Read on to discover how a Cyber Essentials Practitioner is so much more than just an adviser. By taking responsibility for the practical steps needed to prepare your system, a Practitioner takes the hassle out of your Cyber Essentials application.

At its core, Cyber Essentials (CE) is about protecting you from cyber threats. It is extremely practical, straight forward to implement and, therefore, perfect for small businesses.

If you are looking for help with a Cyber Essentials application you’ll have come across a lot of Certification Bodies (we like Indelible Data). Their purpose is to assess applicants and award certificates. Typically, they require you to do the legwork (with their guidance).

What they don’t do is implement the changes to your system.

And that is as it should be. A Certification Body needs to remain impartial.

A Practitioner, on the other hand, is an expert in implementing system changes. They can advise on the standard, help you interpret the requirements but, most importantly, specialise in the practical work required prior to the assessment by the Certification Body.

How About An Example?

One of the 5 areas covered by Cyber Essentials is your firewall. This needs to secured in a number of ways.

• A Certification Body advises you what needs to be done and, during your assessment requires proof that your firewall configuration meets the standard.
• A Practitioner looks at your firewall configuration, recommends specific changes and implements them.

We Work Together

Don’t think that this means you have to choose between a Practitioner and a Certification Body. It’s quite the opposite – we work together. My Accredited Cyber Essentials Practitioner certification is awarded by a Certification Body. They advise and update us on the requirements of the accreditation. We have a hotline to them for any specific guidance or unique challenges that we encounter.

Likewise, a Certification Body knows that they can rely on our expertise to implement the technical measures required to meet the standard. As a result, an application overseen by a Practitioner will be easier and quicker for them to assess. For that reason, Certification Bodies like to have a Practitioner involved and often offer a reduction on their fees.

And, best of all, knowing that our recommendations will be externally assessed ensures that we provide you with the optimal advice – no more and no less than you need.

What Are the Benefits to You?

In summary then, there are a whole range of ways that working with an Accredited Practitioner can help your business with its Cyber Essentials application. We:

• Take responsibility
• Offer practical advice
• Do the legwork
• Save you time
• Increase your chance of success
• Save you money

To find out how Evolve can help you with your Cyber Essentials application contact me (David):

Call 020 8939 8481. Get in touch through Twitter or LinkedIn.