Opus, an expert civil engineering service provider, helping contractors and developers nationwide deliver their construction and utilities projects, plays a vital role in ensuring the nation's energy supply. Opus Recognised the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting critical national infrastructure and as a result needed to demonstrate a robust cybersecurity posture to stakeholders a new business clients.

Opus were required to demonstrate to existing and new clients that the business approach to cyber security was robust and well managed in line with cyber essentials plus requirements.

Opus partnered with Parker Neal, to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification. Parker Neal's team of cybersecurity specialists offered a comprehensive service package, including:

• Gap Assessment: An evaluation of Opus’ existing cybersecurity controls against the Cyber Essentials Plus criteria, identifying areas requiring improvement.

• Remediation Support: Guidance and assistance in implementing necessary security controls to address identified gaps, such as multi-factor authentication, patch management, and secure configuration of IT systems.

• Mock Audit: Conducting a simulated Cyber Essentials Plus assessment to identify any remaining vulnerabilities and ensure readiness for the formal audit.

• Formal Certification Audit: Facilitating communication and collaboration with the official Cyber Essentials Plus certification body throughout the audit process.

Through Parker Neal's expert guidance and support, Opus successfully achieved CE Plus certification. This accomplishment demonstrated their commitment to cybersecurity best practices and provided tangible proof of a robust security posture. Opus also gained several key benefits from the CE Plus certification process:

• Enhanced Security Posture: Implementing necessary controls identified during the gap assessment strengthened Opus’ overall cybersecurity framework.

• Increased Stakeholder Confidence: CE Plus certification provided assurance to clients and partners of Opus’ commitment to protecting critical infrastructure.

• Improved Regulatory Compliance: Achieving CE Plus certification demonstrated Opus’ adherence to industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

• Utility firms face unique cybersecurity and data governance challenges due to the sensitive nature of critical national infrastructure.

• Using Parker Neal resources with a focus on cybersecurity and data governance provides a way to gain access to specialised expertise and add value.

• A proactive approach to data security fosters trust with new and existing clients.

• Continuous assessment and improvement are essential for a robust cybersecurity and data governance framework in the Utilities sector.