A free cybersecurity ‘gap analysis’ is to be offered via partners of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre – to help firms pass a nationally recognised cyber accreditation scheme.

The analysis aims to help them pass their Cyber Essentials accreditation the first time, potentially helping them avoid applying a second time which could cost up to a further £500.

From 4 January, 280 Scottish organisations can access the exclusive programme, which is available for organisations of all sizes and sectors until 17 February 2023.

Its aim to equip firms with much greater levels of cyber resilience after recent National Cyber Security Centre figures showed there were 2.7m cases of cyber fraud in the UK over 2021-22.

Jude McCorry, CEO of the SBRC said: “It is vital that organisations have their cyber resilience front of mind next year. Given the sharp rise in incidents and the often-devastating impact that a cyber attack can have on an organisation, no one can afford to ignore their cyber processes and procedures.

“Achieving the Cyber Essentials certification is a simple way for an organisation to demonstrate how seriously it takes cyber resilience to its customers, stakeholders, and suppliers. NCSC figures show that on average 3.5 per cent of organisations fail the assessment each month, which can leave them out of pocket.

“This free support from SBRC and our trusted partner network will limit this failure rate by identifying gaps in cyber security procedures and provide advice to help organisations pass the certification on the first attempt.”

Cyber Essentials was developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and is delivered by IASME.

a certification scheme that supports organisations of all sizes to safeguard against online threats and demonstrate a commitment to cyber security to customers and stakeholders. 

The NCSC recently reported that 100,000 Cyber Essentials certificates have been awarded since the programme’s launch in 2014.

Scottish organisations can get more information about their free Cyber Essentials pre-assessment gap analysis by contacting the SBRC by calling 01786 447441 or emailing enquiries@sbrcentre.co.uk.