Cyber Essentials

Baseline cyber security for all businesses

• Self-assessment accreditation scheme
• Basic protection from cyber-crime
• Full support from our cyber experts
• Evidence your company’s commitment to working securely

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is a framework that sets out how to address cyber security basics and prevent the most common attacks. The scheme is designed by the Government to make it easy for businesses to protect themselves.

How can Cyber Essentials benefit your business?

Cyber Essentials consists of five key controls which, when implemented, help to secure your organisation against cyber-attacks. These are:

• Securing access to network services
• Configuring your systems to reduce vulnerabilities
• Ensure access to your data and services is assigned to authorised users only
• Using and maintaining virus and malware protection
• Keeping your applications up-to-date with necessary patches and security fixes

By deploying these controls, organisations can defend against the most common form of basic cyber-attacks originating from the internet, to help prevent illegitimate access to their systems.

CyberGuard Cyber Essentials survey...

In a bid to understand how businesses are using Cyber Essentials, we surveyed 251 IT managers in UK companies, ranging from small businesses (20-49 employees) to large companies (750 employees or greater).

What’s worrying is that a staggering number of UK businesses are unaware of the Government-backed accreditation. Almost one in five IT managers reported that they were unaware of how Cyber Essentials compliance could help their business.

However, 84% of those accredited, claimed it has helped them win contracts, with others highlighting the importance of being able to reassure their customers they take cyber security seriously.

You can read more about our survey here.

How CyberGuard can help…

Our Cyber Team can guide your business through the steps to accreditation with the minimum of fuss. We offer three simple options:

• Certification Readiness Package
• Cyber Essentials Accreditation
• Cyber Essentials Plus Accreditation

We’ll assist you through the whole process and will be on hand to help you with any questions you may have. Once passed, you’ll be able to display the Cyber Essentials logo on your website and marketing literature to demonstrate to your customers, suppliers, investors and stakeholders that your organisation is taking steps to protect against common cyber threats and you take cyber security seriously.

What's next?

Cyber Essentials is a great framework to address the basics of cyber security, however, the Government has also launched Cyber Essentials Plus, which offers businesses the opportunity to take their security to the next level.

For more information click here: www.ogl.co.uk/cyber-essentials-plus