We’re back with our monthly newsletter! As The Unite Group we love keeping our customers up to date with the latest deals, tips, industry news as well as what our fantastic team are getting up to! Read our October issue to see what we have got up to in the past month!
In this newsletter: We attended the Expo for Good in support of Grace House, we attended Fall into Networking event hosted by Network+, we welcome Jack to our team, we spotlight our clients Trust Red, share info about the Cyber Essentials scheme & explain the benefits of SharePoint in comparison to a traditional server.
To read The Unite Group’s October Monthly Newsletter, click on the image below!
In continuation of our Meet The Team blog series, we introduce you to Paul. Paul is our Sales Director here at The Unite Group having started The Unite Group back in 2009. Paul is often out networking and usually finds a way for it to be on the golf course!
We recently had a chat with him to find out a bit more about the role he plays here at The Unite Group and what you can expect from a typical day in Paul’s life…
Growing up, what did you want to be?
Growing up, I wanted to be a professional footballer or a golfer! Ability unfortunately got in the way of either becoming a reality!! I have always had an interest in technology so I guess my 3rd choice has turned out ok! Still practicing the golf as much as possible you never know might make the senior tour yet!!
What is your role at The Unite Group and how did you end up where you are now?
My role here at The Unite Group is the Sales Director. I have worked in technology since leaving school but really enjoy meeting new and current customers and developing our ongoing strategy with the marketing team. So I guess I have the perfect job!
What does a typical day look like at The Unite Group?
In one word a typical day here at The Unite Group is busy! There is always a buzz in the office. We are very lucky to have a great hardworking team who are always customer focused and give 100%. This makes the busy days so much easier!
I also run the FORE biz Newcastle group so I am lucky enough that golf is part of my working day every few weeks. It’s great to network with such a good group of business owners and FORE biz opens opportunities nationwide.
What is your most and least favourite part of the job?
My favorite part of the job is always providing a solution that I know will make a difference to our customers. It’s very rewarding to be able to efficiently and cost-efficiently fix the problems customers have sometimes been facing for years.
My least favourite part of the job however has got to be paperwork of any kind!
What is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement has got to be that I once made two holes in one at golf in a 2 week period! I have not been even close to getting another one since!
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Believe in yourself and be confident, everyone has self-doubts and it’s normal to feel that way.
This has been very relevant over the last 13 years as there have been times myself & Callum have had to take big leaps to grow The Unite Group and without self-belief, it would have never worked!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
In 10 years’ time, I see myself hopefully winding down a little and traveling to some of the places on my wish list. I would love to try and see as much of the world as possible with my wife Lorraine.
How do you unwind outside of work?
It’s well known I like a round of golf or two!! So outside of work, you will often find me on the golf course. I am a member at Backworth however I love to visit other courses too as often as possible.
If you would like to learn more about how our Sales Director Paul and The Unite Group can help you with your business technology needs, contact us on, 0191 466 1050.
Companies are rapidly implementing Microsoft Teams to be able to enrich their businesses’ communications structures, and it’s proving successful. Teams is by far the most rapidly growing unified communications solution, and is not looking to stop anytime soon.
With Teams being such a crucial part of the modern workflow, it’s important to make sure that you know exactly how to use it to its maximum potential. After all, failing to do so could waste lots of time, and can just be an inconvenience for you when trying to get important work done.
We believe that everyone should learn how to use Microsoft Teams to its fullest potential. That’s why in this article, we’re going to go over some of the top tips to work smarter in Microsoft Teams in 2022.
Top 9 Tips to Unlock Teams’ Full Functionality
Send Urgent Messages
Sometimes, it can be easy to miss messages coming in. Especially when your recipient has a busy inbox, it’s important to mark your message as urgent to make sure that whoever’s on the other end knows that it’s a time-sensitive matter.
