We’re excited to announce we have passed our Cyber Essentials (CE) and Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) recertifications. These are key milestones in our commitment to cybersecurity and data protection.
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
CE+ is a UK government-backed certification that builds upon the foundational CE scheme. It provides assurance that we’ve implemented key cybersecurity controls and, more importantly, that these controls have been independently audited and tested by a qualified assessor.
While the basic CE certification involves a self-assessment, CE+ takes it a step further. It includes a rigorous technical audit of our systems and software, encompassing all customer-hosted and Astun operational systems, from colleagues’ IT equipment and Astun internal systems to our hosted customer infrastructure.
Simon Chapman, our Platform & Support Manager, comments, “Cyber Essentials Plus is onerous, however well prepared you are, but rightly so. Our recent audit touched all areas of our business with staff in Sales, Professional Services, Finance and Platform being audited, alongside our hosted services.”
Passing these rigorous assessments confirms that our defences are not only in place but effective in practice.
Why Cyber Essentials Plus matters
According to the World Economic Forum, cybercrime is one of the top ten global risks over the next decade (Global Risks Report, 2024).
CE itself has been proven to reduce an organisation’s vulnerability to common cyber attacks (including ransomware). IASME notes that, “Research from insurers show that organisations with Cyber Essentials certification are 92% less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance than those without.”
With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and persistent, businesses must go well beyond the basics. CE and CE+ demonstrate that we are serious about protecting:
- Our customers’ hosted infrastructure, data and ability to maintain business as usual
- Our employees’ information
- Our partners’ trust
Our CE certifications provide peace of mind to our stakeholders and give us a competitive edge in sectors where security is a top priority, such as local government.
“Organisations are only as safe as the security of their trusted partners and suppliers. Business to business assurance is now vital to winning new business within a supply chain, with more contracts mandating cyber security. To simplify this process, many contracts simply mandate a recognised security certification. Cyber Essentials certification provides a tangible way for organisations to gain confidence that their suppliers, or other third parties, have effectively implemented fundamental technical controls.” IASME
The assessors’ viewpoint
Sapphire, our assessors, commented, “Cyber Essentials represents the UK Government’s minimum baseline standard for cyber security for organisations of all sizes in the UK. Astun has successfully passed the scheme for 2025, which is aligned to five technical controls designed to prevent the most common internet-based cyber security threats.
“By achieving CE+ it allows Astun Technology to stay ahead of new cyber security risks by assessing their systems against a recognised framework each year and proves to customers that cyber security is a priority in your organisation.
“Sapphire supported Astun Technology through the audit process and will provide continued support to ensure it stays effective in the ever-evolving threat landscape.”
Our ongoing commitment to cybersecurity
CE and CE+ are only part of our ongoing cybersecurity strategy, which includes consistent backup routines, risk log reviews, and disaster recovery planning. This year, we’ve strengthened our ‘human firewall’ by completing training from the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS), part of GCHQ, and upgraded large components of our flagship software, iShare, such as Postgres and Python.
Find out more
You can find out how the 2025 assessment process differs from 2024’s on IASME’s website.
