Expert comments on the dangerous human-shaped blind spot in the Gov’s new £2.4m cyber fund
Catriona Razic, co-founder of compliance and training provider, Skillcast, said: “The government’s announcement of a £2.4m fund offering SMEs a 75% discount on the Cyber Essential certification is a vital lifeline, but a closer look at the scheme reveals a critical blind spot.
“The certification focuses on five core technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. While securing internet connections, keeping operating systems patched and restricting user privileges are essential baseline requirements, there’s a glaring human-shaped hole in the very centre of the government’s chosen cyber security scheme.
“The most sophisticated firewalls and watertight anti-malware tools can be bypassed in seconds via a single uninformed employee. Cyber Essentials provides a strong technical perimeter, but relying on this basic entry point alone risks cybersecurity becoming a dangerous, off-the-shelf tick-box exercise for thousands of SMEs. True cyber resilience requires more than just technical measures such as secure device configurations and access controls – it demands an active culture of security from the bottom to the very top of any organisation, no matter how big or small.
“SME leaders should absolutely take full advantage of this first-come, first-served funding to help lock down their technical defences, but to truly protect their businesses and supply chain contracts, rigid IT controls must be paired with continuous, tailored compliance training. We’ve got to move beyond generic, tick-box modules to really transform our workforces from a potential vulnerability and weak link into our strongest line of defence.