Introduction to Cyber Essentials

Cameron Lewis I 16th October 2024

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Cyber Essentials Basic:

Today's business world has evolved to rely heavily on data transfer, making all businesses increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. Cyber Essentials is a government-backed certification program in the UK designed to help organisations protect themselves from common online threats and improve their overall cyber security posture. By adhering to its guidelines, companies can safeguard sensitive data, prevent security breaches, and build trust with clients and partners. For more information on the needs of Cyber Essentials, see our previous article here - https://www.3ct.co.uk/post/understanding-cyber-essentials-certification

So, what is the focus of Cyber Essentials?  

Cyber Essentials focuses on protecting organisations in five key areas. These are technologically focused areas of Cyber Security and, when implemented correctly, can protect organisations from the most common cyber security attacks.  

The five key controls:

Firewalls: A firewall is a barrier between a company’s internal network and external networks (like the Internet). It monitors incoming and outgoing traffic and blocks any unauthorised access, helping prevent cyberattacks before they reach internal systems. By following the Cyber Essentials guideline, organisations should ensure their firewalls are configured correctly and have had appropriate password controls applied.  

Not all organisations will have a physical firewall. In these cases, we will look to the endpoint devices to ensure they have software firewalls enabled.  

Secure Configuration: This involves securely setting up systems and devices to reduce vulnerabilities. This means disabling unnecessary accounts or features and using strong passwords.

User Access Control: It is crucial to control who can access what data. Cyber Essentials emphasises the importance of limiting access rights based on job roles, ensuring that only essential personnel have administrative privileges, and regularly reviewing user accounts.

Malware Protection: Malware is one of the most common cyber threats. To mitigate this, organisations need antivirus software and strong malware defences. All antivirus software must be kept up to date and be set to detect potential malicious files automatically.  

Patch Management: Regular software updates are essential for cybersecurity. Cyber Essentials requires organisations to install patches and updates within 14 days of their release, as these often fix security vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.

Achieving Cyber Essentials certification provides multiple benefits. It demonstrates to customers and stakeholders that your business takes cybersecurity seriously, and importantly, it helps meet legal and contractual obligations. This certification can protect against 80% of common cyberattacks and for some organizations, it is even a prerequisite for bidding on certain government contracts.

In summary, Cyber Essentials offers a simple yet effective framework to enhance your company’s defences, securing your business against the most common online threats while building trust in an increasingly digital economy.

Keep an eye out for future articles going into greater detail about the Cyber Essentials Controls as well as exploring the Cyber Essentials Plus process!

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