Cyber Security Essentials: A Quick Guide

Are you aware of what Cyber Security Essential is?

If your answer is No, it's not a problem. You will understand once you read through this post.  

Nevertheless, a Cyber Security Essential is an industry-supported scheme backed by the government to help organisations improve their Cybersecurity.

According to the survey conducted by Statista in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2020, the respondents aware of the Cyber Essentials scheme were close to 13 per cent, of which 10 per cent were among micro firms. The survey results prove that the cyber security initiatives and standards backed by the government to curb cybersecurity issues still need to be widely known in the United Kingdom.     

This blog will help you give a quick guide regarding the cyber essentials, importance, certification levels, and more. 

Table of Contents  

1) What are Cyber Security Essentials? 

2) Difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus 

3) Importance of becoming Cyber Security Essentials certified 

4) Conclusion 
 

What are Cyber Security Essentials?  

Cyber Essential is a globally recognised Cyber Security Certification used to ensure that your organisation's software, IT networks, and processes are secure and protected from data thefts, breaches and leaks.  

Cyber Essentials is not a new concept; it is an essential certification to get your business protected from cybercrimes. Cyber Essentials was first introduced by the Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG) in 2012. Further, the Cyber Essentials scheme was launched in 2014. Later, the five accreditation bodies were reduced to one, that is, IASME. 

The IASME is a governance standard that stands for - Information Assurance for Small and Medium Enterprises Consortium. 

Cyber Security Essentials is an industry-supported scheme backed by the government to help organisations improve their Cybersecurity. It is an IT security standard developed by the United Kingdom's - National Cyber Security Centre.  

Following are the five key cyber security essential controls organisations should implement to mitigate common online threats. 
 

Cyber Essentials has two levels of certifications that are: 

1) Cyber Essentials 

2) Cyber Essentials Plus 

As we now know, the certification levels of Cyber Essentials let us understand the difference between these two essential cybersecurity certifications. 

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Difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus 

Now let’s get a clear picture of what Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus are: 

Cyber Essentials 

Cyber Essentials is a standard cyber security certification that provides the declaration of the basic controls required by the organisation to mitigate common risks and cyber threats. 

To attain a Cyber Essentials certification, you are required to follow these steps. 

a) Purchase the Cyber Essentials certification. 

b) Fill out and submit the self-assessment questionnaire. 

c) If your answers comply with the cyber assessment, your organisation will be provided with a Cyber Essentials certification. 

Cost of Cyber Essentials:  

The cost for Cyber Essentials Certification follows a pricing structure by adopting the internationally accepted definition for micro, small, medium, and large enterprises. You can refer to the following table to get a clear picture of the format. 
 

Cyber Essentials Plus 

Cyber Essentials Plus certification is the highest level of certification offered under the guidance of the Cyber Essentials scheme. It tests your organisation’s cyber security level a little more rigorously. 

In addition to self-assessment, the cyber assessor or a cyber expert will check your IT network to confirm if the answers provided by you are compliant with the assessment. This additional external check or test carried out by the cyber expert helps the organisation examine the possibilities of any vulnerability. Once you match the compliance of Cyber Essentials Plus assessments, a certification will be provided to your organisation.  

Cyber Essentials Plus certification validates that your organisation is protected against common hacking and phishing attacks. 

Cost of Cyber Essentials Plus: 

The cost for Cyber Essentials Plus Certification is expected to start from £1400 + VAT. 

The cost of acquiring a Cyber Essentials Plus Certification will vary based on the size of the organisation and the complexity of your network. 

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Importance of becoming Cyber Security Essentials certified 

Most of us would have already experienced a basic level of cyber assaults. If you can look back and remember, you can find how you got a call, message or mail on winning lottery award offers or something similar. Also, the antivirus software updates reporting that it stopped a particular number of threats, malware attacks, or spam activities can also be a part of the cyber assaults.   

In simple, cyber assaults are something similar to a thief checking if your door is open to attacks. If this is the case for the general public, you should understand to what level the organisations are prone to attacks and data breaches. 

To stall these cyber security problems, the government has taken the initiative to encourage businesses to establish and follow a few standards relevant to online safety.   

These measures make us realise; how important it is for the organisation to be certified with Cyber Essentials Certification. 

The benefits of obtaining a Cyber Essentials certification include the following: 

a) Reassuring clients and customers that you are working with IT safety security standards 

b) Having cyber security measures in place increases the possibility of attracting new businesses 

c) You get an understanding of your organisation's cyber security level 

d) Cyber Essentials certification is required to obtain specific contracts offered by the government 

Points to Note: 

a) The Cyber Essentials certification is not limited to the United Kingdom.  

b) All the Cyber Essentials certificates issued by the IASME need to be renewed every 12 months.  

c) The cost of acquiring a Cyber Essentials certification will vary based on the size of the organisation and the network complexity.  

d) Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications both have one thing in common. That is – To complete the Self-assessment Questionnaire.  

e) Usually, it takes one to three working days from the date of your assessment submission to get the Cyber Essentials certification. 
 

Conclusion 

As hackers are making more intelligent cyber-attacks, it is crucial to understand the importance of adopting standard or advanced counter-hacking measures to improve Cybersecurity. Getting a Cyber Essentials certification for your organisation not only reduces the cyber security risks and threats; it will also help you win many contracts and improve customer satisfaction and confidence. 

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