Tag: trusted third party it provider

  • Why a Cyber Essentials certification is important for SMBs

    Why a Cyber Essentials certification is important for SMBs

    cyber essentials certification
    So why should you have cyber essentials certification?

    In recent years, it has become increasingly important for businesses to secure their IT systems to reduce the chance of falling victim to a cyberattack. In the UK alone,39% of businesses were targeted by a cyberattack in the last 12 months. Whilst most cyberattacks target large businesses and enterprises, it is also just as common to happen to small businesses. This is because they are less likely to have invested in securing their IT systems. For this reason, all SMB owners should invest in strengthening their security posture and aim to achieve a Cyber Essentials certification.

    What is a Cyber Essentials certification?

    It is a UK Government backed scheme that is designed to protect companies against a wide range of cyberattacks. There are two levels of certifications: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment, that ensures businesses have controls in place to protect against most common cyberattacks. Cyber Essentials Plus is a more in-depth certification and includes hands-on technical verification.

    The certification covers many areas, including firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, security update management and more. The Cyber Essentials certification lasts for 12 months. It is then regularly updated to make sure businesses are protected against basic attacks.

    The importance of cybersecurity for SMBs in 2022

    All small businesses are at risk of falling victim to a cyberattack. The most common cyberattacks being phishing, data breaches and ransomware attacks. All of these attacks can be awful for businesses, both in terms of the costs, as well as the costs associated with damages to a business’s reputation.

    Thankfully, many of these attacks are carried out by relatively unskilled cybercriminals. So fortunately they can be stopped by implementing some basic security controls. In a recent blog we explained the benefits and added protection of companies outsourcing their cybersecurity to professionals. With a Cyber Essentials certification, these attacks are no longer viable.

    Benefits of a Cyber Essentials certification for SMBs

    Reduce the chance of falling victim to a cyberattack

    The overall goal of Cyber Essentials is to reduce a business’s cyber risk. As the assessment covers most attack surfaces and the associated technical security controls, Cyber Essentials covers all the bases to protect from 80% of common cyberattacks. Although the methods that cybercriminals use are constantly changing, these technical controls will typically stop basic attack methods, especially if they are not highly targeted attacks.

    Gain a competitive advantage

    For small businesses within competitive industries, a Cyber Essentials certification can be a way to stand apart from the competition. The certification shows that your business takes security seriously. Therefore any customer, either consumer or corporate, doing business with you is less likely to have their data leaked as part of a customer data breach. After a business obtains their certification, they can also display the certification badge on their website and other marketing materials.

    Find new business opportunities

    A Cyber Essentials certification is mandatory for businesses considering submitting a bid for a contract with the NHS, Ministry of Defence, and UK Government. Many private sector businesses also look for the Cyber Essentials badge of approval when seeking new suppliers.

    Improve credibility and reputation

    The technical controls necessary to obtain the certification are relatively simple to implement, and the self-assessment is a quick and easy process. This simple and affordable option can add significant value to a business as it improves credibility and reputation. Having a Cyber Essentials certificate shows customers that a company is committed to protecting its data. It also shows they are taking action to reduce the chance of them falling victim to a cyberattack.

    Free Cyber Liability Insurance

    Once your business has gained its Cyber Essentials certification, your business is automatically entitled to free Cyber Liability Insurance to the total limit of £25,000 of indemnity. This also gives businesses access to a 24-hour hotline to report a cyber incident. This includes crisis management and incident response. For businesses that do not already have cyber insurance, this is a perfect option to recover from a small breach or incident. Many cyber insurance providers will also give discounts to businesses that are certified.

    How we can help?

    For businesses that are’t well versed in the world of cybersecurity, it can be difficult to implement the technical controls necessary to obtain a Cyber Essentials certification. We can help your business implement the technical controls. As well as this we provide additional security services to further reduce the chance of falling victim to a cyberattack. To find out more, contact us today.

  • Six common IT challenges for fast-growing businesses

    Six common IT challenges for fast-growing businesses

    Extended periods of rapid growth are positive for most businesses. It means that the business is acquiring new customers, which is driving increased revenue and better business outcomes. These periods are exciting and necessary for the longevity of a business, but it also creates new challenges. We often see this regarding IT and technology. In this blog we will delve into 6 common IT challenges for fast-growing businesses. In this blog, we will look at how these problems can be solved with the help of a trusted IT provider.

    Budgeting for Scaling Up

    As businesses grow, they will also need their IT systems to grow with them. This includes everything from software licenses to cloud servers. If businesses are not careful, their IT spending can get out of control. This can leave them with a large invoice, exceeding their budget and eating into their profit margin. Often, fast-growing businesses are not getting the most value from their IT spend and deployment and implementation of technology is reactive, rather than proactive.

    If a business partners with a third-party IT provider, the provider will typically be able to give a simple monthly cost per user, with everything included for the set-up. IT providers can also proactively forecast the cost of larger projects, making it easier for businesses to stick to their IT budget.

    Receiving Adequate IT Support

    As businesses grow, they have different requirements regarding IT infrastructure, as well as IT support. For businesses that already have an internal IT department, the team typically is forced to dedicate their time to research, and then setting up the new systems to support the growth. This results in less time dedicated to actioning support tickets which can decrease productivity within other departments and slow business growth.

    If businesses involve a third-party IT provider, they can either outsource the implementation of new technologies or outsource their support desk. This gives IT departments more time to do what they do best to support the continued growth of the business.

    Onboarding New Employees

    Hiring new employees on short notice is always a challenge. However, this is only made more difficult due to the current chip shortage. Hardware procurement can be a lengthy process, and even if a business already has the device, it still needs to be reimaged and set up for the employee. If onboarding is not a smooth experience it can give a poor first impression of the company.

     A trusted third-party IT provider can assist with the onboarding of new employees through the procurement and deployment of new devices. This ensures that every employee receives the right equipment and it is ready to use from day one.

    Safeguarding Against Cyberthreats

    Most cyberattacks that we hear about in the news are high profile multi-national enterprises. But we find that small businesses and fast growing businesses are just as likely to be targeted. This is due to the fact that cybercriminals view these companies as easy targets as they typically have invested less in security. If a business does get attacked, not only can it harm its reputation, but it can also lead to a large amount of downtime.

    This challenge can be solved by looking into a strong security solution. Such a solution typically includes multiple layers of defence to ensure that even if a hacker gets through one layer, there are still many more to stop them from accessing confidential data. Most security solutions also include backup and disaster recovery functionality to ensure swift recovery after an attack.

    Lacking Capital Expenditure

    In the early stages of rapid growth, businesses may not have sufficient liquid cash to invest in upgrading IT systems. This is particularly true for infrastructure such as servers, which require a significant capital investment. Thankfully, with the rise of cloud servers, businesses can move away from capital expenses and move to operational expenses. As there is no upfront investment, but rather businesses only need to pay for what they use.

    Managing Customer Relationships

    Whilst small businesses can get away with using spreadsheets, this is not feasible once a business reaches a certain size. This can be solved through building in a customer relationship management solution. This is not a quick process, businesses should invest in a CRM solution early, to prepare for growth. This is something we as a company can help support with.

    How we can help

    For any business that is currently growing, or looking to grow, you don’t want IT to be holding you back. Our role as a third-party IT provider is to ensure that your IT works as intended. If you want to find out more about how The Unite Group can help your business, contact us today.