Why Is It Important For Your Business To Have Cyber Essentials?

Why Is It Important For Your Business To Have ISO 27001?

ISO 27001 covers a broader scope including not just protection of computer systems, but the whole business, premises, people and processes.

It is less prescriptive in the requirements of technical controls. It requires the business to demonstrate that a continuous improvement process is in place.

In contrast, Cyber Essentials is a fixed standard, and no changes are required to technical controls until the standard itself is updated.

External verification/certification takes several days.

Why Is It Important For Your IT Support Partner To Have At Least Cyber Essentials Plus Or Better Still ISO 27001 Certification?

If you have or are planning to achieve any of the above standards or similar frameworks, you can’t have much faith in your I.T. partner keeping you compliant if they themselves are not certified to those standards.

It would be like letting someone who claims to be able to drive a car teach your children to drive without having a driving license themselves. While technically it might work, who would want to take that risk?

IT Support companies must have high access to your I.T. systems to do their job. It makes them an ideal target for a cyber-attack. Hack the I.T. guys, and you get to all their customers. So, how do you know your I.T. partner is secure?

Obviously, it would be best if you didn’t rely on them telling you. You need a recognised certification that comes with independent verification. A good example is Cyber Essentials Plus. This will confirm specific technical controls are in place.

But what about their staff? How are they checked? How are they trained? What about every other aspect of an I.T. business that is important for your security as well as the productivity of your staff?

Just look for a partner that is process, not people-driven, and has an externally certified Information Security Management System: ISO 27001 is your friend.

Processes? Boring! You might say. Probably if they reside in an equally boring document that nobody ever refers to. But, processes brought alive, lived and breathed are very powerful and indicate a high level of business maturity.

The right processes, correctly implemented and understood by everyone, allow a business to deliver to its customers at a consistently high level. It no longer depends on individuals making the right decisions, day in, day out.

If you want an I.T. partner who will help your business thrive, save you the cost and credibility loss of a cyber-attack, and help you sleep peacefully at night, find one that is ISO 27001 certified.

Only 1 in 2500 private businesses has achieved ISO 27001, and not many of those provide I.T. services. Fortunately, you just found one right here so give us a call!