The Anochrome Group has strengthened its position within the defence sector by achieving the advanced Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation across all four of its UK sites.
The surface finishing and coatings specialist has successfully upgraded the Cyber Essentials certification it achieved in June this year following a series of technical tests and audits.
Cyber Essentials Plus is considered the gold standard award when it comes to robust systems, processes and security controls.
All Anochrome sites in the UK – Anotec, Wolverhampton Electro Plating (WEP), Anochrome Ltd and Inlex Locking – have received the Plus certification.
Steve Norman, Anochrome Group Commercial and UK Divisional Director, said: “We’re delighted to have achieved the Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation, which demonstrates the same protections as Cyber Essentials but with more rigorous, independent technical testing.
“This award will give our customers additional confidence that the safety of their data is of the utmost importance to us.
“Crucially, it also allows us to continue to expand our services into the defence sector. For example, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has recently asked all industry partners to reach a minimum of DCC Level 0 by the end of the year.
“Cyber Essentials is a core requirement for achieving DCC Level 0 accreditation. Having now achieved Cyber Essentials Plus, we are also well positioned to begin working towards the higher level of assurance required for DCC Level 3 accreditation.”
The MoD’s request for DCC Level 0 is part of a wider push that includes the Cyber Resilience Pledge and the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, all aimed at strengthening the UK’s supply chains.
To achieve the Cyber Essentials Plus mark, an assessor picked a sample of computers at Anochrome and performed an audit to ensure devices were configured as they should be.
A vulnerability scan was performed on these machines before an external port scan and tests on Anochrome’s browsers.
The business will be periodically audited to ensure it continues to adhere to the required standards of cyber security.
Anochrome’s coating and fastening solutions are engineered to deliver long-term durability, reduced maintenance and guaranteed performance in even the harshest operating conditions.
The Anochrome Group is the UK’s largest independent specialist surface coatings and metal finishing company. With a proud 80-year history, the group of companies processes tens of millions of components every week for a wide range of domestic and international customers.