The cybersecurity landscape is changing all the time. Making sure you have the right securities in place has never been more important, and the importance is constantly growing.
Businesses across the UK and the world need to ensure that their software, hardware, policies and procedures are kept up to date, and that staff are aware of them. If there are any weaknesses, your business becomes vulnerable.
To show that a business takes their cybersecurity seriously, it’s time to consider Cyber Essentials. Find out why getting a Cyber Essentials certification is essential for your business.
Benefits of Cyber Essentials
Protect against common attacks
By going through the Cyber Essentials process, you are able to protect your business against common cyberthreats. Most cyberattacks look to exploit a business’ basic weaknesses, such as out of date software or unconfigured firewalls. With the strategies Cyber Essentials recommends, these types of attacks are easy to defend against.
While no security strategies will prevent all cyberattacks (anyone who tells you they can prevent 100% of cyberattacks is talking rubbish), Cyber Essentials helps organisations mitigate the risks of the most likely ones by providing a strong base for businesses to work with.
Bid for certain contracts
Depending on certain circumstances, some businesses may need to work with companies with a Cyber Essentials certification. If you want to obtain government contracts, for example, it is mandatory for suppliers to be compliant with the Cyber Essentials scheme.
If a contract involves technical services or handling of sensitive information, then you need to be Cyber Essentials compliant. Therefore, for businesses that are looking for a government contract, Cyber Essentials is the only way forward.
GDPR compliance
GDPR. Remember that? For businesses processing the personal information of EU citizens, they need to protect this data against data theft and unauthorised access. If an organisation is found to be negligent to the GDPR in the event of a breach, the business could face fines of up to 4% of its global turnover.
Adhering to Cyber Essentials can help businesses to prevent heavy fines and prepare them for compliance with GDPR. Even though the GDPR requires a lot more than the five controls in the Cyber Essentials scheme, you can audit your internal security and fend off the basic security threats. It is the first step towards the preparation of GDPR compliance.
Show you care
Would you work with a company if they didn’t care about cybersecurity? Could you trust them with your important company data? We’re not sure we could. By obtaining a Cyber Essentials certification, you’re showing your customers, vendors, and investors that you take the security of systems and the integrity of data seriously. This is particularly important if you are storing, processing, or transferring personal information or hosting sensitive data.
All businesses are vulnerable to a cyberattack, so achieving Cyber Essentials is a vital step to improve their cybersecurity.
ACUTEC works with UK businesses to prepare them for Cyber Essentials. Have a chat with one of our advisors to learn more!
