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How can you protect your organisation against a cyber attack?

Mar 12th 2018

Cyber Essentials is a Government-based industry-supported scheme to help organisations protect themselves in the case of a cyber attack. See how Cyber Essentials can be beneficial to your business.

Being in the digital marketing industry means that we have a significant amount of client data which we have a duty to keep safe at all times.

This is the case for most businesses and it’s something we feel strongly about, which is why we undertook our Cyber Essentials. With hacking and Cybercrime becoming increasingly common, it’s important to ensure that your organisation has measures in place to safeguard important data from potential cyber attacks. This is where Cyber Essential steps in!

So, what actually is Cyber Essentials?

The Cyber Essentials scheme was developed by the UK Government in 2014 to enable organisations to learn a basic set of technical controls so that they could better protect themselves against common online security threats.

There are two different levels of certification, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Cyber Essentials is entry-level and teaches the basic technical controls. Cyber Essentials Plus requires the entry-level certification before carrying out additional internal and external testing. Both can be implemented across any sized business.

What could happen if I don’t get certified in Cyber Essentials?

loss of trust and client relationships
general disruption
damage to your business’s reputation
financial disruption

It is important to remember that your business has a legal obligation to protect your customer’s data under the Data Protection Act. Losing data after a cyber attack as a result of not having adequate measures in place could lead to fines or prosecution, even more so with the forthcoming GDPR being implemented in the UK via the Data Protection Bill.

Being certified is also a mandatory requirement when bidding for Government contracts that involve handling personal information.

If you are cracking down on cyber safety and security for your business, we’ve explained how you can ensure that your website is safe and trustworthy over on our SSL and HTTPS blog post here.

We obtained our certification through Assign IT. They provide expert IT support and IT security services throughout Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Check out their website for more information on Cyber Essentials! Alternatively, give our team a call today on 01727 739 812.