Luckily, doing so in Microsoft Teams is incredibly simple. Press the exclamation mark in the toolbar below the textbox in the chat interface, and select ‘Urgent’. Your message will now be marked as urgent for the recipient. Type in your message and send it, and that’s it!
Use Meeting Reactions
Sometimes you want to show your approval of something in a meeting, but don’t want to interrupt the flow of conversation or presentation. Sometimes, you just want to laugh at a joke without unmuting your microphone.
Meeting reactions make this simple. Just click on the Reaction menu during the meeting and click a reaction, and they’ll pop up on the side for everyone to see.
Create Polls
Asking everybody how they feel about a topic can just take up time and be a mess. Chances are, people will start a discussion in the chat and it’ll make it hard to be able to see the information you need.
Polls are a great way to easily get opinions without hassle. They’re easy to set up, and can be a great way to collect data without having to sift through discussions to work out what people think. To make a Poll — click the ‘Microsoft Forms’ button in the taskbar and fill in the relevant information, and you’re done!
Automate Tasks with Power Automate
Automation is powerful. Rather than having to manually do a list of tasks, automation takes care of it for you. This can save hours of time and effort, and ensure the tasks are all done correctly and uniformly every time.
In Microsoft Teams, you can easily set up buttons to do multiple things automatically, without needing to manually input.
Go into the Store tab on Microsoft Teams.
Select ‘Workflows’, and select a template to create a workflow.
Fill in each parameter, and you’re good to go!
Use Live Transcripts
Live transcription is a great way to ensure that hard-of-hearing employees can stay in the conversation. It’s also just a good thing to have, as even a slightly poor connection quality can turn a Teams meeting into robotic gibberish.
To turn on live transcription, press the three dots on the meeting controls to view ‘More actions’, and click “Start Transcription”.
You can also change the transcription language. To do so, click the three dots on the right of the transcript window and click “Change Spoken Language”.
Reorganise your Teams
Sometimes, you want to put a specific team at the top of your teams for ease of access. Or, maybe you just like alphabetical order and want to organise your teams that way. Whatever the reason may be, it’s simple to reorganise your teams.
Just click and hold your cursor on the team that you want to move, and drag it to its new place on the teams list.
Use Loop Components
Microsoft’s groundbreaking Loop is the future of collaboration in the workplace. And, you can make use of Loop in Teams — with Loop components. With Loop components, you can collaborate with your team on anything — from agendas, to ideas, to simple checklists.
By sending a Loop Component into a chat, you allow anyone in that chat to be able to work on it collaboratively. To do so, click on the Loop components button in the taskbar. Then, enter whatever you want into the component, and press send.
People will instantly be able to inline edit the component in the chat, and you can even send the same component to multiple chats.
Bookmark Important Conversations
Sometimes, you’ll find that someone in your team says something that’ll be important later. Rather than having to dig back and search for it, it’s much easier to save these messages.
To do so, hover over those messages and click on the three dots next to the reactions, then click “Save this message”. This will save that message to your saved messages, for easy reference. You can also pin messages to the channel here.
Create Teams Templates
Creating a team from scratch can take a lot of time and effort. Microsoft Team’s templates are an easy way to circumvent this hassle. You can either create a template for use in all of your teams from scratch or turn a team you already have into a template.
Create a template from scratch
Go to the Teams menu, and into ‘Team Templates’.
Click ‘Add.’ and then ‘Create a brand new template.’
Fill in the template-builder with the template name and description.
Add any channels you may want to the template.
Your template is created!
Create a template from an existing team
Go to the Teams menu, and click on ‘Team Templates’.
Click on ‘Add’, and then select ‘Use an existing team as a template.’
Select the team you want to use as a starting point.
Fill in the template name and details.
If need be, you can add new channels or edit existing channels in the template.
Your new template is done!
Get Started with Microsoft Teams!
Microsoft Teams is a powerful communications tool that can open up new collaborative workflows for your organisation.
