Poole: C3IA gains accreditation from government’s spy-listening hub

After undergoing a rigorous process to gain accreditation, C3IA, a Poole-based Cyber Security company has become one of 12 firms in the UK certified by the government’s new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the public-facing part of GCHQ, the government’s spy listening hub.

The NCSC says that C3IA provides “Cyber Security services”, which meet its “demanding standards”. 

C3IA was formed 10 years ago by ex-military personnel, specifically those from the Royal Corps of Signals. It has worked extensively with the ministry of defence and other government agencies, but recently has expanded into the commercial sector. 

Matt Horan, director of the firm which has 84 personnel on contract of which 33 are employees and 51 associates,, said: “To be certified required the government to carry out due diligence and rigorous checks, and there followed a demanding two-hour interview by GCHQ technical directors. Certification is important for our government work and also gives a great deal of reassurance to our commercial clients.”

“From huge, multi-national companies to sole traders, we offer a comprehensive service. Not only do we look at businesses’ cyber and digital security, but their physical, personal and procedural security as well. Often we find that a business has been hacked and doesn’t even know about it and is actually losing money. Regularly we are brought in by companies that have lost five figure sums.

The government is encouraging all firms to enhance their cyber security. Its own research showed that 70% of all attacks were in the form of viruses, spyware and malware. It also revealed that two-thirds of all large businesses had been attacked within the last year.

Cyber security incidents cost UK firms £34.1 billion in the past year, according to a survey by business internet service provider Beaming.