1284 Communications has been reawarded Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) - 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, then last year applied for and achieved 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 make more authoritative bids for government contracts involving sensitive data handling, while also helping protect against approximately 80% of common cyber attacks.

Around 612,000 businesses and 61,000 charities in the UK reported having experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the past year.

1284 Managing Director George Oliver said: “Retaining Cyber Essentials Plus for a second year is an important milestone for our business and for our clients. 

“It demonstrates that we take data protection and cyber risk seriously, and that our systems have been independently tested against a recognised national standard. 

“In a climate where so many organisations experience cyber attacks each year, being able to show this level of assurance is essential to how we work and the trust our clients place in us.”

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 our associate 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.