{"id":6849,"date":"2021-02-24T17:15:38","date_gmt":"2021-02-24T17:15:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cybersmart.com\/?p=6849"},"modified":"2021-10-04T12:45:54","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T12:45:54","slug":"everything-you-ever-wanted-to-ask-about-networks-and-cyber-essentials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cybersmart.com\/blog\/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-ask-about-networks-and-cyber-essentials\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything you ever wanted to ask about networks and Cyber Essentials"},"content":{"rendered":"

The term \u2018network\u2019 causes a lot of confusion for businesses looking to complete <\/span>Cyber Essentials certification<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s not hard to see why. Much of modern living is enabled by networks, from the internet to mobile phone providers. In fact, there\u2019s little we can do without using one. So w<\/span>hich particular\u00a0 \u2018network\u2019 is the Cyber Essentials questionnaire referring to?<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s all a little confusing. So let’s answer some of the most common questions around networks and Cyber Essentials.<\/p>\n

What is a network?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

For the purposes of Cyber Essentials, a \u2018network\u2019 is one or more devices that are linked in order to share resources, exchange files or allow communication. For example, think of the office printer. Typically, rather than setting up a separate printer for every employee, you\u2019ll buy one for everyone to use (and argue over whose turn it is to change the toner). This is a perfect example of a network.<\/p>\n

The devices on a network can be linked through cables, telephone lines, radio waves, satellites or even infrared light.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does a network look like in practice?<\/b>
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Most offices and workplaces use a Local Area Network (LAN)<\/a>. A LAN is usually confined to a small geographic area, say an office in Bow or a warehouse in Bolton. A LAN allows every device within the network to use a single internet connection, share files and access (or even control other devices).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the age of the internet of things (IoT), the devices you can connect to a LAN are almost limitless.\u00a0 It’s possible to connect everything from printers and phones to smart TVs, speakers and security cameras. You can even connect the<\/span>\u00a0office fridge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How does COVID-19 affect networks?<\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Of course, with many of us currently working from home, the network your business is currently using may look a little different. However, this shouldn\u2019t pose you any problems in completing Cyber Essentials.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>Any single device connected to a router can be considered a network. So even<\/span> if all of your <\/span>employees are working remotely, using tens of different routers, Cyber Essentials certification is still possible. All you need to do is ensure that each router meets the requirements of Cyber Essentials. For example, asking each employee to change the default password on their router.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We also often get asked how question A2.8 of the Cyber Essentials assessment (which requires a list of your network equipment) should be answered for businesses working remotely. Again, this is pretty simple. All that\u2019s required is for you to list the equipment each employee is using, as though you were all in the same office.<\/span>
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How to list home network equipment for Cyber Essentials\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For a company with ten staff working from home, an equipment list may look something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n