 Singaporean cyber security start-up Responsible Cyber signed itself up for a cyber security audit that would grant a third-party the information it needs to ascertain whether the organisation is indeed equipped to protect itself (and therefore its clients, and its clients’ clients) in the digital domain.
When asked why they did it, the co-founder and Managing Director Dr Magda Chelly had this to say, “We cannot in good conscience encourage other businesses to undertake rigorous cyber security audits while not subjecting our own people, processes and technology to the same scrutiny.”
“We wanted to demonstrate that adopting cyber security best practices can be done without necessarily breaking the bank or stretching resources thin, and I think we did just that,” she added.
Upon successfully passing the audit conducted by one of CSA’s appointed certification bodies, Responsible Cyber was awarded the Cyber Essentials mark, a cyber security certification introduced by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) in 2022 as part of the SG Cyber Safe Programme.
Frequent news of data breaches has fuelled apprehension surrounding the security of personal data, prompting the demand for heightened cyber security measures by businesses – and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are no exception.
SMEs may not have the luxury of a dedicated IT security team, nor the ability to invest in robust cyber security measures and tools, but there is hope yet, says Project and Compliance Manager Wayne Yan who described the exercise as “fairly straightforward with ample guidance.”
“We reviewed our existing policies against the checklist that was provided, and ensured that all required security controls were implemented and reflected in our policies.”
For organisations that require additional help, CSA has also made tailored cyber security toolkits freely available for download on their official website.
As the name suggests, the Cyber Essentials mark serves to distinguish organisations that have built a minimum level of security into their operations. It provides a baseline from which organisations can start to reduce their exposure to common cyber threats and vulnerabilities, but it is far from a guarantee of protection against emerging threats.
“Safeguarding against threats is a continuous journey, requiring constant vigilance and adaptation. We are committed to the protection of the data with which we have been entrusted. We hope that this sentiment gets reflected to our clients and that more cyber security companies will take the opportunity to set the tone,” said Dr Chelly.
Every business – whether a small organisation embarking on its digital journey or a large multi-national corporation with digitalised business functions – needs to play its part.
Co-founder Mikko Laaksonen has added that they would be gearing up for the Cyber Trust mark certification next, where assessments will be even more rigorous, encompassing document review and verification, as well as an evaluation of the implementation and effectiveness.
Meanwhile, certified SMEs are also eligible to apply for the SME Cyber Security Excellence award that CSA is collaborating with Association of Trade & Commerce (ATC) on.
About
Responsible Cyber Pte. Ltd is a Singapore-based cyber security and risk management start-up established in 2016 by industry veterans Magda Chelly and Mikko Laaksonen. Today, the company has a presence in the UK, France and Poland. Its corporate shareholders include Singtel Innov8 and NUS Enterprise. The company stands at the forefront of cyber security innovation with the introduction of two pioneering AI-powered products: IMMUNE X-TPRM and IMMUNE GRC.
IMMUNE X-TPRM is our answer to modern third-party risk management challenges. On the other hand, IMMUNE GRC is designed to streamline governance, risk, and compliance processes.
To learn more about Responsible Cyber, visit www.responsible-cyber.com
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