1284 Communications has been awarded Cyber Essentials Plus - the highest standard in the UK’s Cyber Essentials scheme.

CE+ is a certification scheme developed by the UK Government to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats.

It builds on the basic Cyber Essentials certification by providing a higher level of assurance. This comes through independent testing and verification of an organisation's cybersecurity measures.

1284 first secured the basic Cyber Essentials standard in 2022.

But it is the first time that the company has applied for and gained the higher level of digital security.

The benefits of CE+

Cyber Essentials Plus provides a higher level of assurance that a business has implemented effective cybersecurity measures.

It enables companies to bid for government contracts involving sensitive data handling and helps protect against approximately 80% of common cyber attacks.

Around 7.7 million cyber crimes were experienced by businesses over the past year - around half of all UK firms.

The Cyber Essentials process

CE+ certification testing involves a comprehensive examination of internal and cloud IT infrastructure.

It identifies and addresses potential vulnerabilities through a comprehensive technical audit of the organisation's IT systems by an independent assessor.

1284's audit was completed by CyberSmart through Leicestershire-based Digital Planning.

The independent CE+assessment checked: 

• External vulnerability scanning of internet-facing IP addresses
• Internal vulnerability scans on a sample of devices
• Evaluation of email and web browser configurations
• Verification of implemented security controls.

The audit covers five essential technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and patch management.

Certification is valid for 12 months from the pass date.