Cyber Essentials Plus

Written by Hannah Sharp

Today, businesses are facing an ever-increasing array of cyber threats that can jeopardise their operations, reputation, and customer relationships. As a result, recognition of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect digital assets and data has grown over recent years. Cybersecurity accreditations have emerged as a valuable tool to validate an organisation's commitment to safeguarding against cyber threats. Among these certifications, Cyber Essentials Plus stands out as a widely recognised and desired standard that demonstrates a company's proactive approach to cybersecurity.?

What is Cyber Essentials Plus??

Cyber Essentials Plus is a cybersecurity certification program developed by the UK Government to promote good cybersecurity practices among businesses of all sizes and industries. It is an extension of the Cyber Essentials scheme, designed to provide organisations with a higher level of assurance of their security posture.?

The certification focuses on five essential cybersecurity controls that, when implemented effectively, can significantly reduce the risk of internet-borne threats. These controls include boundary firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control, and malware protection.?

Achieving Cyber Essentials Plus certification involves a rigorous assessment of an organization's cybersecurity controls and practices. Before pursuing Cyber Essentials Plus, companies must first obtain Cyber Essentials certification, which requires a self-assessment questionnaire.?

What are the benefits of Cyber Essentials Plus??

The scheme has become a widely recognised and respected accreditation amongst UK businesses. Being government-owned, earning and maintaining a valid CE+ certification is often considered a requirement for service providers and partners within their contractual obligations, as well as for meeting specific regulatory compliance requirements. However, with requirements aside, there are additional recognised benefits to achieving CE+ accreditation:?

1. Enhanced Security: Achieving this certification demonstrates that an organisation has implemented crucial cybersecurity controls to protect against prevalent cyber threats, enhancing overall security posture. Properly implementing the controls of Cyber Essentials has been proven to defend against up to 80% of internet borne commodity threats, and SMEs are 60% less likely to need to make a claim on Cyber Insurance.?
2. Competitive Advantage: Cyber Essentials Plus certification can provide a competitive edge in business opportunities and partnerships, as it assures potential clients and partners that the certified organisation takes cybersecurity seriously.?
3. Customer Trust: Cyber Essentials Plus enhances customer trust by showcasing an organisation's commitment to protecting sensitive data and ensuring their assets are protected against common cyber threats.?

What Does the Assessment Involve??

Once an organisation meets the requirements of Cyber Essentials, it can progress to Cyber Essentials Plus. At this stage, independent cybersecurity experts conduct vulnerability scans and interactive assessment checks to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented controls.?

The Cyber Essentials Plus assessment comprises the following key steps:?

1. External Vulnerability Scan: The organisation's external-facing systems are scanned for vulnerabilities, assessing the robustness of boundary firewalls and overall system security.?
2. Internal Vulnerability Scan: Authenticated vulnerability scans are performed on internal systems and devices to evaluate secure configurations and patch management.?
3. Malware Protection Checks: Endpoints and email filters are assessed for resilience against malware, through checking endpoint anti-malware protections, and testing the delivery of malware through browsers and email filters.?
4. Mobile Device Management: Mobile devices must be maintained, updated, and secured with appropriate access control and jail-breaking preventions.?
5. Account Separation: Users must have separate accounts for performing administrative tasks and must not be using this access in their day-to-day activities.?
6. Cloud Service MFA: All accounts giving access to company cloud services must be secured with Multi-Factor Authentication controls.?

Overall, Cyber Essentials Plus certification serves as a powerful testament to an organisation's commitment to cybersecurity best practices. By achieving this accreditation, businesses can bolster their security, gain a competitive advantage, and build trust with customers and partners. Embracing the Cyber Essentials Plus standard empowers companies to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and digital business landscape while fortifying their defences against evolving cyber threats.?

* If you’re interested in achieving a Cyber Essentials Plus certification, see how we can help you at https://csa.limited/cyber-essentials-certification.html?