NSI forges partnership with Cyber Essentials certification body Risk Crew

The basic aim of the new partnership is to provide NSI approved companies with a straightforward pathway to Cyber Essentials certification, building increased reassurance for the wider communities they serve.

Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials Plus certification is a Government-backed, industry-supported scheme orchestrated to help organisations of all sizes protect themselves against a range of common online attacks. Certification is mandatory for Ministry of Defence contracts, many UK central civil Government contracts involving the handling of personal information and the purveying of certain ICT products and services. It’s also becoming increasingly desirable for private sector contracts.

Further, such certification will be a requirement for Alarm Receiving Centres signing up to the ECHO-connected service for police response alarm signalling which is currently undergoing testing and due to be launched this year.

In addition to providing a clear statement of the basic controls organisations should implement to reduce the risks from common online threats, Cyber Essentials certification is an independent approval that companies can use to demonstrate to their customers, internal stakeholders, investors, insurers and others that they’ve taken essential cyber security precautions to protect their business and any customer data they hold.

Risk and compliance management

The NSI has been working with Risk Crew since 2017. Risk Crew is a London-based risk and compliance management consultancy and Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials Plus certification body for its own Cyber Essentials Plus certification and penetration testing. Having had the experience of gaining this certification through Risk Crew, the NSI is confident in Risk Crew’s capability as a Cyber Essentials certification body with whom NSI approved companies may wish to engage.

Richard Jenkins, CEO at the NSI, commented: “In today’s increasingly interconnected world, all businesses whether they’re large or small need a secure level of protection against cyber attack. Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials Plus certification reassures companies, and in turn their customers, that business processes and procedures have some level of protection.”

Jenkins added: “Maintaining Cyber Essentials Plus certification means that we gain invaluable insight into the robustness of our own cyber security measures. This new partnership signposts NSI approved companies to Risk Crew as a recognised approvals body in cyber security.”

Risk Crew CEO Richard Hollis observed: “The certification framework provides an essential baseline for protecting business systems and sensitive information assets. The principles and criteria are based upon fundamental cyber security Best Practice that has been proven to reduce the threat of a breach. It’s simple and effective.”

*NSI approved companies interested in applying for Cyber Essentials/Cyber Essentials Plus certification can find out more by visiting the NSI’s dedicated Cyber Essentials web page