IT firm delivers cyber security boost for Scottish businesses

31/12/2019
Stuart Gilbertson founder and MD of Consider IT

COMPUTER defence experts have urged more businesses to sign up for a £1000 cash giveaway which helps SMEs get protected against the burgeoning threats online.

The highly-qualified team at Consider IT in Edinburgh have revealed they are helping firms to get Cyber Essentials accreditation– but want to see more businesses collect.

Now they have urged canny Scottish businesses to stake a claim for the cash grants being offered by the Government through the Cyber Essentials Voucher Scheme, before the £500,000 pot runs out. The scheme aims to improve Scotland’s cyber security, making it one of the most secure places to do business.

Stuart Gilbertson, founder and MD of Consider IT in Edinburgh, said: “With hundreds of high-profile IT security breaches and hacks happening every year, clients are coming to us with cybersecurity as a top priority.

“It’s not just the bigger players who are worried – it’s affecting businesses of every size, with everyone starting to look for that extra step in their IT security.”

Thriving Consider IT is a one of a tiny handful of CREST-accredited specialists in Scotland which can deliver Cyber Essentials, while helping businesses claim back up to £1000 of the costs from Scottish Enterprise.

Stuart added: “It’s no easy task to bring clients through Cyber Essentials, because it’s intensive for everyone involved.

“However, it is well worth it when the Government is offering a grant which will cover the entire cost – and despite the amount of work involved, it is rewarding for our team to see clients take a real interest in security.”

The grants represent superb value, since research has shown that is a fraction of the costs suffered by businesses affected by the growing issue of cyber crime.

A Scottish Enterprise spokesman said: “Cyber security is an increasing challenge to businesses. According to the Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2017, the estimated average cost of a cyber-attack is £1300-£3000.

“Around 90% of small businesses that were hacked last year said it caused damage to their brand – stopping them from winning new businesses, or losing them clients.

“Cyber Essentials is an achievable way for organisations to protect themselves from the most common types of online threat – we offer a voucher scheme to support SMEs in Scotland to achieve the certification.”

Consider IT is also a trusted partner of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC), which exists to support and help Scottish businesses, particularly in the arena of cyber crime and online fraud.

Eamonn Keane, Head of Cyber Security and Innovation at SBRC, said: “We’re seeing more and more cases of cyber-attacks on Scottish businesses every year.

“A big part of making businesses more resilient is making sure they’re equipped to face cyber challenges as well as other security challenges – we rely on Trusted Partners like Consider IT to help us support Scottish businesses and bring their cybersecurity up to scratch.”

Consider IT’s Stuart Gilbertson said the firm has been impressed with the demand for Cyber Essentials accreditation, but believes many businesses do not realise grants are available. Consider IT charges £900, including VAT, for the process, meaning the grant covers the full costs.

Its clients who have already been through the process include a legal firm, a public relations agency and industry skills membership body and financial planners and Stuart added: “They see the benefits in being able to reassure their client and customers that they take security very seriously.”

Based in Leith, Consider IT is one of only three Scottish businesses – and 53 across the UK – accredited by the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers (CREST), widely seen as the gold standard of the various accreditation bodies.

Consider IT can manage both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification for clients. Both certifications involve a rigorous assessment of business processes, data security and security testing methodologies. CE Plus certification involves twice as many tests on a client’s IT infrastructure – including assessments of exposure to malware, internal vulnerabilities, workstations and mobile devices.

Consider IT has a growing list of 70 clients across Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, and since being founded has built up a £1.2m-a-year turnover. As part of its commitment to security and business continuity, it offers a disaster recovery suite which can be operational for any of its clients hit by a catastrophe, giving instant access to that business’s vital files and computer systems. For more information on all of Consider IT’s services, please visit https://www.considerit.co.uk/

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