If your Berkshire business supplies larger organisations, you have probably noticed the questions getting harder. Security questionnaires that were once a formality now arrive with real teeth – and increasingly, contracts depend on the answers.
The Thames Valley is home to some of the UK’s most security-conscious corporates, and their expectations flow straight down the supply chain. It is no longer enough to say your systems are secure. Buyers want evidence: certifications, policies, and proof that the basics are genuinely in place.
For Berkshire SMEs in Reading, Bracknell, Wokingham and Slough, this is both a pressure and an opportunity. The businesses that can answer confidently win work that less-prepared competitors quietly lose.
The things larger buyers most commonly expect suppliers to show:
- Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus certification
- MFA enabled across email and key systems
- Documented backup and recovery arrangements
- Endpoint protection on all business devices
- Access controls and joiner-leaver processes
- Email security and phishing protection
- A named person responsible for security
- Evidence, not just assurances, for all of the above
Most of this is achievable for a typical SME within a few months, and much of it costs less than businesses expect. The hard part is knowing where you currently stand and what to fix first.
Getting ready before the questionnaire arrives beats scrambling after it does – and it shows in the answers.
If your business needs to meet rising security expectations, explore our IT support and cybersecurity services for Berkshire businesses.
