The Cyber Essentials Framework is Changing: Get Prepared

In a highly competitive marketplace, businesses are always looking for ways to distinguish themselves from their competitors – one excellent way in which they can do so, is through gaining Cyber Essentials Accreditation from IASME. Whether your business has previously obtained accreditation, or you haven’t considered exploring the topic, continue reading to discover how the Cyber Essentials Framework is changing and how it can benefit your business.

The Benefits of Accreditation

The Cyber Essentials Framework was created to ensure businesses have the very best cybersecurity practices in place, so clients can be reassured that their data is secure and protected. In order to become accredited, enterprises assess themselves against five basic security controls, with their application information subsequently verified by a qualified assessor.

There are numerous benefits for businesses who gain accreditation – the biggest benefit of which is gaining the most widely recognised UK security accreditation, thus instilling complete confidence in clients. As the Cyber Security Framework has been created in partnership with the UK Government and National Centre for Cyber Security (NCSC) – it provides a powerful level of security credibility to organisations. From a marketing perspective, the accreditation is hugely beneficial as it can be widely publicised in promotional materials, encouraging client growth and improved business reputation.

Enterprises that gain accreditation may then be listed on the IASME Directory of organisations awarded Cyber Essentials, further bolstering business credibility. Any UK organisation who certifies their whole organisation and has less than £20m annual turnover subsequently becomes eligible for automatic cyber liability insurance, providing an additional layer of financial security.

Upcoming Changes

Whilst IASME are yet to release the specific changes being implemented in the Cyber Essentials Framework; they are confirmed to reflect the increased move towards home and hybrid work practices. It is believed there will be a focus upon employees’ home WIFI routers, home connections, and the controls put in place to monitor devices. As the Cyber Essentials Framework is focused upon ensuring the security of your clients’ data, it is essential that your business does act upon the concerns raised by the NCSC and IASME, and implements security measures that will mitigate evolving cyber threats.

All changes will come into effect on the 24^th of January, after which businesses should be prepared to reapply for accreditation with effectively altered working practices.

How Fitzrovia Helps You

Whilst businesses can self-assess their readiness to apply for Cyber Essentials Accreditation, it can be difficult to understand some of the technical questions if you have a complex company structure or do not have an IT background. Employing an outside expert to assist in ensuring business readiness and compliance can expedite and simplify the process.

Fitzrovia IT have significant experience in assisting clients looking to gain accreditation; we help guide clients through the questionnaire, checking that correct procedures and policies are in place prior to submitting the application. We can step in for technical elements – checking how your devices are installed and set up; assessing user permissions and access; checking for patching and software usage; and ensuring protocols and policy are being followed. As the demands of the Cyber Essentials Framework can be fairly stringent, an experienced pair of eyes can make the difference between a pass or fail.

As enterprises pay a one-off fee to IASME upon application, Fitzrovia can still help your business gain accreditation in the case of a fail. Whether a soft or hard fail is received, we will provide guidance to ensure a pass is obtained on resubmission.

If you feel your business would benefit from Fitzrovia Its assistance when applying for the Cyber Essentials Accreditation, contact one of our team today.