Let’s face it—if Transport for London (TfL), with its £214 million tech budget, can get hit with a cyber attack that disrupts key services and forces in-person password resets for 30,000 employees, the rest of us need to pay attention. Despite investing £0.8 million last year specifically into cyber security, they’ve still had to scramble to manage the fallout(The Stack)(Transport for London).
And it’s not just password resets—TfL’s incident delayed their rollout of contactless payments at 47 new stations, highlighting the operational and financial consequences of a cyber breach(Transport for London)(Transport for London).
The Costs of Cyber Attacks: Why Cyber Essentials Matters
Handling a cyber attack at TfL’s scale requires huge resources. Think about it: coordinating 30,000 password resets alone is a logistical nightmare. IT teams had to be deployed across multiple locations, overtime costs stacked up, and productivity dropped as employees waited in line for manual identity verification. These aren’t problems that just “go away” quickly(Transport for London)(Transport for London).
If TfL, with all their resources, struggled to contain this, what happens to small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that don’t have the luxury of massive budgets and IT teams?
This is where Cyber Essentials comes into play. It’s not just a box to tick—it’s the first line of defence against common cyber threats, helping businesses mitigate the risks before a breach hits. For businesses looking to secure contracts with organisations like TfL, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications are mandatory. You won’t even be able to bid on tenders without these certifications in place.
How Equate Can Help
At Equate, we understand the challenges SMBs face when it comes to cyber security. Based in Buckinghamshire, we provide Cyber Essentials Consultancy across the nation, helping businesses get certified and secure themselves against attacks. We work closely with businesses to guide them through the certification process, making sure you’re fully compliant and protected from threats. Whether you’re looking to obtain Cyber Essentials or step up to Cyber Essentials Plus to bid for public contracts like those with TfL, we’ve got you covered.
What’s Your Next Step?
Don’t wait until your business is scrambling like TfL—protect yourself now. Get Cyber Essentials certified and ensure your business is secure, compliant, and ready for the future. The costs of a breach, both financial and reputational, are too high to ignore.
Ready to get Cyber Essentials certified? Contact Equate today and let’s safeguard your business before it’s too late. Whether you’re in Buckinghamshire or anywhere else in the UK, we’re here to help make sure your business never faces the chaos TfL is dealing with right now.
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