Following these tips & tricks will help unlock Microsoft Teams’ full potential. After all, Teams is rammed with brilliant quality-of-life features that can save you time and help you work better together.
Of course, as Microsoft Teams expands in functionality, its suite of features will only get more in-depth. So, making sure to stay up to date regularly is important. A managed service provider can make sure that all of your 365 applications and tools are up to date, and can ensure that they’re set up properly – just like ourselves here at The Unite Group.
Interested in getting started with Microsoft Teams’ rapidly growing platform? Get in touch today, and see how we can help you!
Are you interested in achieving a Cyber Essentials certification but unsure as to what level of certification is best for you? In this blog, we break down the main differences between Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus. As well as offer recommendations for which level of certification businesses should consider.
This is the basic level of certification. Achieving Cyber Essentials involves the completion of a self-assessment questionnaire. This questionnaire involves 8 sections and has a total of 70 questions. Here at The Unite Group, we can provide support before taking the assessment to ensure all expected standards are met. As well as providing assistance throughout the application. Upon completion, the business owner or board-level representative must then sign a declaration that all answers are completed correctly. This is then reviewed by a Cyber Essentials assessor and successful applicants will receive their certification.
Who do we recommend Cyber Essentials to?
We recommend the Cyber Essentials certification to all businesses who want to demonstrate that they take cybersecurity seriously. Having this certification can also open new doors for business opportunities as it is a requirement to bid for Government contracts. We recommend this to smaller corporations that want to ensure they are complying with recommended safety measures.
Now let’s compare this with Cyber Essentials Plus
The Cyber Essentials Plus certification involves the same first steps as the Cyber Essentials scheme. Therefore, meaning they both include the completion of the self-assessment questionnaire. However, Cyber Essentials Plus then goes on to further include a vulnerabilities assessment and an on-site assessment. The assessment covers the controls your organisation has in place. As well as, your employee’s work-from-home locations. Also assessing any third parties who may have access to your premises or IT infrastructure. These assessments are undertaken by a trained and qualified Cyber Essentials Plus assessor.
Who do we recommend the Cyber Essentials Plus scheme to?
Here at The Unite Group, we recommend this scheme to those businesses that want to demonstrate higher levels of cybersecurity protection. Whilst Cyber Essentials is a great starting point, the added levels of assessment included in this scheme increase a business’s protection far more. Those who hold a Cyber Essentials Plus certification can bid for Ministry of Defence contracts.
Recap
To recap, the main difference between the two schemes is that the Cyber Essentials Plus certification covers more areas of assessment. It includes a more rigorous test of an organisation’s cybersecurity systems. Experts carry out vulnerability tests and as a result, ensure organisations are well protected against basic hacking and phishing attacks. Therefore, we strongly recommend this option to businesses who want to ensure they best protect their data and that of their customers.
Let us help!
Here at The Unite Group, we can guide you through Cyber Essentials and help you protect your business. We have in-house Cyber Essentials assessors to not only approve certifications but also provide support throughout the application process. We are a friendly voice on the other end of the phone to support you through the certification from start to end.
To find out more, book a quick call with our team today!
As expected, in the first 10 months of 2022, there have been multiple major cyberattacks that have resulted in a loss of productivity, revenue or large-scale data leaks. Whilst some of the largest attacks have been in countries such as America and Ukraine. There have also been some major cyberattacks within the UK. Although these cyberattacks are the ones that receive media coverage, there are many more attacks on smaller businesses that cause major devastation. So far in 2022, 39% of UK businesses have identified cyberattacks within their business. Fortunately, this number is significantly less than in 2020, as 46% of businesses identified cyberattacks. Without further ado, here are the 6 worst cyberattacks of 2022 so far.
