Any business can fall victim to a cyberattack. Two of the main causes are outdated antivirus and not applying changes to update operating systems, or 'patching'. Almost 60% of data breaches are caused by software that isn't patched.

The government-backed Cyber Essentials Certification scheme aims to educate organisations and businesses on the risks and dangers of the modern, virtual world. It can also help companies to protect themselves against possible cyberattacks and threats.

Cybersecurity is valuable, and therefore can be relatively expensive. The Cyber Essentials Certification is a great way for any company — especially SMBs — to ensure that you've got the basics covered to protect your business, without having to spend funds on dedicated cybersecurity personnel.

This certification takes you through the basics of cybersecurity. It can help to improve your security posture, build trust with prospects and customers, and enable you to bid for Government contracts. It also helps to ensure that you stay protected from the vast majority of cyberattacks that you'd otherwise face.

Businesses are advised to begin with Cyber Essentials requirements as a base level of security. However, they should also be looking for a continuous level of protection. An innovative cloud-based cyber security solution, called CDE (Cyber Defence by Extech Cloud) has been developed by specialists at Extech Cloud, to help businesses like yours keep cybersecurity up to date. Unlike many cybersecurity products, CDE enables continuous monitoring of a business's compliance level, and automatic remediation of any security threats posed. If you're looking to get started with cybersecurity and learn more about Cyber Essentials, Extech Cloud can help your business.

Extech Cloud is an accredited Microsoft Solutions Partner, Microsoft 365 and Azure Specialist, and an award-winning IT Consulting business, working with businesses in Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Brighton, Crawley, and across Sussex.