Celebrating a Secure Partnership: SASP Achieves Cyber Essentials Recertification

We are incredibly proud to share that our fantastic client, the Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) has recently successfully recertified for their Cyber Essentials accreditation. This achievement marks the latest milestone in a partnership we value deeply, and underlines SASP’s commitment to protecting the data they hold on behalf of the communities they serve.
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Supporting a vital local charity
Charities and non-profits are the backbone of so much vital work in our communities, and SASP is no exception. Their mission is to help people across Somerset live healthier and more active lives, increasing participation in sport and active recreation across the county. At Mark One Consultants, it is a privilege to provide organisations like SASP with the secure, resilient IT foundations they need so their teams can focus on delivering impact, not worrying about technology.
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Getting the basics of security right
Our journey with SASP began last year, when they approached us with concerns around system management and data security. From day one, the focus was clear: create a modern, well-managed environment that would keep their information safe and support hybrid, flexible working. We quickly identified two key areas to address so that everyday operations – from finance to frontline delivery – could run smoothly and securely.
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Building a secure foundation
To modernise SASP’s infrastructure, we implemented two major upgrades:
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Fully managed Microsoft Intune
We rolled out a comprehensive Intune solution, giving the SASP team a modern, flexible way to manage their laptops, phones and other devices. Every endpoint can now be centrally updated, protected and kept compliant, whether staff are in the office, out in the community or working from home.
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Secure Sage server
We migrated their critical Sage accounting system onto a new, dedicated server hosted securely on their own premises. This server is fully monitored and managed by our team, significantly improving the security, reliability and availability of their financial data.
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From foundation to certification
With this secure, streamlined infrastructure in place, we then guided the SASP team through the process of obtaining their Cyber Essentials certification. Cyber Essentials is a simple but effective, government-backed scheme that helps organisations protect themselves against the most common cyber attacks, and it provides a recognised baseline of technical controls. For SASP, achieving certification was a clear signal to partners, funders and participants that they take cyber security and data protection seriously.
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Recertification – proving security is ongoing
Cyber security is never a “one-and-done” task, and Cyber Essentials is designed as an annually renewable certification. SASP’s recent recertification evidences a proactive, mature approach to security and a commitment to maintaining best practice year after year. For a busy charity working across multiple programmes and partners, this kind of consistency is key to building trust and resilience.
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Working with organisations like SASP is at the heart of what we do. We believe a charity’s focus should be on its mission and its people, not on wrestling with IT issues or worrying about cyber threats. A huge congratulations to the entire team at SASP on this fantastic achievement – we are proud to be your IT partner and look forward to supporting your vital work for years to come.
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Are you a charity or non-profit looking to strengthen your IT security and streamline your systems? Get in touch today to learn how we can help.