Policy Monitor - Experts & Thought Leaders

Policy Monitor, London-based cyber security and risk management experts will launch the latest version of Cyber Security Policy Monitor (CSPM) at the International Cyber Expo 2023 at London Olympia. Cyber Security Policy Monitor CSPM is a simple and cost-effective cloud-based application to enable organisations to define their security policies. It then ensures that these policies are followed by all employees. CSPM helps measure, manage, and monitor an operation’s cyber security workflows and compliance, giving peace of mind to organisations of all sizes, including SMEs. Traceability and compliance CSPM is all about simplification and this latest release introduces internationalisation" Nick Denning, CEO of Policy Monitor said, “CSPM is all about simplification and this latest release introduces internationalisation. Many organisations wish to be certified for Cyber Essentials, CE+, IASME Assurance, ISO 27001 or in the USA against HIPAA or a flavour of the NIST standards." "CSPM links the security policy activities to sections in a standard, proving the traceability and compliance against the relevant requirements.” CSPM Version 3.4 capabilities In launching CSPM Version 3.4 Policy Monitor will demonstrate enhanced capabilities including: Multilingual options include English, Arabic, French, and Spanish. A simplified interface for organisations to build step-by-step cyber security. Integration with Qualys to deploy Qualys agents, utilise Qualys data and schedule and distribute Qualys reports. White labelling options for consultancies to manage customers with an ‘own brand’ version of CSPM. Advanced security provides secure access for external consultants. Integration for Certification Bodies with the IASME Pervade solution. International Cyber Expo 2023 Policy Monitor will be exhibiting and demonstrating the power of CSPM Version 3.4 in the IASME Pavilion on Stand Q20 at the International Cyber Expo at Olympia, London on September 26th and 27th. The event is once again co-located with the International Security Expo and will attract visitors from around the world.

Almost half of UK businesses have a basic cyber security gap that is leaving them exposed. This stark reality was revealed in a report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS). It found that the people responsible for cyber security in 48% of UK businesses lack the confidence to carry out basic tasks and are not receiving support from external cyber security providers. So, if users are in-house person isn’t confident in doing basic security tasks and they are not seeking support, just who is checking that their business systems are secure, and their data hasn’t been compromised? Phishing scams Many SMEs are unprepared for the cybersecurity threats lurking online, believing they are too small to be a target. The reality is that almost half of UK businesses suffered a cyber security breach or attack in 2019/2020. Most cybercriminals are looking for a quick payday. If an attack has worked well, they will keep repeating it. That is why phishing scams, where attackers send fraudulent messages to trick a person into revealing sensitive data, remain the most common type of attack that organisations face, with 90% of all data breaches involving phishing. Size does matter  Cybercriminals want a swift financial return on their activities and purposely go after soft targets SMEs need to understand that cybercrime is an organised and profitable business, albeit an illegal and morally bankrupt one. Cybercriminals want a swift financial return on their activities and purposely go after soft targets. SMEs are seen as easy victims because they are less likely to have sufficient security in place to protect their systems and data. Hackers are after the information SMEs store on their customers and suppliers, such as credit card numbers, bank account details, etc. They will either use this themselves or sell it on the dark web to the highest bidder. Credit card and identity fraud Credit card, identity, and cyber fraud cost the UK up to £190bn a year. According to the UK think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), fraud has reached epidemic levels and should be seen as a national security issue. While the profits keep rolling in, cybercriminals will continue their attacks and the sooner SMEs understand this, the sooner they can get serious about security and start protecting themselves more effectively. Skills gap The most common cyber security skills gaps identified in the report are: Configuring firewalls. Performing patching. Storing or transferring personal data. Detecting and removing malware. Build secure foundations with Cyber Essentials CE scheme which was designed to help protect UK organisations from the most common cyber threats Cyber security tasks are laid out in the government-endorsed Cyber Essentials (CE) scheme which was designed to help protect UK organisations from the most common cyber threats. These fundamental tasks are the foundation of good security. The scheme sets out basic technical controls for organisations to use. It also lays the foundation for developing policies and procedures to mitigate threats that can impact business operations. The benefit of being CE compliant is that it mitigates 80% of the risks businesses face, such as phishing, malware infections, social engineering attacks, and hacking. Impact of cyber attacks and breaches Taking the first steps in tackling cyber security can be daunting but the ramifications of not doing so can be devastating to the business. Cyber-attacks and data breaches are often financially crippling for SMEs to resolve. In addition to remediation costs, there is also the loss of customers, suppliers, and business reputation, plus fines for breaching GDPR data protection rules. Where to start? No company can afford to be naïve about cybercrime and the importance of protecting data, the fallout is too great A good place to start is by using an online policy management system designed for cyber security which will take users step by step through all the important security workflows. It will guide users through the activities to take, highlight the business areas to focus on, and embed GDPR and Cyber Essentials principles so they can achieve certification. No company can afford to be naïve about cybercrime and the importance of protecting data, the fallout is too great. Cyber security policy manager solution A cyber security policy manager solution can remove the complexity and guide the company to become Cyber Essentials-certified cost-effectively. Being certified with a creditable scheme will bolster cyber defences, put in place policies to ensure users are taking the correct steps to protect confidential data, and go a long way in protecting a business against common attacks. Use the help available to stop a company from becoming a cybercrime victim and add to the depressing cyber security statistics.

