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Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials Certification

Cyber threats don’t just target large enterprises. Small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly vulnerable to ransomware, phishing, and data breaches. That is why the Cyber Essentials scheme was set up by the UK government and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to help organisations of all sizes strengthen their defences against the most common attacks.

Man looking at computer screen

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed cyber certification scheme that proves your organisation is following essential cybersecurity practices. It centers on five key controls that help protect against the majority of basic cyber threats:

  • Firewalls and Internet gateways
  • Secure configuration of systems and software
  • User access control and management
  • Antivirus tools and malware protection
  • Patch management and software updates

There are two levels of certification:

Cyber Essentials: this is a self-assessment that’s verified by an external certifying body

Cyber Essentials Plus: this includes an independent technical audit of your systems and controls

Why get Cyber Essentials certified?

Reduce risk: Implement a strong security foundation that protects against common cyber attacks.

Demonstrate trust: Show customers, suppliers, and partners that you take data protection and security seriously.

Meet the requirements for government contracts: For many UK government and MOD contracts, the Cyber Essentials is a prerequisite to bidding.

Support compliance: Supports GDPR obligations and aligns with ISO 27001 and other best-practice frameworks.

Gain a competitive edge: Use certification to differentiate your business in security-sensitive markets.

How Arc helps you achieve certification

We simplify the Cyber Essentials journey with a structured, guided approach:

  • Gap Analysis and Pre-Assessment: We analyse your present position, pinpointing areas that need improvement prior to submission.
  • Remediation support: Our technical team provides support for implementing necessary changes, ranging from configuration updates to policy adjustments.
  • Self-assessment submission assistance: We guide you through the process and ensure accurate documentation and evidence are provided.
  • Cyber Essentials Plus support: For the advanced certification, we co-ordinate the audit and help prepare your systems for review.
  • Ongoing compliance and maintenance: Once certified, we help maintain your compliance posture with continuous monitoring and advisory services.

Our numbers always add up

Numbers, as they say, never lie. Here are some that all add up to why you should be using Arc when it comes to managed IT support.

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Number of issues

Our total number of helpdesk tickets logged across 2024

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SLA

First response met across 2024

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Years of experience

Delivering cutting-edge IT solutions backed by a decade of expertise and industry knowledge

The benefits are clear

  • Enhance cost savings

    Reduces costs by eliminating the need for in-house infrastructure, staff and ongoing maintenance expenses.

  • Improve customer service

    Improve service by ensuring 24/7 technical support, faster issue resolution and access to advanced technology.

  • Reduce cybersecurity risks

    Strengthen security with expert monitoring, advanced threat detection and up-to-date protections against evolving threats.

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