In the ever-evolving world of digital business, cybersecurity is not just a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment. Along with being ISO 27001 and 9001 certified, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications have been instrumental in reinforcing Olive Jar Digital’s security position and demonstrating our dedication to safeguarding sensitive data.
As the cybersecurity landscape continues to shift, we recently went through the annual process of renewing our Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications. This wasn’t just about keeping up with a checklist—it was an opportunity to reassess our security measures and ensure that we continue to meet the high standards required to keep our systems secure and strengthen our relationships with clients and partners.
The renewal process takes more than submitting paperwork or answering a few questions—it involved a comprehensive review and improvement of our cybersecurity practices. Here’s how we approached it:
Step 1: Reviewing and Updating Our Cybersecurity Practices
This involves a thorough review of all current processes and practices to ensure we are maintaining high standards of cyber security in line with the requirements of the CE and CE Plus assessments. This is the time to address any areas for improvement ahead of formal testing.
Step 2: Conducting a Fresh Cyber Essentials Self-Assessment
Here’s the opportunity to evidence all your hard work! The assessment asks many questions surrounding the main elements of cyber security and you must thoroughly and accurately describe your current processes for addressing each, with supporting evidence from your infosec policies and procedures.
Step 3: Undergoing the Cyber Essentials Plus Testing
An external penetration test assesses how effective your measures truly are in the face of cyber threats. If you’ve all the correct defensive measures in place, it should be easy to prove you are fully protected from threats to your business.
Following our renewal assessments, we were thrilled to receive confirmation that we had successfully passed both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus once again, with no areas for improvement identified.
But the work does not stop at renewal. Throughout the year, we follow a schedule of maintenance that includes internal audits, continuous monitoring and staff training to ensure we are always on-top of our cyber security obligations. By committing to continuous improvement and ongoing compliance, we’ve ensured that Olive Jar Digital remains protected against evolving cyber threats.
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