What our Cyber Essentials certifications mean to you

Each year, we’re trusted with access to tens of thousands of datasets, some of which are extremely sensitive. Therefore, every client must feel that their data is in safe hands and their organisation is protected from the operational and reputational damage that a data leak would cause. 

To help prove that we take the security of our network seriously, we’ve secured Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications for the fourth year running. 

How our Cyber Essentials certification benefits you

If you’re one of our clients, Cyber Essentials provides reassurance that:

• Our systems (and your data) are protected from the most common cyber-attacks
• The service we deliver to you is unlikely to be disrupted by hackers or other cyber criminals
• We have comprehensive cyber insurance should the worst happen

As holders of Cyber Essentials Plus, you have the additional reassurance of knowing that we have been subject to a rigorous technical assessment and vulnerability scan by Sapphire, an independent certification body.

The assessor’s perspective

In 2021, we asked the team at Sapphire for their thoughts on our security measures. Here’s what they had to say: 

“Sapphire worked closely with Astun Technology to understand their individual challenges and concerns to provide recommendations and guidance to achieve certification. Cyber Essentials requires Astun Technology to have a number of technical and procedural controls in place to improve their information security in order to mitigate common internet-borne cyber-attacks. 

For Cyber Essentials Plus, the Sapphire auditors guided Astun Technology through a series of tests and malware checks that provide a level of assurance that these security controls have been successfully implemented within the organisation. Astun Technology successfully demonstrated its cyber security capabilities to pass the scheme at the first attempt. 

By having CE+ it improves their appeal as a ‘trusted supplier’ for large companies and is now a must for many Government contracts.”

Why Cyber Essentials is important to us

Although Cyber Essentials is required by many Government contracts, it’s far more than a box-ticking exercise for us. Simon Chapman, our Cyber Security Lead, has this to say about the importance of Cyber Essentials to the Astun team:

“Cyber Essentials is not only a customer requirement but also a means of implementing best practices in information governance and cyber security. Our continued commitment to Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation ensures a high level of protection for Astun and our customers. By implementing Cyber Essentials controls, we minimize the risk of attack, enhance our awareness of external threats and help to safeguard hosted systems and organisational data.”