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For many small-to-medium sized businesses, or fast-growing start-ups, Cyber Essentials is the first brush with formal cyber security. It’s often prompted by a client requirement, tender opportunity or market regulation, and it can easily feel like another compliance hurdle to clear.
But if you look beyond the form-filling, Cyber Essentials is actually one of the most practical, high-impact things you can do for your organisation’s security. It focuses on five technical controls - secure configuration, firewalls, user access, malware protection, and patch management - which together prevent around 80% of common cyber attacks.
Each control represents a small, achievable step that collectively make a big difference. Secure configuration ensures devices and software are locked down from the start. Firewalls help control what comes in and out of your network. Access management reduces the risk of unauthorised users getting hold of sensitive data. Malware protection prevents malicious software from taking hold, and patching keeps everything up to date against known vulnerabilities.
In other words, it’s not a tick-box exercise. It’s a foundation. It’s about making sure your systems are secure by default, not secure by luck.
The problem is, many organisations approach it as a one-off project. They rush through to get the certificate, then go back to business as usual. Systems drift, new devices appear, and six months later they’re back to square one. That’s why certification on its own isn’t enough; you also need a structure to maintain the standards you’ve worked hard to achieve.
That’s where CCL Protect comes in. It’s designed to make that structure part of your ongoing business rhythm. The service includes a business review and gap analysis that map your current position against real-world threats and best practice. From there, you get tailored recommendations on what to fix first, and the option to build those fixes – and ongoing protections - into a managed, sustainable plan.
If you do want to go for Cyber Essentials, you’ll already have the groundwork in place, not just for passing the assessment, but for keeping those defences strong long after the certificate’s been awarded. That’s the biggest tick right there.
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CCL’s accreditations – CHECK, CREST and Cyber Essentials – are more than badges. They show that our work is independently tested, recognised and trusted across government, industry and law enforcement. It’s assurance that your business is in safe hands.
CCL Protect gives you your own fully-fledged cyber team, without the in-house cost.
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