5 reasons why you need cyber essentials

Reason 1 – It provides a strong security baseline

Even if you have little IT expertise in your business, Cyber Essentials can be a simple first step in improving your security posture. Cyber attacks come in various forms, but a majority are carried out by unskilled chancers looking to make a quick exploit. By having the 5 technical controls in place, you can have peace of mind as you’ll have achieved a solid security baseline that enables you to fend off most of these basic attack methods. It doesn’t break the bank either, and with Bulletproof’s remote help option – it’s easier than you might think to achieve certification.

Reason 2 – Helps meet your contractual obligations

Cyber Essentials is increasingly becoming a minimum requirement for business contracts as it provides an additional layer of trust for stakeholders. With 40% of senior management stating cyber security as a high priority, businesses are reviewing their supply chains for weaknesses and seeking out third parties that demonstrate a commitment to security by having initiatives and standards in place. So if you were bidding for a business opportunity against a company that didn’t have Cyber Essentials, you easily give yourself a simple competitive edge.

Reason 3 – To work with Government organisations

By certifying, you open up new revenue streams and markets for your business through Government contracts. To be able to work with any Government organisation, you must have a Cyber Essentials accreditation. It’s a non-negotiable security standard to help protect the sensitive data that you may handle and reduce the risk of a data breach. You could even go one step further by achieving the second badge, Cyber Essentials Plus, to really prove your commitment to security and be looked upon more favourably.

Reason 4 – It demonstrates your commitment to security

It’s a simple security measure that speaks volumes to your customers. Once certified, you are listed on the IASME database of certified businesses and you are able to display the accreditation badge on your website, marketing materials and tenders. It proves that you take your security seriously and therefore enhances your reputation as a reliable and trustworthy business. Not even just to your customers, but to employees, stakeholders and suppliers too. Nobody wants their data to be part of a malicious attack or data breach.

Reason 5 – It prepares you for the next step

Why stop at Cyber Essentials. If you really wanted to prove your seriousness for better security, take your business to the next level with Cyber Essentials Plus. Whereas Cyber Essentials is a self-completed questionnaire, Cyber Essentials Plus involves an independent verification and more rigorous system vulnerability tests. This extra scrutiny means it’s held in higher regard with customers and third parties.

The other option for your business following Cyber Essentials is an ISO 27001 certification. The ISO framework is complimentary to that of Cyber Essentials, however it goes considerably further in protecting your information security systems and comes highly reputable.

Certifying with Cyber Essentials also brings other benefits for your business, including an entitlement to free cyber liability insurance once certified. You also put yourself in a better position to meet some of the requirements of the GDPR, as the Cyber Essentials framework aligns to some of the regulations set out within the GDPR.