September 11 2023

In this guest blog post, CPT supplier members Citation explore the subjects of DBS Checks and cyber security. They’ll explore how these two areas come together to protect your business.

 

In an increasingly complex business landscape, it’s now more important than ever for your business to be prepared to combat fraud, data breaches, and other cyber-attacks.

With security being paramount in the success of a business, two key pillars of defence stand tall: DBS Checks and cyber security.

The importance of DBS Checks

You want to bring in the best talent for your business. And to do so, you need to be sure that you’re making informed and responsible decisions.

In a perfect world, every candidate would be truthful on a job application. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and it isn’t uncommon for candidates to misrepresent themselves when applying for work. For this reason, DBS Checks are a legal requirement to work in certain industries, and they’re even a popular choice for many other businesses.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) provides DBS Checks to enable employers to check prospective employees’ criminal history. The checks are designed to help employers make safe recruitment decisions and prevent people from doing work they’re unsuitable for.

There are three levels of check: Basic, Standard, and Enhanced. Each of these levels have different eligibility requirements and reveal different information about the applicant. Here’s a simple breakdown:

  • Basic - These checks show any unspent convictions or conditional cautions the applicant has.
  • Standard - These checks show any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings the applicant has.
  • Enhanced - These checks show any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, or warnings the applicant has, as well as any other relevant information held by police force.

When compared to the cost of a bad hire, which studies show can cost a business more than £132,000, DBS checks are a cost-effective way of ensuring that your business is making good hiring decisions, protecting its reputation, and looking out for those already under your wing.

The importance of cyber security

With technology playing a more important role in our lives with each passing year and the pandemic acting as a catalyst for increasing digitalisation, we’re seeing more technology usage than ever before.

Embracing technology has been great for the world of work in many ways. But, technology can be a double-edged sword. The more technologies used by organisations, the more opportunities there are for cyber criminals to launch cyber-attacks.

You might be thinking “my business isn’t at risk of cyber security threats?” Well, it’s quite likely that it is! In fact, a 2023 government survey found that 32% of UK businesses identified a cyber-attack in the last 12 months!

So, what can your business do to prepare itself against cyber threats? There are a few things you can do, and they’re actually pretty simple…

  • Implement and enforce strong cyber security policies
  • Educate all members of staff on best cyber security practices
  • Regularly update your software
  • Perform security audits
  • Get Cyber Essentials - the government-backed certificate that helps you protect your business against 80% of the most common cyber-attacks and data breaches.

These practices will help you defend your business from cyber-attacks, but ultimately, you should seek expert advice that is bespoke to your organisation in order to build the best cyber defence.

The power of effective security

Now that you know the importance of safeguarding your business, you should also understand the best and most effective ways of strengthening and boosting your business.

By recognising the crucial roles played by DBS Checks and cyber security, you can better equip your organisation to face the challenges of today's dynamic digital landscape with confidence.

Remember, in the face of evolving risks, staying vigilant and proactive will be the key to steering your business towards a secure future.

For more information about CPT supplier members Citation visit ucheck.co.uk or citationcyber.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

*CPT can accept no liability for advice, services or products offered or provided by third parties. Inclusion on this blog does not imply endorsement by CPT of the opinions contained in the blog.