The government has extended the Innovation Voucher scheme that supports SMEs, entrepreneurs and early stage start-ups by implementing or improving cyber security.

Up to £5000 to improve Cyber Security & gain Cyber Essentials accreditation

• Do you have an early stage business idea that needs protecting?  
• Do you need access to particular skills, expertise or technology to secure your ideas and business?
• Would demonstrating that you are cyber secure add value for your customers and partners?
• Would being more cyber secure help grow your business?

Businesses are the biggest victims of cyber crime and the Government has the objective of making the UK one of the most secure places in the world to do business in cyberspace.

Innovation Vouchers for cyber security can be used to secure specialist consulting and services to help:

• Businesses looking to protect new inventions and business processes
• Businesses looking to ‘cyber audit' their existing processes
• Businesses looking to move online and develop a technology strategy
• Business start-ups looking to develop an idea into a working prototype and needing to build cyber security into the business from the very beginning

The scheme can be used by qualifying companies to support firms in adopting the Cyber Essentials Scheme.  For more details on the scheme click here

Who are CESG?

CESG are the government's national technical authority for information assurance. Working in partnership with industry and academia, CESG provide policy and assistance on the security of communications and electronic data.

CLAS is a partnership linking the knowledge of CESG with the expertise and resources of the private sector. CESG also have a list of approved companies with accredited penetration testers qualified to assess HMG systems – this is called CHECK. Companies that appear on the CESG's site as CLAS or CHECK accredited will be deemed suitable providers under this Innovation Voucher

You do not have to use one of the above consultants but you do need to use a qualified person who is either;

Certified by CESG for their CLAS, Check, CCP, Tiger or Crest scheme

OR

Can prove they are a suitably qualified by being a full member of a professional body such as the Institute of Information Security Professionals

For more information click here