KP Snacks – Ransomware Attack
KP Snacks, the maker of KP Nuts, Hula Hoops, Nik Naks, Tyrell’s, Pom-Bears and more, fell victim to a ransomware attack in January of this year. The gang behind this attack was Conti, an infamous cybercrime group from Russia. Shortly after the attack was detected, KP Snacks released a statement explaining that it could not ‘safely process order or dispatch goods’ due to the incident. Following this, there were supply chain issues until the end of March.
As is now expected, the Conti gang operate double extortion, whereby they would release stolen data if KP Snacks did not pay the ransom. Initially, a small number of staff documents were posted online. These had a 5-day countdown. That when the clock hits zero, all data will be released, unless the ransom is paid. However, the post on the Conti website was removed soon after. This potentially indicates that the ransom was paid, or the two parties were in negotiation. With this being said, neither party disclosed whether or not the ransom was paid.
UKVCAS – Data Breach
In April, the UK Home Office’s visa service had to apologise for a data breach in which the email addresses of over 170 customers were mistakenly copied into an email. The email was informing a customer of a change in the time of their appointment. The emails included in this breach were a combination of personal emails and lawyers working on behalf of customers. This data breach was particularly noteworthy as UKVCAS is run on behalf of the Home Office by a private contractor. Therefore it was not directly the Home Office’s fault. The breach was likely a case of an accidental malicious insider. Businesses can decrease the likelihood of these forms of breaches through regular cybersecurity awareness training.
The Works – Presumed Ransomware Attack
UK Retail chain, The Works, was forced to shut down a number of its stores in April due to a widespread cyberattack. Although the retailer did not go into much detail about the nature of the attack, it is believed to have interrupted deliveries, extended online order fulfilment times and compromised the safety of payments on their POS systems. After the attack was remediated, it was found that no customer data was exfiltrated. However, it is believed that the attack was a ransomware attack. Although it is unknown how much the ransom amount was, or how The Works restored their systems.
The real-world impact of this attack was the fact that the share price for The Works fell by 10% the day they announced the cyberattack. There was also a loss of revenue from the stores that were unable to open due to the attack.
Crypto.com – Account Compromise
In January, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, Crypto.com, released a statement explaining they were the victim of an account compromise attack that resulted in 4,836.26 Ethereum and 443.93 Bitcoin being stolen, totalling approximately $35 million. The attack affected 483 users, and the threat actors performed unauthorised withdrawals from the victims’ wallets to their own. Interestingly, the attackers were able to perform the withdrawals without the MFA authentication control being inputted by the user. After the attack, Crypto.com suspended all withdrawals and migrated to a new MFA infrastructure.
Crypto.com was able to prevent some of the unauthorised withdrawals before it was too late, and the company reimbursed customers so there was no loss of customer funds. Crypto.com has now implemented a new program, the Worldwide Account Protection Program, which will prevent this from happening again. The program includes controls such as the use of MFA and anti-phishing codes.
Ukrainian Government – Website Hacks & DDoS Attacks
Throughout the first quarter of 2022, Russian hackers targeted many Ukrainian websites, including multiple government and financial services websites. In January, around 70 websites were hacked, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cabinet of Ministers and Security and Defense Council. The majority of these hacks only involved changing the text on the website to display pro-Russia sentiments.
Shortly after, Russian threat actors targeted multiple government, non-profit and information technology organisations throughout Ukraine with a piece of malware disguised as ransomware. The malware had all the features of ransomware, but lacked a recovery feature, meaning that it simply destroyed all files on the victim’s computer.
Early in February, there were several large distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. These brought down the websites of the Defense Ministry, Army and Ukraine’s two largest banks. Later in the month, there were more DDoS attacks, but the organisations were able to recover quickly from these.
From March until the present day, there are still many cyberattacks being launched against Ukrainian citizens and businesses. Most of these attacks are phishing attacks, with the goal of launching widespread malware attacks.
