Lord David Blunkett has praised The TALL Group of Companies, the UK leader in the provision of secure paper and electronic payment solutions, for its “unwavering commitment to fight cyber crime” after it secured an industry-leading accreditation. The organisation received the commendation from Lord Blunkett, Chairman of Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd, after successfully securing the Cyber Essentials PLUS certification.

The news comes just months after the TALL Group achieved the standard Cyber Essentials badge, becoming one of the first security printer and electronic payments solutions providers to do so. Cyber Essentials is a government-led scheme aimed at helping organisations to safeguard themselves against the most common cyber attacks. Launched in June 2014, it was developed as part of the UK’s National Cyber Security Programme.

Lord David Blunkett, former Home Secretary and Chairman of Cyber Essentials Direct Ltd, said: “It is a fantastic achievement to complete both the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials PLUS accreditations in such a short space of time. The TALL Group of Companies has demonstrated it is at the forefront of protecting itself and its network of partners and customers, and we applaud the organisation for its unwavering commitment to fight cyber crime.”

To secure a Cyber Essentials badge an organisation is required to complete a self-assessment questionnaire, with responses independently reviewed by an external certifying body. For a Cyber Essentials PLUS accreditation to be awarded, the company in question must also allow an external certifying body to carry out system tests, using a different range of tools and techniques. In this case, The TALL Group worked alongside QG Business Solutions, who vigorously completed various tests relating to boundary firewalls, internet gateways, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection and patch management.

Martin Ruda, Managing Director, The TALL Group of Companies, said: “The need for awareness and action against cyber threats is greater than ever before. Attaining the upper level accreditation just a matter of weeks after securing the first certification epitomises our dedication to combatting cyber crime. Many privately owned businesses have yet to commit to this level of security, and we urge that they proactively do so.”

In addition to the Cyber Essentials PLUS accreditation, The TALL Group of Companies is already assessed and deemed to comply with the standard ISO27001:2013 that specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and continually improving an information security management system within the organisation.