Policy Monitor, London-based cyber security and risk management experts will launch Cyber Security Policy Monitor (CSPM) at the International Cyber Expo in London.  CSPM CSPM is a simple and cost-effective cloud-based solution that helps measure, manage, and monitor an organisation’s cyber security workflow and compliance. The information security management system gives cyber security peace of mind to organisations of all sizes, including SMEs. Cyber security events Policy Monitor will be exhibiting and demonstrating the power of Cyber Security Policy Monitor in the IASME Pavilion at the International Cyber Expo at Olympia, London on September 27th and 28th, 2022. The event is co-located with International Security Expo 2022 and will attract visitors from around the world.  With the cyber threats ever evolving and investment in the sector increased to an estimated £8.9 billion, the UK is recognised as a pioneer in the field of cyber security and the event will showcase the latest research and innovations, providing an ideal setting to launch CSPM. CSPM features CSPM enables organisations to: Locate relevant knowledge by consolidating relevant and useful sites into a single portal from which they can be accessed Define their security policy as a series of simple workflows covering cyber security awareness and training, preventative tasks, and how to respond to incidents.  The status of assets is listed in CSPM, which schedules regular tasks or initiates tasks in response to an event to implement the security policy Run through the pre-loaded IASME questions, prepare a response, and load it into the IASME portal for assessment by Policy Monitor’s consultants, who are an IASME certification body Link IASME responses to the company’s security policy and prove that it complies with IASME throughout the year Show an audit trail to prove compliance during the year Integrate with external asset management and cyber security technology so that the risks identified are consolidated into a single picture visible on the dashboard An at-a-glance KPI dashboard shows management a full cyber security status overview enabling the board to monitor compliance across the business and take action before policies are breached. Cybersecurity best practices Cyber Essentials and IASME templates are pre-loaded to embed cyber security best practices and help define, implement, and monitor security policies.  There are also US, NIST, and HIPAA templates and additional templates which can be created to meet customer needs. Regulatory standards, policies, and workflows With cyber threats increasing, we want to ensure that the UK is the safest place to do business" Nick Denning, CEO, of Policy Monitor said, “With cyber threats increasing, we want to ensure that the UK is the safest place to do business." "Over 60% of SMEs have reported a data breach in the last year and so Policy Monitor has developed CSPM to bring cyber security best practices, regulatory standards, policies, and workflows to organisations of all sizes. CSPM brings support to every stage of the cyber security compliance process." Simple to use and easy to manage "We’ve made sure it is simple to use and easy to manage, removing cost and complexity. It is important for businesses and the UK economy that effective cyber security solutions are available to all so we offer CSPM with a range of affordable SME pricing options.” Policy Monitor will be providing cyber security advice and demonstrating CSPM live at International Cyber Expo 2022 on stand B60 in the IASME Pavilion @IntCyberExpo #ISE2022.