Cyber Essentials - What is it?

Cyber Essentials is an effective, Government backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks. Cyber attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are very basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals. They’re the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it’s unlocked. There are two levels of certification:

Cyber Essentials
Our self-assessment option gives you protection against a wide variety of the most common cyber attacks. This is important because vulnerability to basic attacks can mark you out as target for more in-depth unwanted attention from cyber criminals and others.

Certification gives you peace of mind that your defences will protect against the vast majority of common cyber attacks simply because these attacks are looking for targets which do not have the Cyber Essentials technical controls in place.

Cyber Essentials shows you how to address those basics and prevent the most common attacks.

Cyber Essentials Plus
Cyber Essentials Plus still has the Cyber Essentials trademark simplicity of approach, and the protections you need to put in place are the same, but for Cyber Essentials Plus a hands-on technical verification is carried out.

Alternatively you can familiarise yourself with cyber security terminology, gaining enough knowledge to begin securing your IT.

Why should you get Cyber Essentials?

  • Certified cyber security
  • Reassure customers that you are working to secure your IT against cyber attack
  • Attract new business with the promise you have cyber security measures in place
  • You have a clear picture of your organisation’s cyber security level
  • Some Government contracts require Cyber Essentials certification
 
 

Cyber Essentials & government contracts
 If you would like to bid for central government contracts which involve handling sensitive and personal information or the provision of certain technical products and services, you will require Cyber Essentials Certification. More information is available on the gov.uk website.

Need support with your application?
At CCS we get asked off a lot of organisations with help on achieving their Cyber Essentials as some of the self assessment questions can be complex and difficult to understand and require a technical understanding.

If you are someone who is looking into applying for Cyber Essentials assessment and require support then please get in touch with us. One of our team are on hand to help you.