Cyber Essentials Plus audits five baseline controls on sampled devices; a penetration test tries to get in. What each covers, where they overlap, which to do first, and how to run both without paying twice.
The five Cyber Essentials technical controls (firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection) explained by a certification body: what each requires, what the assessor checks, and where applicants fall short.
In short. A defensible cyber security budget starts with a risk assessment, not last year’s figures or a vendor’s shopping list. Identify your most valuable assets and the threats most likely to hit them, then spread spend across people, process and technology so every pound maps to a business risk you can explain to the board. A defensible cyber security…
In short. Cyber security is a regulatory obligation for law firms, not just an IT concern: the SRA expects reasonable steps to protect client money, confidential information and systems, and both the SRA and the ICO can act after a breach. This guide covers what the regulator expects, the threats that target solicitors, and the controls that reduce the risk.…
In short. Boards and technical teams want the same thing, a protected business, but talk past each other. Report cyber risk in business terms: link each vulnerability to an impact, choose a few metrics that show trend, answer “so what?” every time, and bring evidence from testing rather than assurances. Technical teams and boards have the same objective when it…
UK financial services firms are regulated for cyber security through operational resilience rules: important business services, impact tolerances and scenario testing, plus CBEST and STAR-FS for systemic firms, DORA for EU exposure and the new critical third parties regime. What each expects and what a proportionate testing programme looks like.
A penetration test is a controlled, authorised attempt to break into your systems so you find the weaknesses first. How it differs from a vulnerability scan, the types of test, the process from scoping to retest, and what a good report looks like.
CREST and The Cyber Scheme certify UK penetration testers; CHECK is the NCSC scheme for testing government systems. What CSTM, CSTL, CRT and CCT involve, how they map to each other, and how they lead to UK Cyber Security Council titles and CHECK status.
Most infrastructure penetration tests are won by the same five weaknesses: unpatched systems, weak authentication, exposed management interfaces, flat networks and cleartext protocols. How each shows up, what it lets an attacker do, and what fixes it.
The DSPT, the NHS Cyber Security Charter and Cyber Essentials Plus are three separate expectations on health and care organisations and their suppliers. Who must do what, where Cyber Essentials Plus is required, and what the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill does and does not change.
