Many organisations are choosing to up their game regarding information security management, as evident in the number of companies choosing to get ISO 27001 certified. But, it can be challenging to understand the best route and protection is best for your organisation. You may or may not have heard of Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001, but many business owners wonder if they are the same.
In this article, we introduce ourselves at Creative Networks and inform you of what we can do for your business and some helpful information on Cyber Essentials and ISO 27001. So, is Cyber Essentials the same as ISO 27001? No, ISO 27001 goes considerably further than Cyber Essentials, but choosing which accreditation to go for depends on your organisation’s needs, and a managed IT service provider can help you to decide.
Table of Contents
Why is security compliance important?
What is Cyber Essentials?
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
What is ISO 27001?
Which is best, Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001?
What can Creative Networks do for you?
Why is security compliance important?
Before we delve deep into the ongoing argument as to which accreditation is better, let’s first look at why security compliance is an essential tool to invest in for any business that uses technology and stores or uses personal data and information.
Cyber security is high-risk for all companies, whether you’re entirely cloud-based or rely on digital processes, it’s something every organisation should be working hard against. The steps outlined within compliance awards have been expertly defined to ensure that companies can safely operate with minimised risk.
Other reasons that adopting some form of security compliance is important include:
- Adhering to security compliance measures will save your organisation money in the long term, including cheaper insurance premiums and a better chance at avoiding security fines.
- Businesses can adopt better processes that benefit departments across the entire company. Operating with transparency is vital for confidence trading, allowing companies to improve profits and competitiveness.
- Stronger and safer data management leading to less worry and hassle
- Customer and supplier trust is also enhanced by being security compliant. Demonstrating the correct processes and a willingness to invest in safe operations shows that a company truly cares about cyber security.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a certification scheme managed by the National Cyber Security Center and supported by both the government and private sector (NCSC). Cyber Essentials was first introduced on June 5, 2014, and as of October 1, 2014, the government mandated that all providers competing for contracts requiring the handling of specific types of sensitive and personally identifiable information be certified against the system. Such contracts include delivering certain IT products and handling personal information. For other organisations, it is not mandatory.
The scheme instructs firms on the basics of cyber security and how to protect themselves from the most common dangers. Your organisation’s dedication to Cyber Security will be recognised with the completion of the certificate.
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials Plus is the secondary phase of the popular Cyber Essentials programme. It is awarded to businesses fully proficient in cyber security. Cyber Security Plus was created as a more hands-on approach to managing essential’s status as it covers all forms of internal security and involves passing an external vulnerability test. The award is also only provided by an auditor representing the highest levels of adherence needed.
What is ISO 27001?
ISO 27001 is an internally recognised certification of excellence related to Information Security Management. Covering critical aspects of business, such as cyber security and data protection, which is an essential component of any IT infrastructure for modern-day business.
While data breaches cannot be completely escaped, installing an ISO 27001-compliant ISMS can mitigate much of the risk. This is one of the many reasons why the global managed IT security services market is set to be worth a staggering £49.4 billion by 2027 and why more and more businesses are turning to managed IT services for Information security management systems (ISMS).
ISO 27001 can be seen as the string that pulls together each department’s activity to improve the safety of data and information as it is being interacted with. Businesses with this accreditation can work more confidently by promoting a constant awareness of Information Security Management Systems. The parameters are also ideal for hybrid working companies, which are more likely to experience data violation due to the various networks that can be used.
The ISO 27001 standard provides companies of any size and from all sectors with guidance for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving their security management. A company that conforms to the standard means that the business has put in place a system to manage risks related to the security of data owned or handled by the company and that this system respects all the best practices and principles enshrined in this international standard.
Which is best, Cyber Essentials or ISO 27001?
So, is ISO 27001 better than Cyber Essentials? As with Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001 focuses on all aspects of cyber security but expands on the areas covered further to consider people, processes and technology. With more of a focus on assets, ISO 27001 is a popular choice regarding data management and reducing cyber security spending.
The answer really depends on your organisation and which is a better fit for your needs. We believe that ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials can benefit companies in different ways depending on the operations they focus on.
Cyber Essentials Plus is a UK-awarded certificate that the government has developed. Whilst it is available for global companies, it should be noted that it was primarily created to benefit UK companies. For this reason, many of the measures included are perfectly aligned with current risks within the country. This doesn’t mean that the content is irrelevant for international companies, but it offers more advantages for UK organisations. It is also a certification that is often requested during the UK tendering process as being a vital certification to hold, making it more relevant for local companies.
ISO 27001 is an international award at its core, meaning that it offers more benefits for larger or global companies. Along with being more expensive and slightly harder to achieve, it is designed to help structure more developed companies in terms of processes and personnel. It can be applied to smaller companies but does have the best results when rolled out on a larger scale. ISO 27001 also exceeds the Essentials certificate’s traditional security measures, which is important for more developed organisations.
Need help in setting your cyber security goals and an action plan putting in place? Allow us at Creative Networks to help you.
What can Creative Networks do for you?
As a business that has more than 18 years of experience, Creative Networks know everything there is to know about the world of IT support and services, including ISO certifications. This is represented in the growth of our services and clients over the years, which has put us in the position of being a market leader networks support agency.
We can help to answer your questions and queries, such as whether you need Cyber Essentials if you have ISO 27001, and give you expert advice on the difference between them, including which accreditation we think will benefit your business.
As you can see from the wide range of IT services we provide, our approach to setting companies up with tough IT networks is to cover all bases. This is how we also handle getting companies ready and compliant for ISO 27001. The main goals are to improve confidentiality, make operations more efficient, create robust business integrity and ensure that information is available for safe access whenever needed.
We offer full ISO 27001 auditing and IT consultancy to help things run smoother. By providing a clear view of where your business stands concerning ISO compliance, we can work with you to create a unique strategy for achieving IT security success!
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