps businesses protect themselves against the growing threat of cyberattacks. Regardless of the size of your business or industry, Cyber Essentials can add value.
What is Cyber Essentials? Cyber Essentials defines a set of security controls and clear guidance on the basics of security. After completion of all modules, you're awarded a certificate which showcases that you're proactive against cyberattacks.
The National Cyber Security Centre states that by undertaking the Cyber Essentials Certification, process and implementing even one of the five controls required by Cyber Essentials, it can protect businesses from around 80% of attacks.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber attacks can be elaborate, multi-staged, projects which require one or more highly skilled hackers to execute. But the vast majority are very basic in nature and carried out by relatively unskilled cyber criminals. Basically the digital equivalent of trying someone's car doors to see if they're unlocked. Cyber Essentials is designed to prevent these attacks from succeeding.
For full details of the Cyber Essentials Certification click here.
Why should you get cyber essentials?
Aside from the benefits of having a business more resilient to cyberattacks, having a Cyber Essentials certification can:
- Communicate working to secure your IT against cyber attacks
- Attract new business with the promise that you have cyber security measures and awareness in place
- You have a solid understanding of your businesses cybersecurity
- If you want government contracts, some require a Cyber Essentials certification
Certificate Levels
There are two levels to the Cyber Essentials certification
Cyber Essentials
This is a self-assessment option in which you examine the five basic security controls, which gives you protection against a wide variety of the most common cyber attacks. This is important because vulnerability to basic attacks can mark you out as target for more in-depth unwanted attention from more skilled cyber criminals.
Cyber Essentials will give you the peace of mind that you're not susceptible to the vast majority of cyber attacks.
Cyber Essentials Plus
You receive the same level of protection as the Cyber Essentials certificate, however a technical assessor examines the same five security controls. The protections you need to have in place are the same, but this time the verification is carried out via technical audit.