We are proudly supporting the Charities Cyber Essentials Awareness Month 2024. In this blog we help the Cyber Essentials Delivery Partner, IASME, to share their cyber security guidance for charities, and to spread news of the discounted certification.

Throughout October, IASME will be working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre and participating Certification Bodies to educate charities about the cyber threat they face and inform them about the benefits of Cyber Essentials.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 states that around a third of charities (32%) report having experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. This is much higher (66%) for high-income charities with £500,000 or more in annual income.

Cyber Essentials represents the UK Government’s minimum baseline standard for cyber security for organisations of all sizes in the UK. The annually renewable certification scheme is aligned to five technical controls designed to prevent the most common internet-based cyber security threats.

If you are a registered charity, and you sign up and pay for Cyber Essentials between the 1st and 31st October, you will receive a discount to the price of certification. Charities wishing to take advantage of this promotion can apply now by contacting any of the participating Certification Bodies. Find out more.

Free support and guidance

To help charities achieve certification, IASME has created a range of guidance.

• Go to the Cyber Essentials Help and Resources page on the IASME website

• Visit the Cyber Essentials Knowledge Hub’s guidance for charities

To find out more about Charities Cyber Essentials Awareness Month, click here.

IASME is a cyber security certification company based in the Malvern Hills, with an office in Belfast and one in Dalgety Bay, near Edinburgh. IASME work with a network of more than 900 cyber security experts to help organisations of all sizes to improve and demonstrate their cyber security.

The National Cyber Security Centre (a part of GCHQ) introduced the Cyber Essentials scheme as part of its mission to make the UK the safest place to do business online, and to offer businesses a simple and affordable way to tackle cyber security. IASME is the Government’s Cyber Essentials partner, responsible for delivering the scheme.

Cyber Essentials represents the UK Government’s minimum baseline standard for cyber security for organisations of all sizes in the UK. The annually renewable certification scheme is aligned to five technical controls designed to prevent the most common internet-based cyber security threats.

Meet our Cyber Essentials Partners

Our Cyber Essentials Partners are official providers of Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus Certification.

​​Cyber Essentials helps you to guard against the most common cyber threats and demonstrate your commitment to cyber security which can often become a requirement when tendering for work in both public and private sectors.

Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective, Government-backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks.

Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).