'When, not if' - is the sobering assessment made by the head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre about the likelihood of a major cyber-attack. 

Nearly half of British businesses have identified at least one security breach or attack in the previous 12 months. Breaches are costing companies close to £30 billion and firms that hold personal customer data are more likely to be attacked. 

"It is clear that cyber threats are ever-present and evolving," says Richard Shears, founder of Shears Law, "we wanted to reassure our clients that Shears Law is actively engaged in securing its systems and data, which is why we set out to gain Cyber Essentials accreditation."

Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed cyber security scheme and its detailed set of requirements cover the installation, configuration and maintenance of business IT systems. 

Shears Law selected Think Marble, a cyber and information security practice, to conduct an audit of the firm's information security systems and to assist it to achieve the Cyber Essentials certification.

"We are delighted to have met the standards necessary for certification," continues Richard Shears. 

"At Shears Law, our clients are our priority and Cyber Essentials enables us to demonstrate that we are taking action to control cyber risks."