BRADFIRD IT consultancy firm ITWiser is one of the first companies in the North of England to become an accredited Cyber Essentials certification body through IASME (Information Assurance for Small and Medium Enterprises), which is a scheme designed to protect companies and organisations from all types of common cyber-attacks.

The Government and industry backed Cyber Essentials Certification is already mandatory for suppliers of Government contracts that involve handling personal information and providing certain ICT products.

In addition businesses of all sizes, across every sector, are now recognising the benefits of attaining the certification and especially because lots of private sector businesses are making it a key requirement within their tender processes.

ITWiser is now fully licensed to certify companies against both the Government's Cyber Essentials Scheme and its more stringent PLUS scheme, as well as the Information Assurance for SMEs (IASME) Gold governance standard, which is a separate accreditation specifically designed for SMEs.

Martin Clark, who heads up ITWiser, said: “Businesses of all shapes and sizes are at risk of cyber-attacks, ranging from phishing emails and viruses through to direct hacks.

“We’re delighted to be one of the first IT consultancies in West Yorkshire, and only a handful in the North of England, to be offering these hugely valuable certifications following a rigorous approval process that took more than 12 months to complete."