Cyber crime against businesses is at an all-time high. 39% of companies reporting a cyber attack or similar form of security breach.
Cyber crime against businesses is at an all-time high.
39% of companies has reported a cyber attack or similar form of security breach. Criminals behind these attacks aren’t only after your business’ money. In many cases, your intellectual property and data can be even more valuable.
If your company has not yet been the target of a cyber attack, consider yourself lucky, but don’t be complacent. You’re still at high risk until you have a detailed cyber security plan in place.
How can you protect your business?
You need to take steps to protect your business as soon as possible, or you may find it part of an ever-growing statistic. Cyber criminals don’t just target financial institutions and national companies; often it’s smaller firms that present themselves as low-hanging fruit to be targeted for such attacks.
Cyber Essentials is a cyber security scheme backed by the UK government which provides an excellent introduction to cyber security for organisations. The information it includes is relevant to businesses in all sectors and addresses five key control measures that can prevent approximately 80% of cyber attacks when implemented correctly.
The Cyber Essentials certification consists of a set of five technical controls that aim to secure businesses against the most common online threats, including malware, phishing attacks, and unsecured passwords. These controls are:
Boundary firewalls and internet gateways: This involves protecting the business’s internet connection and internal networks with firewalls, which act as a barrier between the business’s networks and the internet.
Secure configuration: This involves ensuring that all hardware and software is set up securely, including operating systems, applications, and user accounts.
Access control and user management: This involves controlling who has access to what within the business’s networks, and ensuring that all user accounts are set up and managed securely.
Malware protection: This involves protecting the business’s systems against malware, such as viruses, worms, and Trojans, using anti-malware software and other security measures.
Patch management: This involves keeping all hardware and software up to date with the latest security patches and updates.
To achieve Cyber Essentials certification, businesses must undergo an assessment by an accredited certification body. If the business meets the required standards, it will be awarded the certification, which is valid for a year. Businesses can also choose to undergo a more comprehensive assessment, known as Cyber Essentials Plus, which includes an on-site assessment of the business’s security measures.
By addressing the common IT vulnerabilities laid out by Cyber Essentials, you can prevent the vast majority of cyber attacks. This includes everything from a basic virus or piece of malware, right the way up to DDoS attacks and hackers attempting to take control of your systems.
The Benefits of Cyber Essentials Certification
By not taking security seriously, you open your business to significant risk. Data lost or stolen in a cyber attack may breach the Data Protection Act and put you at risk for prosecution or fines. It could also permanently damage your company’s reputation and trust with customers and other external parties.
The Cyber Essentials certification is a government-backed scheme in the UK that helps businesses protect themselves against common online threats. It is designed to provide a basic level of protection for businesses of all sizes, and is especially useful for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may not have the resources or expertise to implement more comprehensive cybersecurity measures.
There are several reasons why your business should consider becoming Cyber Essentials certified:
Protect your business from cyber threats: Cyber Essentials certification helps you identify and mitigate common cyber threats, such as viruses, malware, and phishing attacks. This can help prevent costly and disruptive breaches of your business’s IT systems.
Improve your company’s reputation: By demonstrating your commitment to cybersecurity, you can improve your company’s reputation and build trust with your customers, partners, and suppliers. This can be especially important in industries where data protection is a key concern.
Meet compliance requirements: Some industries and sectors have regulatory requirements for cybersecurity, and Cyber Essentials certification can help you meet these requirements. This includes sectors such as government, healthcare, and financial services.
Increase your competitiveness: Cybersecurity is increasingly important to businesses of all sizes, and being Cyber Essentials certified can give you a competitive edge by demonstrating your commitment to protecting your business and your customers’ data.
Save you money: Insurance agencies will often give lower insurance premiums to companies with Cyber Essentials certification, as it indicates a lower risk.
Talk to Us Today
At Pisys, we offer both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification as part of our IT security services. Contact us today to find out more about how we can make your business more secure.
Call us on 01792 464748