Charity Cyber Essentials Awareness Month

Proud Certification Body and Cyber Advisor

At Data Connect, we are proud to be a Certification Body, Assured Service Provider, and Cyber Advisor for the Cyber Essentials scheme.

We are deeply committed to cyber security across diverse sectors and aim to provide comprehensive services tailored to meet the distinct needs of every organisation. Be it a business, educational institution, or charity, our six Cyber Essentials packages are designed to address your particular requirements. Our packages include everything needed to achieve Cyber Essentials, from workshops and expert support to full visibility through a sleek and user-friendly console.

We also take pride in our community involvement, especially with local charities, and eagerly participate in initiatives by our partners like IASME’s Charity Cyber Essentials Awareness Month to bolster cyber security efforts in the sector.

What is ‌the Charity Cyber Essentials Awareness Month?

Charity Cyber Essentials Awareness Month is an initiative aimed at raising awareness and providing resources to help charities protect themselves against cyber threats. Given the sensitive nature of the information they handle, charities are often prime targets for cyber attacks. This awareness month is designed to equip charities with the knowledge and tools they need to reduce the risk of attack and safeguard their data.

Only certain certification bodies are actively participating in the campaign and will be sharing helpful information and guidance throughout October. Also, IASME and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will be a great point of contact too.

Cyber Security Challenges Faced by Charities

You might be wondering why charities require a Cyber Essentials Awareness Month.

Charities face unique cyber security challenges due to the sensitive information they often hold, such as donor details, financial records, and beneficiary data. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 revealed that around a third of charities (32%) have experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months, with this figure rising to 66% for high-income charities with annual incomes of £500,000 or more. This highlights the importance for charities to prioritise cyber security, and Cyber Essentials is an excellent certification to help achieve that.

Whilst, there are specific controls within the certification criteria that often cause concern for charities, such as the common case of volunteers’ BYOD (bring your own devices), with guidance it is easy to navigate these areas.

The NCSC stated that “92% fewer insurance claims are made by organisations with Cyber Essentials controls in place” which is a remarkable triumph for the scheme.

Access the Data Connect Resource Library

If you are a charity who would like to find out more about Cyber Essentials and to take advantage of the awareness month, please get in touch and a member of the team will be happy to answer any questions.

You can also view various informative documents from the Data Connect resource library.