A Guide to Using the Cyber Essentials Certification Scheme to Integrate Cybersecurity into Your Company Compliance Policy.
In today's world, cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern—it's a critical component of overall business compliance. Integrating cybersecurity into your company's compliance policy protects your organisation from threats while meeting essential regulatory requirements. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by adopting the Government-backed Cyber Essentials certification scheme. To ensure your efforts are effective, it's crucial to work with an accredited Cyber Essentials partner who can audit your work—because when it comes to cybersecurity, marking your own homework just isn't enough. This guide will walk you through the steps to include cybersecurity in your compliance policy using Cyber Essentials as the foundation.
Step 1: Understand the Basics of Cyber Essentials
Before integrating cybersecurity into your compliance policy, it's essential to understand what Cyber Essentials entails. Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed certification scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against the most common cyber threats. It focuses on five key areas:
- Firewalls: Protecting your network from unauthorised access.
- Secure Configuration: Reducing vulnerabilities through proper system setup.
- User Access Control: Limiting access to systems and data to necessary personnel.
- Malware Protection: Using anti-malware software to prevent infections.
- Patch Management: Keeping software up to date with the latest security patches.
These five controls are the foundation of Cyber Essentials and should always be the starting point for integrating cybersecurity into your compliance policy.
Step 2: Align Cybersecurity with Compliance Goals
To integrate cybersecurity into your compliance policy effectively, align it with your company's broader compliance goals. Identify the regulatory requirements that apply to your business, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or other industry-specific regulations, and map these requirements to the controls outlined in Cyber Essentials. This alignment ensures that your cybersecurity efforts protect your business and help you meet legal and regulatory obligations.
Step 3: Develop a Cybersecurity Policy Framework
Using Cyber Essentials as your guide, develop a cybersecurity policy framework that can be integrated into your overall compliance policy. This framework should include:
- Purpose and Scope: Define the purpose of your cybersecurity policy and its scope within the organisation.
- Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly outline who is responsible for implementing and maintaining cybersecurity measures.
- Cyber Essentials Controls: Detail how each of the five Cyber Essentials controls will be implemented and maintained.
- Compliance Integration: Explain how cybersecurity efforts align with broader compliance goals and regulatory requirements.
- Incident Response: Develop a plan for responding to cybersecurity incidents, including roles, responsibilities, and procedures for reporting and addressing breaches. Identify a third-party incident response partner to support you further should the worst happen. Often, having a retainer-type relationship will mean an immediate response when you need it.
Step 4: Engage Leadership and Secure Buy-In
Integrating cybersecurity into your compliance policy requires buy-in from the top leadership. Present the Cyber Essentials scheme to your board of directors and explain its importance in protecting the organisation and meeting compliance requirements. Highlight the benefits of achieving Cyber Essentials certification, such as reduced risk of cyber attacks, improved reputation, and enhanced customer trust. Gaining support from leadership will ensure that cybersecurity becomes a priority across the organisation.
Step 5: Work with an Accredited Cyber Essentials Partner
Working with an accredited Cyber Essentials partner is crucial to ensure your cybersecurity measures are effective. They can audit your work, provide an unbiased assessment of your cybersecurity posture, and help you achieve certification. This external validation is essential because it ensures your efforts meet the required standards. After all, you don't want to be marking your own homework when it comes to something as critical as cybersecurity.
Step 6: Implement and Monitor Cyber Essentials Controls
With your cybersecurity policy framework in place, implement the Cyber Essentials controls. Work closely with your IT department, compliance teams, and accredited partner to ensure that firewalls, secure configurations, user access controls, malware protection, and patch management are effectively deployed. Regularly monitor these controls to ensure they function as intended and adjust as needed.
Step 7: Conduct Regular Audits and Assessments
To maintain compliance and cybersecurity effectiveness, conduct regular audits such as monthly Vulnerability scanning or Auto Pen testing with the help of your accredited Cyber Essentials partner. These audits will help you identify vulnerabilities, ensure ongoing compliance, and maintain your Cyber Essentials certification.
Step 8: Provide Ongoing Training and Awareness
Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility across the organisation. Provide ongoing training and awareness programs to ensure all employees understand their role in maintaining cybersecurity and compliance. This training should cover the basics of Cyber Essentials, how to recognise and respond to cyber threats, and the importance of following company policies and procedures.
Step 9: Achieve and Maintain Cyber Essentials Certification
Finally, work towards achieving Cyber Essentials Plus certification with the support of your accredited partner. This certification demonstrates your organisation's commitment to cybersecurity and compliance, providing a solid foundation for protecting your business from cyber threats. Once achieved, maintain your certification by regularly reviewing and updating your cybersecurity policies and controls, staying ahead of emerging threats.
Conclusion
Integrating cybersecurity into your company's compliance policy is essential for protecting your business and meeting regulatory requirements. Using the Cyber Essentials certification scheme as a foundation and working with an accredited partner, you can develop a comprehensive cybersecurity policy that aligns with your broader compliance goals. Follow this guide to ensure that cybersecurity is embedded into your company's culture and operations, safeguarding your organisation against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.
