Bellrock Awarded Cyber Essentials Plus Certification!

As a business that handles large sets of our client’s data, a strong cybersecurity framework is an absolute priority. To this end, Bellrock is proud to announce that we have been accredited with Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

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Cyber Essentials Plus certification underlines Bellrock’s commitment to maintaining the security of our client’s important data, data that can be the key to the success of your organisation.

Cyber Essentials Plus Certification it is part of the government-backed ‘Cyber Essentials Scheme’. Participation in the basic level of the scheme provides organisations with a self-assessment that helps identify problem areas within their cybersecurity and prevent potential attacks. Organisations that have recently bid for government contracts will be aware of this scheme, as it is mandatory for businesses to carry out before bidding.

The Cyber Essentials Plus scheme provides an additional layer of complexity to the audit, as a hands-on technical verification of an organisation’s cybersecurity is conducted. Organisations that receive a Cyber Essentials Plus Certification are verified as meeting the highest standards of cybersecurity possible.

On the awarding of the Cyber Essentials Plus Certification, Chief Technical Officer at Bellrock, Greg Davies, had this to say:

’As a business we are continuously working to improve how we protect ours and our client’s data and information, and to this end we are proud to have been recently awarded Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

In doing this, we have applied improved measures and governance policies to ensure the way in which we work, the data we create and transform, and the technology landscape in which we operate, is even more tightly controlled than ever before.

This will be a continuous journey for us as a business, and we will endeavour to always put our technology at the front of the services we provide, in a resilient and scalable manner.’’

Greg DaviesChief Technical Officer, Bellrock Property & Facilities Management

The increasing importance of cybersecurity

Organisations in the UK and across the globe are becoming increasingly reliant on IT for their business to properly function. The past year alone has seen businesses forced to rapidly adapt and implement new technologies, with remote working becoming standard practice for many in the workforce.

It is in this rapid change that potential issues with cybersecurity arise. Remote working has seen cybersecurity infrastructures stretched thin and employee devices that lack standardised security are increasingly connecting with important internal systems.

How weak cybersecurity can cost you money

According to Government statistics, 39% of businesses reported having cybersecurity breaches or attacks in 2020/21, with the average cost of these breaches estimated at £8,460. Losing that amount of money due to lax cybersecurity is not something most businesses can afford, especially now.

Around 77% of businesses claim that cybersecurity is a critical infrastructure and therefore a high priority for their business. However, the elevated number of cybersecurity breaches in recent years suggests some businesses aren’t taking it as seriously as they should. A rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape means that businesses handling large sets of user data need to stay vigilant to the risks posed by cyber attackers.

Bellrock’s approach

At Bellrock, we are experts in data protection and we work closely with our clients to ensure their cybersecurity meets the highest standards for data protection. We also ensure that the client data we store internally meets a robust data protection framework.

Our data centres are based right here in the UK, which means they must meet the security levels stipulated by the Data Protection Act and GDPR. None of the data that we collect is stored offshore, which allows us complete control over where the data is stored and processed.

All of the data that we store is encrypted with strong cryptographic algorithms, is stored in backup virtual servers and is monitored 24/7 by a PRTG network monitoring tool. All of our servers are subjected to a weekly vulnerability scan and annual penetration testing to ensure it meets the high standards that we expect.

The biggest vulnerability in any business’s cybersecurity is its employees, with phishing attacks and other methods preying upon this vulnerability. We ensure this weakness cannot be exploited by regularly training staff with data protection training. As an organisation, we constantly strive to keep up to date with the latest certifications, such as the Cyber Essentials Plus Ceritification that we have just been awarded!

You can learn more about how Bellrock are helping organisations simplify the facilities management and risk management of their estate here.