The Scottish Government has made funding available for a new voucher scheme to help Scottish businesses and charities achieve the National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC) Cyber Essentials certification.

The Cyber Essentials Voucher Scheme was launched on Wednesday 7th November 2018 and aims to help support companies and organisations who are based in Scotland to protect themselves from cyber attacks.

Scotland-based organisations can apply for vouchers worth up to £1000 to achieve the Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

This newly-launched scheme will only run for 12 months or until all vouchers have been awarded so it really is an opportunity to act now.

Grant McGregor Ltd is an experienced Certification Body for Cyber Essentials and a member of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre's (SBRC) Trusted Partner scheme.

This means that we have passed the advanced status of becoming a Cyber Essential Certifying Body and have conducted cyber assessments & certifications and produced Cyber Essentials Readiness Action Plans for a wide-range of businesses and Government bodies.

If you would like to find out how we can help your business to achieve the Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certifications, then please get in touch.

According to the Scottish Enterprise Cyber Security website, there are several reasons to ensure your business or organisation is Cyber secure today:

Four reasons why cyber security matters

1. Customer awareness is increasing

Last year saw a raft of high profile cyber attacks publicised in the media. As public awareness of cyber security is growing, more and more consumers are taking cyber security seriously.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that can demonstrate a robust approach to cyber security are more likely to be considered a safe bet by customers.

2. The procurement landscape is changing

If you’re bidding for contracts, you need this. The Scottish Government recently launched its public and private sector action plans on cyber security. Both include actions that mean from now on, being able to demonstrate

Cyber Essentials will be increasingly necessary when bidding for contracts. This reflects a general shift towards a focus on cyber security in the procurement process.

In a recent survey

• 94% of procurement managers said cyber standards are important when awarding a contract for an SME
• 86% said they would consider removing a supplier from their roster due to a cyber security breach

Source: Small Business Reputation and the Cyber Risk, KPMG, 2016

3. Cyber security is moving up the leadership agenda, fast

The amount of time leaders spend worrying about cyber security is increasing.

In the last year

• Three quarters of UK businesses said cyber is a high priority for senior management
• Three fifths have sought information, advice or guidance on cyber security
• Nearly 70% spent money on cyber security

Source: DCMS Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2017

4. Know the risk

If you’re an SME, there’s a one in two chance you’ll experience a cyber breach. And it doesn’t only apply to companies working in the digital sector. Companies from across different industries and sectors are targeted by cyber criminals on a daily basis for their intellectual property or customer data.

Of the companies attacked last year, 41% said online services weren’t seen as their core business. The reality is that small companies are often seen as soft targets compared to larger organisations who can employ teams of people and expensive systems.

The average cost of an attack is estimated to be between £1300 to £3000, but the damage can be more than financial. Nearly 90% of small businesses that were hacked last year said it caused damage to their brand, stopped them winning new business, or lost them clients. 93% said it significantly impacted on their ability to operate.

Source: Cyber Readiness Report, Hiscox, 2017

If you would like to find out how Edinburgh Cyber Essentials Certification Body - Grant McGregor Ltd can help your business to achieve the Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certifications, then please get in touch.