Why Cyber Essentials Matters in Protecting Your Library Data from Cyber Attacks

Protecting your data from cyberattacks is of the utmost importance, and that’s why achieving Cyber Essentials certification is such an important milestone for any organisation. Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme which ensures that an organisation has in place the most fundamental IT security measures to protect itself from cyber-attacks. This article will explain more about why IT security is so crucial for protecting data in your library system.

What is Cyber Essentials Certification?

Cyber Essentials Certification is a crucial step in ensuring the security of your data from cyber-attacks. This UK government-backed scheme focuses on implementing fundamental IT security measures to protect organisations and their systems. By obtaining this certification, organisations, including library system vendors, demonstrate their commitment to safeguarding sensitive data about their clients and the client’s hosted library software data.

The certification covers key areas such as network security, access control, patch management, and malware protection. It requires a thorough assessment of the library software vendor’s IT security and the implementation of necessary security measures. You can read more about cyber security on the UK National Cyber Security Centre website

Bailey Solutions Holds Cyber Essentials Certification

Bailey Solutions takes IT security seriously to ensure that our operational data is protected from cyber-attacks. We obtained Cyber Essentials certification in 2023, demonstrating our dedication to securing our business infrastructure against cyber threats. Our priority is to ensure that our clients are not impacted by any potential security incident involving our business systems. We have taken extensive measures to minimise disruption to our services in such a scenario, giving our clients peace of mind knowing that data about you is kept safe.

We prioritise patch management, regularly updating and installing the latest security patches for our software and systems. This ensures that any security vulnerabilities are addressed promptly and efficiently. In addition, we have implemented robust malware protection measures that include anti-virus software and routine system scans. These measures detect and prevent any potential malware infections whilst identifying security vulnerabilities that require remediation. Additionally, we enforce strict access control measures, ensuring that only authorised personnel have access to sensitive data. This helps prevent any potential breaches from within our organisation.

You can see our Cyber Essentials certificate here.

Five Ways We Ensure IT Security for Data in Your Library System

To ensure IT security of data in your library system we have implemented a multi-layered approach.

1. First of all, we separate our office network from the hosted platform for cloud-hosted client data. Access to the hosted platform is restricted to specific Bailey Solutions technical staff, who are required to use individual accounts to allow for activity tracking. Once on the hosted platform, staff do not have access to email accounts or browsers so data transfer is only possible by permitted and tracked routes.

2. Secondly, our hosted platform is set up, managed and monitored 24/7 by Node4 who are experts in providing secure cloud-based platforms. In turn, Node4 holds Cyber Essentials Plus and International Standards Organisation (ISO) 27001, which is the world’s best-known standard for information security management systems. This means there is a robust network security system in place to prevent unauthorised access to your library system. This includes firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security updates. Furthermore, the data centre has implemented physical security measures to ensure the protection of your data. The facilities are equipped with perimeter fences, monitored by security patrols and CCTV cameras, and entry codes are regularly changed. Additionally, they employ guard dogs to further deter any potential breaches. Node4 does not have access to the database manager and their responsibility is to keep the servers running securely and at optimal performance.

3. Third, each client’s data is stored in a separate database, accessed only by their unique and secure connection string. As our system is not multi-tenanted, there is no risk of software issues or breaches compromising the security of other client’s data. Our library software is designed with security in mind, safeguarding against SQL injection and denial of service attacks. We also give you control over security measures, such as setting your own rules for password strength. This empowers you to customise the security settings to fit your specific needs and preferences.

4. In addition, we use encryption to protect your data both when it is at rest in our system and when it is in transit between our system and your devices. This ensures that even if data is intercepted, it cannot be read without the proper decryption keys.

5. Finally, your data is backed up every night and stored off-site for added protection. We ensure the safety of your backups by encrypting them before they leave our servers, so you can rest easy knowing your data is always secure. To further ensure the safety of your data, we perform regular backups on a weekly and monthly basis. This way, you can be confident that your information is always protected and can be easily restored in case of any unforeseen events.

The Benefits of Choosing a Library System Vendor Who Takes Security Seriously

Choosing a library system from a library system vendor that has achieved Cyber Essentials certification comes with several key benefits. A vendor with Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates a commitment to ongoing security monitoring and updates, giving libraries peace of mind that their confidential data will remain protected against evolving cyber risks. It also reduces the risk of your library system vendor facing severe disruption and loss of business continuity from a cyber attack. Ultimately, investing in a library system from a security-conscious vendor not only safeguards valuable library resources but also helps to maintain the trust and confidence of library users.

You may also be interested in how we safeguard personal data in your library system. You can read more here.