Improve your cyber resilience with Digital Assurance as a Service
The internet, digital technology and the infrastructure that underpins it have become fundamental to the success of most businesses, transforming the way we communicate and the critical systems we rely on. Extraordinary change … but also unprecedented risk. Nowadays, what happens in the boardroom matters as much to cyber and operational resilience as the actions of technical experts in the basement.
For hackers and cybercriminals, opportunities have never been greater. With an increase in the usage of digital services; the number of public IP addresses continually growing; and a staggering amount of data generated and collected across the globe every day, there is a multitude of vulnerabilities which can be taken advantage of. It means the likelihood of your business and your extended supply chains and partners being hacked is higher than ever.
The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has estimated that cyber attacks cost UK business £34 billion each year. DCMS’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021 found that nearly 40% of businesses suffered digital security breaches or attacks in 2021. For SMEs through to large organisations, the challenge is complex, and the threat of cyber attack is a serious one. Establishing greater cyber and operational resilience is critical, as a business is certainly only as strong as its weakest link.
Turn cyber risk into cyber power and make it a source of strategic advantage
If you think your cyber resilience and cyber hygiene are at the right level, you may need to think again. Cyber threats evolve daily, like a virus, finding new weaknesses and ways of hitting your business. The impact of a hack can be severe, from reputational damage to the complete crippling of all operations, as well as the potential for corporate and personal fines at board level.
Designed to build your business’ resilience
IT, technology and legal teams often work in silos rather than collaboratively, which can leave critical gaps in an organisation’s cyber defence strategy. The cost of sourcing up-to-the-minute, expert advice in this area can also be prohibitive. So, what’s the solution?
BPE has partnered with Cheltenham-based Bamboo Technology Group for an innovative service which meets this challenge head-on, following the UK Government and NCSC guidelines as best practice. Digital Assurance is a combined tech and legal service, designed to make your organisation cyber-fit and more resilient to diverse threats. And, crucially, it helps it stay that way.
Turning technology and legal expertise to your advantage
The technology element of the service uses an automated diagnostic tool to carry out an audit, conduct threat and vulnerability assessments and identify any weaknesses. It independently certifies and verifies an organisation’s cyber status, which can also open the door to new business opportunities.
A full governance review ensures that the right roles and responsibilities have been allocated; and that suitable policies, procedures, training and validation are in place. Wargaming and simulations enable a much faster, more effective response across the whole team in the event of a real hack, all documented in the ‘Cyber Response Playbook’. This isn’t a box-ticking exercise: it actively helps your organisation to meet cyber threats in the most proactive way possible.
The legal aspect of cyber security is also made watertight. Contracts are reviewed and upgraded across the entire supply chain, and evidence logs provide tangible proof that all controls, processes and contracts are fit for purpose and fully up-to-date.
How to keep your organisation protected
Digital Assurance offers organisations a smart combination of integrated technology and legal expertise in one place. It puts organisations on the front foot in a constantly evolving digital landscape, and helps to reduce the impact of operational impact, reputational risk, potential fines and the risk of litigation. Plus, with greater cyber resilience there are potential savings to be made on insurance.
Whatever the size of your business, the cyber threat is real and present. If you’d like to know more about Digital Assurance, email digitalassurance@bpe.co.uk or call 01242 501903.
These notes have been prepared for the purpose of articles only. They should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice.