Benefits of the Cyber Essentials scheme for your business

As a business owner you might be wondering about the benefits of the Cyber Essentials scheme.

The government project could be a great way for you to prove to your customers that you are serious about protecting their data.

And if you haven’t taken IT security too seriously then it’s a great place to start.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of the Cyber Essentials scheme…

What is the government’s Cyber Essentials scheme?

Cyber Essentials was developed by the government in conjunction with businesses for two simple reasons.

The first was so companies and their owners understood the basic principles of cyber security.

The second was to show customers, investors and others that those companies have taken basic precautions.

The full scheme was launched in June 2013 and has the backing of the Federation of Small Businesses and the Confederation of British Industry.

However, it only shows how secure an organisation is at the time of assessment and not how sustainable the security is.

The good news is that the scheme is for everyone.

It is for businesses of all sizes and in all sectors – that includes universities, charities, public sector and not-for-profit organisations.

What is the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?

Businesses have the option of trying for either the Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certificates by following the Assurance Framework – a staged approach to completing the courses.

Certification for the first stage means there is a basic level of confidence that controls have been implemented correctly – it is also self-assessed.

The Plus option develops on what has been implemented in the first certificate.

Cyber Essentials Plus is independently tested and measures whether the controls are sufficient to protect the organisation against internet-based threats.

Companies will also need to be re-certified once a year.

What will the scheme protect me against and what are the flaws?

Both certificates have been put in place to help protect companies against the majority of cyber-attacks to IT systems.

These are mostly risks with low levels of technical capability.

However, if you are serious about preventing attacks on your company you will need to do a lot more.

In the government’s explanation of the scheme it reveals that it should be ‘a first, vital step’.

The report adds that it is not designed to see off more advanced attacks and company owners facing them need to take further steps to protecting their business.

The benefits of the Cyber Essentials scheme: The conclusion

With the recent TalkTalk hack, you will probably be asking yourself: “How can I prevent a cyber-attack on my business?”

Customers are also getting more and more concerned with data protection and this is where the benefits of the Cyber Essentials scheme are fully felt.

If your business can show it is serious about protecting data then customers are going to trust you more.

Also if you haven’t thought too much about cyber security before then this is a great place to start.

However, if you truly are serious then don’t stop once you have the certificate – you need to go further.