The four steps to certification and compliance: How CyberSmart simplifies Cyber Essentials

August 9, 2024 | CyberSmart , Cybersecurity , Cyber Essentials
Laurence Keir

Written by
Laurence Keir

Cybercrime is on the rise, and businesses across the globe are putting cybersecurity at the top of their priority list.

The rise of common cyber threats, such as phishing scams and social engineering, puts businesses of all sizes and sectors at risk. So, how can companies protect themselves? It starts with getting the foundations right, not just for their own cybersecurity but also to demonstrate to anyone involved with their business that they take cyber hygiene seriously.

CyberSmart’s four-step process to compliance is helping businesses promote strong security measures, even beyond certification. This article will look at Cyber Essentials and how CyberSmart plays a key role in getting businesses accredited and maintaining compliance.

What is Cyber Essentials, and why is it needed?

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that ensures that basic cybersecurity measures are in place within an organisation.

Cyber Essentials covers a checklist of five basic controls that must be met to achieve certification. These controls include firewalls, secure configuration, access controls, malware protection, and patch management.

Cyber Essentials protects against and prevents a substantial percentage of cyberattacks, giving businesses peace of mind, minimised risk against hackers, and a badge to deter cyber criminals and demonstrate that you're a more challenging target.

Businesses that meet the Cyber Essentials criteria are given certification, which can be a great tool for businesses looking to demonstrate strong cyber hygiene, encouraging new business and trust. Plus, accreditation comes with the benefit of reduced insurance claims. For those looking for an extra layer of cybersecurity certification, Cyber Essentials Plus provides an audit of your systems, handled by a highly trained assessor who will carry out checks and vulnerability assessments. This is the highest level of certification available.

What is CyberSmart?

Cyber-attacks continually evolve, and businesses must stay one step ahead. CyberSmart is designed to help businesses proactively defend against the changing threat landscape. CyberSmart makes achieving cybersecurity certifications simple. The device-based application provides ongoing monitoring for vulnerabilities, helping to deliver continuous compliance and security. Let’s look at the key features of CyberSmart.

Key features of CyberSmart:

CyberSmart is not just a tool for helping achieve Cyber Essentials; it offers many features:

  • Monitors the layers of the Cyber Essentials framework and alerts when any device falls out of compliance
  • Simplifies Cyber Essentials certification
  • Monitors devices for vulnerabilities
  • Promotes continuous compliance, security and cyber hygiene
  • Provides real-time reporting and remediation through the CyberSmart dashboard

The four steps of the CyberSmart process

CyberSmart’s Active Protect agent is deployed across an entire organisation and its devices, and then it begins CyberSmart's four-step compliance process:

  1. Identify

CyberSmart scans for vulnerabilities, identifies Cyber Essentials weaknesses in the system, monitors the layers of the Cyber Essentials framework, and reports back every 15 minutes.

  1. Fix

With visibility of compliance issues, CyberSmart offers step-by-step guides and live online support. Even after certification, strong security practices remain in place, alerting users if they should fall out of compliance.

  1. Certify

CyberSmart helps make getting certified with Cyber Essentials much quicker and simpler, with a guarantee of passing the first time. Accreditation builds customer trust, allowing you to display a certification badge.

  1. Protect

It's essential to have continuous, ongoing compliance beyond certification. CyberSmart’s ongoing monitoring provides real-time threat and compliance reports, allowing organisations to stay one step ahead.

Why is CyberSmart a key tool?

CyberSmart offers businesses peace of mind in terms of staying compliant and having visibility of security measures; it also provides an easier route to Cyber Essentials certification.

In as little as 24 hours, and with a first-time guaranteed pass, your customers can boost business with compliance credentials, promote their organisation as cyber-aware, and show the world they take cybercrime seriously.

CyberSmart’s real-time reporting benefits businesses looking to always have one eye on their security. Silent support in the background alerts to potential compliance breaches and provides ongoing monitoring.

With actionable insights, £100k cyber security insurance, and protection against 99.8% of the most common threats, businesses can mitigate risk and the financial implications of cyber-attacks.

Choosing Brigantia as your CyberSmart provider

Cyber-attacks aren’t going away, and with Cyber Essentials certifications on the rise, businesses must demonstrate their commitment to cybersecurity. This important statement allows companies to stand out from competitors and maintain compliance.

Our goal at Brigantia is to provide our community with the best cybersecurity products. CyberSmart is leading the way for Cyber Essentials certification and ongoing compliance monitoring.

Follow this link and speak to our team today to find out more.

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