The University of Nottingham achieves the Cyber Essentials Plus certification
In April 2024, the University of Nottingham earned the Cyber Essentials Plus certification for several networks. This included its secure endpoint network, which sets a strong example for other educational institutions.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK Government accreditation scheme designed to protect organisations against common cyber attacks. This happens by verifying the implementation of essential cyber security controls and best practices. Certification provides peace of mind that defences will protect against the most common cyber attacks, as these attacks typically target systems lacking Cyber Essentials technical controls.
Michael Skinner, Chief Information Security Officer at the University of Nottingham, highlights the significance of their achievement:
“In addition to basic certification, we pursued the more challenging Cyber Essentials Plus, which involved hands-on technical verification by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC), supporting further and higher education institutions.”
This accomplishment required significant effort from the university’s Digital and Technology Services (DTS) colleagues, particularly Mark Hewitt (Head of Cyber Security) and Lizzie Dexter (Cyber Essentials Project Manager).
The importance of the Cyber Essentials for educational institutions
The certification covers data centre management networks, virtual desktop networks, and secure endpoint networks, which apply to many educational institutions.
As a government-backed scheme, Cyber Essentials is mandatory for many government departments. For major research organisations like the University of Nottingham, certification is increasingly required by research partners such as NHS, Rolls Royce, and BAE Systems. Around £100 million of the university’s research income per year is expected to depend on holding the Cyber Essentials certification.
The University of Nottingham achieving the Cyber Essentials Plus certification demonstrates its commitment to securing its critical IT infrastructure and ensuring a safe environment for research and learning.
How CyberAdvisor can help
CyberAdvisor, RedDoor’s subsidiary business, can help organisations achieve the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification, ensuring that educational institutions achieve the same level of cyber security as the University of Nottingham. This safeguards their research and academic environments against common cyber threats.
Institutions that prioritise cyber security not only protect their data but also enhance their reputation and trust with partners and funding bodies.
Contact CyberAdvisor to see how they can help your educational institution commit to cyber security.
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