Cyber Security for Small Businesses: Why You Need Cyber Essentials
In today’s digital age, cyber security is more crucial than ever, especially for small business owners and professionals in North London.
Cyber Essentials is a government-backed certification scheme designed to simplify cyber security for small businesses and protect against the most common cyber security threats.
In this blog, I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about cyber essentials, including what it is, who it’s for, and how it can benefit your business.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber essentials is a government-backed certification scheme that helps to protect businesses against the most common cyber security threats.
Being cyber essentials certified demonstrates to customers that you have taken control of your cyber security and that their data is safe. Also, achieving certification means that your business is using its technological resources efficiently and productively.
This means reduced costs due to decreased downtime. Plus, it can help you save money on your insurance premiums.
Who is Cyber Essentials for?
It’s for everybody that’s connected to the Internet.
If you have a device that’s connected to the Internet or maybe not even connected to the Internet if it’s online in some description or another, then having Cyber Essentials will be beneficial because you’re likely to be vulnerable to security threats and this is a framework that helps to protect you from 95% of security threats.
What are the benefits of Cyber Essentials for small businesses?
One of the benefits of Cyber Essentials certification is being more secure which means that you can rest easy at night. Most business owners say that the fear of becoming the victim of a cyber incident keeps them awake.
So better rest is a benefit, but it also gives confidence in your business. It builds trust with stakeholders because they feel that you’re taking security seriously.
Additionally, if you’re bidding for contracts, either as part of a third-party supply chain or for government contracts, increasingly suppliers and customers want to know that the businesses they work with are taking cyber security seriously.
For government contracts, it’s compulsory to comply with Cyber Essentials, so it helps grow your business by opening up new opportunities.
How long does it take to get certified?
Once the form is completed and submitted, with the process that we use, it can take 24 hours. So, very quick.
How long does the certification last?
It lasts for 12 months, so businesses need to renew it every 12 months.
How can we check if someone we work with is certified?
You can go online, visit the IASME website, and enter the name of the company to see if they are certified.
What are the Cyber Essentials Controls?
The five Cyber Essentials controls are:
- Secure firewall: Either an endpoint firewall or a network firewall, depending on how the devices are connected.
- Secure configuration: Not leaving things at default settings.
- Patching regime: Constantly updating your systems to protect against the latest security threats.
- Access control: Only giving users the privileges they need to do their jobs, without admin privileges if they don’t need them.
- Malware protection: Having software in place that protects you from viruses and malware.
These controls work together like layers of security around your house, making your business more secure.
How can businesses prepare to get certified?
The easiest thing to do is to fill in the questionnaire. It will highlight areas where you may be deficient and need to address to get up to the level of certification.
Click here to download our checklist to track how your business currently stacks up against the five cyber essentials controls.
What happens if we fail the certification?
If you fail, you can mitigate the areas where you were non-compliant and resubmit the questionnaire. The platform we use allows unlimited resubmissions, but other platforms may require you to pay for resubmissions.
Are there any common mistakes businesses make?
One common mistake is not having controls over what applications are used within the organisation. There’s a proliferation of applications that are being used through organisations, but these may not necessarily be approved. Having some sort of governance in place is essential.
Going through the questionnaire helps organisations gain a better understanding of which changes could be made to improve their security posture and quite often these are minor improvements.
Not only would these changes take you up to the level of certification, but also have a big impact in terms of making the environment more secure.
Does Cyber Essentials help businesses avoid cyber attacks?
Organisations that meet the cyber essentials requirements reduce their likelihood of being victim of a cyber attack by protecting against 95% of common cyber attacks.
On top of that, the scheme we use for certification includes cyber insurance for the business, which provides essential support in the event of a cyber breach.
Does being certified help with getting cyber insurance?
Yes. For starters, the scheme we use includes cyber insurance. However, if you apply for cyber insurance independently, the requirements of the insurance companies will oftentimes equate to you achieving Cyber Essentials certification.
In fact, without being cyber essentials certified, businesses are less likely to be able to secure cyber insurance or their premiums could be quite high.
Ready to Secure Your North London Business?
Cyber Essentials is a vital step in protecting your business from cyber threats. By becoming certified, you not only safeguard your operations but also build trust with clients and open up new business opportunities.
Watch the recording from our recent webinar to learn more about Cyber Essentials and how it can benefit your business. Register today and take the first step towards a more secure future!
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