Ronin – Account Compromise
In March, one of the largest cyberattacks in recent history occurred. A threat actor stole approximately $600 million worth of digital assets. These were stolen from a blockchain network, Ronin, that is connected to a popular online game, Axie Infinity, created by Sky Mavis. This attack was possible as there were some outdated Sky Mavis accounts with dangerous permission levels. The attacks were able to compromise these accounts and subsequent nodes. Therefore allowing them to authorise fake transactions on the network or bridge that handles converting tokens, Ronin. The hackers were able to steal 173,600 Ether and 2.5 million USD Coin, totalling over $600 million. In 2021, there were many similar attacks on bridges and Decentralised Finance platforms, totalling $2.3 billion.
Whilst this form of attack is not viable for most businesses, it acts as a cautionary reminder for businesses looking to adopt new Web 3.0 technologies.
Added Bonus – Two Largest Bug Bounties
Although the media is awash with stories of malicious actors exploiting vulnerabilities and targeting organisations, there is a community of ethical hackers actively trying to find exploits to responsibly disclose them to the affected organisation. Many organisations offer a monetary reward for finding these vulnerabilities, called a bug bounty program. So far in 2022, we have seen two of the largest bug bounties paid out. One totalling $6 million, and another totalling $10 million.
The $6 million bug bounty was awarded to the ethical security hacker by the name of pwning.eth who found a critical vulnerability in the Aurora Engine, a bridging and scaling solution for the cryptocurrency Ethereum. If pwning.eth was to have exploited the vulnerability it could have cost the company $200 million.
The $10 million bug bounty was awarded to the bug hunter Satya0x after discovering a vulnerability in Wormhole cryptocurrency bridge. Wormhole is the message-passing protocol that connects blockchains such as Ethereum, Terra and Binance Smart Chain. If the vulnerability was exploited, it could have resulted in $736 million worth of digital assets being lost forever.
How to Keep Your Business Safe
The past few years have taught us that all businesses, regardless of size, industry or location, are at risk of falling victim to cyberattacks. Although there is no way to ensure that your business is immune to cyberattacks, there are controls and solutions that can be implemented to significantly decrease your cyber risk, as well as making detection and remediation as effective as possible.
In short Cyber Essentials helps protect your business by protecting you from the most commonly known cyber-attacks. No business owner wants their company to be at risk of any complications which could compromise their ability to operate. In terms of cyber security, we highly recommend companies take the necessary actions to best protect themselves. This is why we encourage achieving a Cyber Essentials certificate.
Cyber Essentials covers who has access to your files. This is something businesses often overlook. It is important to consider who has access to what. Do all your staff really need access to all your files? Having managed access to administrator accounts means you can protect who has access to your data and services.
2. Software Updates
The Cyber Essentials scheme also ensures all devices are kept up to date with software updates. Staying current with the latest software updates and security patches protects you against the newest cyber-attacks and vulnerabilities. Updates not only add new features they also are designed to tackle the latest threats on software. To pass the certification all devices must be kept on the latest updates.
3. Firewalls & Routers
Firewalls are designed to protect businesses from users who are not authorised from gaining access. So by having a firewall in place, you create a so-called ‘buffer zone between your IT network and any other external links. This will allow you to analyse any incoming traffic. Meaning you can decide who to allow access to on your network. Therefore protecting your business from hackers.
4. Secure Configuration
Secure configuration covers ensuring you choose the most secure setting for your devices and software. This includes changing passwords regularly as well as removing unused accounts and software. It is easy to forget to remove any unused users and software. However, it is very important! Taking such measures massively reduces the risk of potential cyber-attacks. Therefore, protecting you and your data from being compromised.
5. Malware Protection
Malware protection is another key part of the Cyber Essentials scheme. Using properly configured anti-malware software will protect you from viruses and other malware risks. Anti-malware software will only allow trusted applications to run which reduces the risk of unsafe applications running in the background without you knowing.
Of course, we should also consider not only the financial impact such attacks can have. But also the damage it can do to customers’ trust in your business. As well as the likelihood of them being a returning customer. Would you trust a business if you knew they had gaps in their cyber security which meant they had fell victim to an attack?
Here at The Unite Group, we can guide you through Cyber Essentials and help you protect your business. We have in-house Cyber Essentials assessors to not only approve certifications but also provide support throughout the application process. To find out more, book a quick call with our team today!
Did you know October is cybersecurity awareness month? As we shift towards a more digital way of life in 2022, cybersecurity has never been more important! This month is focused on helping businesses, their employees & customer understand the risks that we should be aware of online. As well as the measure we should be taking to reduce the risk of falling victim to such an attack.
In this blog we share our top tips to take the first steps in protecting yourself from cybercrimes.
1. Use strong passwords
One of the easiest ways internet users can fall victim to cybercrimes is through easily guessed passwords. Therefore, we recommend you create strong passwords by using the following:
A combination of upper- and lower-case letters.
Include numbers.
Include symbols.
Never include your name, birthday or other personal information.
Use different passwords for different applications.
Always create passwords with at least 12 characters.
Taking such measures should reduce the chance of a hacker gaining access to your account. If you are a business owner, you should ensure all employees have appropriate passwords to ensure your business is not vulnerable to an attack.
2. Ensure all software is up to date
We are all guilty of pressing ‘later’ when the dreaded software update pops up. However, this habit must change! Software updates do not only include new features, they are also designed to strengthen the stability of any software and tackle the latest viruses.
Not staying up to date with software updates compromises your cybersecurity massively in comparison to those who do.
This also is a part of the Cyber Essentials scheme so if your business is working towards this certification software updates must be completed.
3. Be sure to have antivirus software installed
Can you afford for your device to be slow, damaged or have important files deleted? We’re sure the answer is no. Therefore, it’s vital you have antivirus software installed. Antivirus software detects and removes files before they can do any serious damage to your device & files.
Unsure what antivirus to go for or how to install it? Our helpdesk team can help, contact us today!
4. Use public Wi-Fi cautiously
When using public Wi-Fi you should be cautious of what files you open as hackers can create unsafe networks or steal your information through an unsecure connection.
Therefore, we recommend you consider what you use public Wi-Fi for. For example, avoid accessing your online banking unless you are 100% sure your connection is safe.
Did you know, here at The Unite Group we offer Horizon Wi-Fi our safe public Wi-Fi solution? Are you sure your connection is safe & that you are protecting the data of your customers? If you are unsure get in touch today and we can best advise.
5. Regularly backup your data
Regular backups of your data are one way to protect yourself in the unfortunate situation of falling victim to an attack. For best practice, we recommend using the 3-2-1 approach.
Have three copies of your data,
On 2 different storage mediums,
With one off-site copy!
Here at The Unite Group, we offer a managed backup solution. Click here to learn more about this service!
6. For businesses, achieve a Cyber Essentials Certification
One simple way for businesses to protect themselves against 80% of the most basic cyber threats is by achieving a Cyber Essentials certification. This scheme covers 5 key areas of cybersecurity:
Access control – having managing access to administrator accounts means you can protect who has access to your data and services.
Software Updates – staying current with the latest software updates and security patches protects you against the newest cyber-attacks and vulnerabilities.
Firewalls & Routers – creating a buffer-zone’ between your IT network and other external networks. This will ensure incoming traffic is analysed to find out if you would like to allow it access to your network.
Secure Configuration – choosing the most secure setting for your device and software. As well as changing passwords and removing unused accounts and software will reduce the risk of a potential cyber-attack.
Malware Protection – using properly configured anti-malware software will protect against viruses and other malware risks. This also includes to only allow trusted applications to run.
We recently interviewed Rob, one of our Cyber Essentials assessor’s here at The Unite Group. Rob has received his qualification to be a Cyber Essentials Assessor. This means he can assess companies for the Cyber Essentials accreditation.
Rob talked us through some common FAQ’s surrounding Cyber Essentials and the scheme it follows.
