Why Guernsey Businesses Should be Cyber Essentials Certified
Channel Islands businesses of all sizes should appreciate the tremendous value in achieving cyber security certifications, particularly when it comes to cyber insurance, reputation, client trust and financial factors.
The government-backed Cyber Essentials certification is a recognised standard of cyber security that demonstrates the steps taken by an organisation to reduce the threat of an attack and to safeguard their data and operations.
Launched by the UK government and observed across the Channel Islands, Cyber Essentials is a cyber security scheme designed to protect businesses of every size against cyber attacks. In addition to identifying where your business is vulnerable, it can help you to take the necessary measures to reduce the risk, providing peace of mind that you are protected from potential attacks.
The basic Cyber Essentials certification is a self-verification process which covers five key areas:
- Boundary firewall and internet gateways
- Secure configuration
- Patch management
- Access control
- Malware protection
Recommended for SMEs across every sector, the Cyber Essentials certification is increasingly acknowledged as the starting point for basic cyber security. For example, businesses in Guernsey and the Crown Dependencies with a Cyber Essentials certification are afforded cyber liability insurance with up to £25,000 worth of indemnity.
Beyond the financial practicalities, becoming Cyber Essentials certified can offer multiple reputational benefits which is especially important in a captive market like ours, where news spreads like wildfire. Potential clients and key stakeholders are more aware than ever of the damage hackers can cause by stealing data, damaging computer systems and affecting business continuity. Adopting these security measures is vital for building trust.
But is self-verification enough? Whilst Cyber Essentials is achieved through a self-certification process, the Cyber Essentials PLUS certification requires an audit by an external body, where a qualified assessor (like us) will attest that the company has met the standard through a rigorous and comprehensive audit process. This adds an extra layer to an organisation’s policy which ensures all bases have been covered, so it’s unsurprising that a Cyber Essentials PLUS certification is held at a much higher regard by stakeholders, clients and insurance policies alike.
Resolution IT is an industry-approved certification body and accredited assessor for CE, CE+ and IASME Cyber Assurance. Get in touch with us to begin your certification journey. We’ll even provide a free cyber security consultation to get the ball rolling and see where you stand.
