Glossary definition: UK Cyber Essentials

UK Cyber Essentials: Protect Your Business from Cyberattacks

UK Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats. It provides a set of simple, but effective, safeguards to help organisations protect their data, systems and networks from the most common cyber threats. It is the minimum standard for cyber security in the UK and is a mandatory requirement for organisations that handle sensitive information or provide certain types of services. The scheme consists of five key controls, which are: boundary firewalls and internet gateways; secure configuration; access control; malware protection; and patch management. These five controls are designed to protect organisations from the most common cyber threats, such as phishing attacks, malware infections, and unauthorised access to systems and networks. The scheme also provides guidance on how organisations can protect themselves from more sophisticated cyber threats. It is designed to be simple to implement and maintain, and is suitable for organisations of all sizes.