What is the role of a Cyber Essentials Assessor within The Unite Group?
As a Cyber Essentials Assessor I am accredited to assess a company to see if they will meet the requirements of the Cyber essentials certification.
When a company wants Cyber Essentials accreditation, The Unite Group will do a quick survey to see how ready the company is for accreditation. Following this, I will advise if there are any changes likely required to meet the accreditation. After the company has applied for the accreditation, and any changes have been made in order to comply, I go through the details of a company and assess this against the Cyber Essentials specification, and will ultimately give the company there grade.
Why is it important to get a Cyber Essentials Certification?
Cyber Essentials is a accreditation developed in partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ. Cyber Essentials gives a company a well rounded foundation in security that will mitigate the majority of attacks that companies face. With a Cyber Essentials Certification a company can demonstrate to it’s clients or other business that they are prepared to protect themselves from a cyber attack. This can also be used to demonstrate that the company is insurable against a cyber attack coming. For some companies it would be possible to get insurance as part of the Cyber Essentials certification.
How can Cyber Essentials help protect businesses?
Cyber Essentials demonstrates that your business has various security practices in place. Cyber Essentials has various requirements for how to secure your business routers, firewalls, services, end user devices, and to secure users access.
Your companies router and firewall is what keeps your companies network protected from the general internet. This is just as important as the walls and doors that prevent an attacker just walking in. You may have much of your companies information running on important services. Think of how hard it would be if you didn’t have access to emails for a day!
What is involved in the Cyber Essentials process?
To apply for Cyber Essentials there is a form that demonstrates that your business has all the protections in place. You have to provide evidence of the policies and processes. As well as technical measures that your business has in place to protect the business. These will demonstrate that the measures in place are sufficient to meet the requirements of Cyber Essentials.
How can The Unite Group support businesses through the process?
The Unite Group can help by updating your business to have all of technical measures in place to meet the requirements of Cyber Essentials. We can provide the evidence that is required. Likewise we can provide the details of any technical measures that are in place to protect your business.
The Unite Group can go through all the questions required with you and make sure that you know what is required. We also go through what is currently in place, so you know if there are any changes that your business needs to make in order to achieve the Cyber Essentials accreditation.
Once your business is ready to apply for Cyber Essentials The Unite Group can prepare the final document, and submit this for examination.
Interested in learning more or perhaps you have some questions you’d like answered about Cyber Essentials? Arrange a call with Dean today!
Let’s cover why you need a cyber essentials certification?
So, why is achieving a Cyber Essentials certification so important?
In our recent blogs, we have covered the basics of a Cyber Essentials certification as well as what exactly the process of gaining the certification involves. We now move on to covering why you need a Cyber Essentials certification. As well as the opportunities that come with having the certification.
Below, we cover 4 benefits of achieving a Cyber Essentials certification.
1. Reduce the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack
With cyber-attacks and threats on the rise, it has never been more important to ensure your business protects itself from falling victim. Around 71.1 million people fall victim to cybercrimes every year! Having a Cyber Essentials certification gives you peace of mind that your business is protected against around 80% of the most basic cybercrimes.
2. Demonstrate to your customers that you take cyber security seriously
Holding a Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates to your customer base that you take both your own as well as their cyber security seriously. This is likely to attract customers to use you over a competitor as they will feel safer that their personal data is protected. No customer ever wants to feel they are at risk of a data breach. Therefore, having a cyber essentials certification will help you retain and attract customers.
3. Open your organisation to the opportunities of working with the Government and the Ministry of Defence
Did you know, that all Government and Ministry of Defence organisations require their contractors to hold a Cyber Essentials certification to even be considered as a company they can work with? Therefore, for any business that would like to put forward to win contracts within this sector, a cyber essentials certification is vital! Even if this is not an area your business is currently looking to work with, many large organisations are starting to take the same stance. So, not having a certification could hinder your chance of winning contracts.
