Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme that helps organisations protect against common online threats. It is a standard of cybersecurity the government expects its partners to meet or exceed before trusting them with sensitive data and lucrative contracts.

Per the government’s own advisory to its Procurement Officers:

“When certified, organisations can demonstrate that they are meeting the minimum baseline of technical cyber security standards/controls that are prescribed by Government and Industry.”

An already large and still growing number of government contracts require Cyber Essentials compliance, and we can expect this to continue as more systems and supply chains become data-driven. Despite its importance – and the scheme being active since 2014 – many business owners only discover it exists at the point they’re told they actually need it.

Achieving the certification requires a professional standard of business IT and security, and this isn’t easy to achieve or maintain in-house. IT Support Lab can help here; by using our ongoing service we will ensure your systems are Cyber Essentials complaint, take you through the Cyber Essentials Assessment, and help you keep the certification.

Browse our packages and get in touch now for an assessment.

The cyber essentials certification scheme requires a base level of cybersecurity among members of industry and government partners. It focuses on five key requirements:

• Firewalls and Internet Gateways – Using firewalls to block unwanted traffic and restrict internet access to essential services.
• Secure Configuration – Disabling unused features, change default settings, and install only necessary, secure software.
• User Access Control – Limiting user access based on job needs and using MFA and admin accounts only when required.
• Malware Protection – Deploying trusted anti-malware tools and restricting devices to run only approved software.
• Security Update Management – Keeping all systems updated and removing unsupported software to fix vulnerabilities promptly.

To become certified, your business must meet these Cyber Essentials requirements and pass an assessment on your security practices. IT Support Lab’s services can get you there; we’ll bring your security up to standard and take you through the assessment, all without you needing to open an internal IT department or becoming an overnight expert in cyber security. Aside from the obvious benefits of getting certified, meeting the requirements will protect your day to day activities.

We’ve all seen what happens when a business leaves itself vulnerable to a cyber attack. Best case scenario it’s a significant loss of revenue and expensive to fix, at worst it could be months of downtime, loss of contracts, loss of trust from partners and more. We can help you meet these modern challenges and come out on top.

Using one of our packages will ensure you meet the Cyber Essentials Requirements and remain secure against outside threats. Click below and contact us today.

Beyond pursuing Government contracts, Cyber Essentials compliance is useful for SMBs in general; meeting its requirements will give your business strong digital defences and clear the bar for other common regulatory or contractual cybersecurity requirements.

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