When choosing an IT supplier for your business, it's important to understand their Cyber Essentials status. Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme that sets out basic cybersecurity standards. Asking about this status helps you gauge how seriously a provider takes protecting your business from common cyber threats like hacking, ransomware, and data breaches.
Why Cyber Essentials Matters for Your Business
Cybersecurity isn't just a technical issue; it directly affects your business's ability to operate smoothly. A cyber incident can cause costly downtime, loss of sensitive customer or employee data, and damage to your reputation. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK, Cyber Essentials certification shows that your IT partner follows recognised good practice, which can reduce these risks and help with compliance under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
For example, imagine a 50-employee manufacturing firm that relies on its IT supplier for support and network security. If the supplier lacks Cyber Essentials certification, they might not have robust controls like firewalls, secure configuration, or proper access management in place. This could leave the firm vulnerable to ransomware attacks, causing production delays and lost orders. A certified IT partner would proactively manage these risks, ensuring firewalls are configured correctly, software is up to date, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) is used to protect access.
What to Ask Your IT Supplier About Cyber Essentials
- Are you Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certified? Cyber Essentials Plus includes independent verification, offering stronger assurance.
- When was your certification last renewed? Certifications need regular renewal to stay valid.
- Can you provide a copy of your certificate? Always ask to verify the current status.
- How do you maintain compliance with Cyber Essentials controls? For example, ask about patch management, firewall configuration, and access controls.
- Do you support implementing Cyber Essentials requirements within my business? A good partner will help you meet your own certification or compliance goals.
- How do you handle incident response and recovery? Understanding their approach to managing cyber incidents is crucial.
Simple Internal Checks to Complement Your Supplier Questions
- Review who has admin access to your systems and ensure it's limited to essential staff.
- Check that regular backups are taken and stored securely offsite or in the cloud.
- Verify that multi-factor authentication is enabled for critical systems.
- Ensure your supplier provides clear reporting on security updates and incidents.
By asking these questions and performing basic checks, you can better assess whether an IT supplier is equipped to protect your business from common cyber threats. Cyber Essentials is not a guarantee of perfect security, but it is a practical baseline that can reduce risk and support audit readiness.
Consider discussing your Cyber Essentials needs and concerns with a trusted managed IT provider or IT advisor. They can help you understand certification benefits, improve your overall security posture, and ensure your IT supplier aligns with your business goals and compliance requirements.