4. Feel confident you have the basic levels of protection in place
The Cyber Essentials certification is only valid for one year and must be renewed annually. This however ensures that you are protected against the latest cybercrimes and that your measures put in place remain relevant. This therefore means you can be confident you are ensuring your cyber security is up-to-date. Achieving certification also involves ensuring all software is installed with the latest updates which further protects you from the latest, most advanced cyber threats.
Who needs Cyber Essentials?
In short, every business! After considering the above points, it is hard to find a business that would not want to first protect itself from cybercrime but also its customer base! Aside from that, the opportunity to work with larger organisations as well as bid for Government and Ministry of Defence contracts makes achieving the certification very worthwhile for a lot of businesses looking to expand and attract larger clientele.
Is it worth it?
Yes! Achieving a Cyber Essentials certification is absolutely worth it. It ensures you are protected from the vast majority of basic attacks whilst also giving your customers enhance trust in your businesses as well as opening the doors to new opportunities.
Do you want to learn more about achieving a Cyber Essentials certification? Contact us today and our friendly, knowledgeable team will be happy to explain in more detail the Cyber Essentials process or help you take the first steps to achieve your Cyber Essentials Certification!
In continuation of our Meet The Team blog series, we are excited to introduce you to Craig. Craig is the newest member of the team here at The Unite Group having started working with us just a few weeks ago. Craig has settled into our team greatly and always brings a sense of positivity to the office!
We recently had a chat with him to find out a bit more about Craig and the role he will be undertaking here at The Unite Group…
Growing up, what did you want to be?
Growing up, I always wanted to be a soldier. I spent 4 years in the South African Defense Force as an operational medic. I thoroughly enjoyed serving my country, and I am very proud of this.
What is your role at The Unite Group and how did you end up where you are now?
My role here at The Unite Group is a Systems Administrator, it’s a new role but I have worked in IT for almost 30 years now.
I started in sales at an IT retailer after leaving the military. From there I quickly progressed to completing my MCSE on Windows NT, and joined Siemens as a network administrator. I then worked in Saudi Arabia for ARAMCO oil company supporting their knowledge management system. Thereafter, I worked in Botswana for their largest mining contractor as their general manager. We mined Nicol 24/7 and we also built asphalt roads for the government. Back in 2018, I emigrated from South Africa to the United Kingdom with my wife and son.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the United Kingdom, and I am overjoyed to be working with such a brilliant team here at The Unite Group. I also enjoy working with people, and I enjoy working in a team. As a team, we are always on hand to jump on and help one another when needed! I also take great pride in providing solutions to make our customers’ lives easier.
What does a typical day look like at The Unite Group?
My typical day is busy and we always start off with a laugh and a cup of coffee. My main role is to work closely with Mike and Dean on researching and planning projects for our customers. Alongside this, I offer tech support and help wherever I can. I am also working on some very interesting projects, and I want to see our customers pleased with the outstanding service we offer.
What is your most and least favourite part of the job?
My favourite part of the job has got to be working with people, supplying solutions to customers, and keeping my brain active. I can’t say I have any negatives. I always try to be positive about everything in life.
What is your greatest achievement?
My greatest achievement is stopping smoking cigarettes after 35 years, stopping alcohol, and losing 50 pounds by going back to the gym 6 days a week. I am fit now and have never felt better in my life. This has helped tremendously with focusing, and just being accepted into The Unite Group is a massive achievement.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
The greatest piece of advice I have ever been given is to “never burn your bridges”.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
In 10 years time, I see myself as a success contributing to the success of this company and my team. I want The Unite Group to be successful, and I want to be part of that.
How do you unwind outside of work?
Outside of work, I like to go fishing, you can often find me at some of our beautiful locations like Derwent Reservoir. Also, I enjoy exploring, and being new to the North East there are so many wonderful places to explore, I have not even seen a fraction of them.
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