Our Cyber Essentials Plus Journey
While the assessment process identified only a small number of areas requiring improvement, it proved to be far more valuable than a simple compliance exercise. It gave us the opportunity to take a step back, thoroughly review our systems, and challenge our assumptions about security across the board.
What stood out most was not what we needed to fix, but what the process revealed about the wider risk landscape - particularly for the organisations we work with every day. Many companies may have known risks, but doing a gap analysis on a basic Cyber Essentials certification can help you plan for the future.
What We Learned
Our biggest takeaway was the importance of planning and carrying out risk assessment for the unexpected – especially in today’s uncertain world, with global tensions like the conflict involving Iran. Just as COVID-19 showed how few companies had robust continuity plans, these events remind us that being prepared matters.
Ask yourself: When was the last your company updated its Business Continuity Plan? This should cover staff, IT systems, technical disaster recovery, and logistical considerations if your workplace was not useable.
We’re already seeing hardware prices increase due to supply issues. Understanding risks now allows you to plan ahead and reduce disruptions.
Know your risks
Even with MFA enforced as standard, your business can still be compromised through suppliers with poor security practises. Staff often assume emails from trusted suppliers are safe, and this can lead to security breaches, or unauthorized access to company systems. We can provide a Due Diligence Audit report for your suppliers to help identify and reduce these risks.
Another way to reduce risk is to restrict access to company resources to company-managed or known devices. For staff who need to use personal devices, exceptions can be granted on a controlled basis.
We also offer email phishing test and training. This helps staff recognise threats, strengthen overall security, and can even help reduce insurance costs.
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