The top 5 reasons to become Cyber Essentials certified

Posted on by Megan McGinty
Written by: Megan McGinty
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Whether you own a large corporate business or a small bakery, you need to be cyber secure.

Cyber crime is on the rise and there is no sign of the threat slowing down. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2018 highlighted that four in ten businesses (43%) experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.  From ransomware to malware, there are many reasons why your business needs to become Cyber Essentials certified.

Read our top 5 reasons to become Cyber Essentials certified.

 

Protect customer data from theft

 

With GDPR in place, you need to ensure that you are protecting your customers’ information. Information can be extremely powerful. Hackers can steal:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Email
  • Bank details
  • Passwords

All the above can be valuable information for hackers, providing them with everything they need to commit fraud. A data breach can be devastating not only to your customers but to your business. If your business experiences a cyber attack and you don’t have the adequate protection in place it can seriously damage your reputation.

Protect against 80% of common cyber attacks

 

Having Cyber Essentials certification can protect your business from most common cyber attacks. The Director of Government Relations at McAfee, Gordon Morrison, had this to say about Cyber Essentials:

“The Government’s Cyber Essentials scheme has helped many UK SMEs make huge strides in their cyber defences. Achieving this basic level of cyber security is claimed to prevent up to 80 per cent of cyber attacks, to which organisations would otherwise be vulnerable.”

 

Win more contracts with UK government

 

If you are looking to bid for and win more government contracts, having Cyber Essentials certification indicates that your business takes a proactive stance against cyber attacks. Without this certification, suppliers are less likely to win public sector contracts.

If you would like to win more public sector contracts and become cyber secure, download the free Cyber Essentials scheme summary today.

 

Protect your business from common cyber threats

 

While no security protection can stop cyber attacks from happening, they aim to reduce the risk as much as possible. Most attacks exploit basic weaknesses within IT systems and software. The Cyber Essentials scheme provides companies with a strong cyber security protection which aims to reduce the risk of cyber attacks.

Comply with GDPR 2018

 

In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force across the EU. The new regulations are focused on the protection of data, meaning that if a business is found to be negligent in the event of a data breach, they could face a fine of up to 4% of their global turnover.

 

Cyber Essentials

 

Cyber Essentials provides organisations with clarity on the essential security controls they need to have in place to reduce the risk posed by threats on the internet with low levels of technical capability.

Download the Cyber Essentials scheme summary today and become Cyber Essentials certified.