What Are Cyber Essentials: Do You Need a Certification? – a Short Guide

Is your companies tech safe? You may need to take a look at the cyber essentials scheme designed to assist organisations in demonstrating their defences against common cyber attacks. The self-assessment process can be completed entirely online, and an external vulnerability scan by an independent certification body will also be included as part of this cyber essentials certification process.

Government-backed, industry-supported cybersecurity schemes protect organisations against common cyber threats. Some government contracts require such protection; it can also enhance your business reputation.

It is a self-assessment scheme.

The Cyber Essentials scheme provides an efficient and straightforward means of protecting your business against common cyber attacks. By taking part in its self-assessment questionnaire, organisations can demonstrate they possess five basic security controls in place, with certified assessors such as Infosec Partners being used for verification. They’ll receive their certification shortly afterwards.

If you want to go one step further, pursuing Cyber Essentials Plus certification offers another step towards increasing security. An on-site assessment from a third-party assessor ensures a higher-level certification, which shows commitment.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that assessments are one-time endeavours and should be updated annually. New vulnerabilities may come up during this period and, if left undetected, could expose your organisation to cyber attacks. To safeguard against this scenario, consider employing a compliance solution that performs regular audits and offers regular status updates.

It is a government-backed scheme.

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme designed to assist businesses in safeguarding themselves against common cyber attacks. Businesses enrolled must implement five basic security controls, including boundary firewalls and internet gateways, in order to defend against such cyber attacks, helping organisations avoid data loss or disruption while building trust among customers and potential clients by showing they take cybersecurity seriously.

Businesses seeking certification should first complete a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ). This involves familiarising themselves with Cyber Essentials requirements and controls, gathering documentation supporting the answers given in the questionnaire, as well as configuring network configurations, user access controls, malware protection, etc. for the SAQ questions.

The National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Essentials scheme was created to assist UK-based companies in strengthening their cyber defences in light of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, which mandates that organisations protect more securely the data held within them.

It is a requirement for certain government contracts.

To secure a government contract, it’s crucial that your business possess cyber essentials certification. The UK-based security standard helps businesses protect against common Internet-based threats while fulfilling certain government contracts that involve handling sensitive information (personal data or technical products). It may even be mandatory.

The certification process is light-weight and straightforward, consisting of an online self-assessment questionnaire reviewed by an external certifying body, making certification accessible for companies of all sizes. IT Governance offers cost-effective certification solutions backed by CREST accreditation that are easy to navigate.

But Cyber Essentials should only be specified in tender bids when its information assurance or cyber security risks cannot be effectively managed through existing requirements and must not be used as an excuse to bar small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or voluntary, community, and social enterprises (VCSEs) from bidding on government work. Ideally, potential suppliers should discuss this before setting their overall project requirements.

It is a cost-effective way to protect your business.

Cyber attacks pose an ever-present risk to SMEs, potentially having devastating repercussions for their reputation, customer trust, cash flow, and viability. Cyber attacks often come about without malicious intent—often through a lack of basic security measures or poorly configured systems—which makes obtaining and displaying the Cyber Essentials Kitemark all the more important for small and midsized enterprises (SMEs).

The Cyber Essentials scheme offers an affordable way to safeguard against common cyber attacks. It has proven itself effective against around 80% of such threats by installing five fundamental security controls, such as anti-malware programmes, patch management tools, secure configuration firewalls, and access control mechanisms.

Acquiring certification involves filling out a self-assessment questionnaire and being assessed by an approved assessor, with up to six months for completion (after which time you reapply). A CREST-accredited certifier may help shorten and reduce costs by using IT compliance software that automates self-assessments to produce audit reports with evidence of compliance.

How long does Cyber Essentials certification last?

Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certificate designed to demonstrate your business’s cyber security. For maximum effectiveness, renew certification every year as best practices evolve in cybersecurity; an accreditation body will notify you approximately one month in advance about when renewal will start.

Certification lasts for 12 months.

Cyber Essentials certification provides businesses with peace of mind that they are taking all necessary steps to defend against common cyber attacks, as well as helping secure contracts from large organisations like MoD and local authorities that increasingly demand it before allowing businesses to bid for work.

Acquiring certification takes three months. Your accreditation body should notify you at least one month in advance, so you have enough time to prepare for reassessment and retesting.

Re-certification costs between 300 Pounds + VAT for smaller organisations and higher for larger ones, depending on their size. An assessor conducts an evaluation that involves testing all five technical controls. A random sample of computers is tested for security configuration while internet-facing computers undergo vulnerability scanning; an assessor will also take screenshots to ensure your default emails and internet browsers are configured to prevent the execution of fake malicious files.

Re-certification lasts for a year.

Acquiring Cyber Essentials certification requires some prior preparation. Businesses should ensure they start this process early enough in order to be fully ready for self-assessment; depending on the size of their business, this process could take months.

Acquiring Cyber Essentials Certification is an effective way to demonstrate your dedication to cybersecurity, providing assurance against common attacks while acting as a deterrent against criminals looking for low-hanging fruit.

LP Networks can assist in helping you secure this certificate by offering guidance throughout the process. Your certification will last one year; to extend it for another 12 months or renew before its expiration, contact the Certification Body before it lapses; they should send out email reminders about one month before your re-certification expires.

Re-assessment lasts for three months.

Cyber Essentials is a government-supported scheme intended to assist small businesses in protecting themselves against most cyberattacks. The programme involves both a self-assessment questionnaire and assessment by a qualified assessor; during their assessment process, they’ll check that five basic security controls, such as firewalls, secure configurations, user access controls, and patch management, are in place.

Successful completion of a scheme will result in receiving a certificate and being included on a list of certified organizations, potentially opening doors to lucrative contracts such as those needed by local authorities and NHS trusts that require certification for suppliers.

This process also serves to establish long-term compliance with cybersecurity standards. Large-scale cyberattacks often make headlines, yet smaller businesses are vulnerable, and hackers often target smaller firms. With security compliance measures in place to safeguard your business against these attacks and lower risks as well as disaster recovery costs, it can be an invaluable investment in its future success.

Renewal costs

Re-certification is an essential step towards safeguarding your business against cyber attacks. The renewal process should take three days, although questionnaires and assessments may change each year to adapt to changing threats. It should also be noted that Cyber Essentials Plus certification opens doors for public sector contracts, potentially opening up opportunities to grow business further.