CDS

Cyber and information assurance consultancy

CDS leverages extensive experience in secure managed solutions to offer best practice cyber and information assurance consultancy and technical services, including preparation of RMADS. Our security-cleared consultants advise on strategy and architecture for safeguarding OFFICIAL to above SECRET systems and data for government, police, defence and national security.

Features

• Security cleared certified professionals
• Security architecture design and configuration
• Monitoring, reporting and remediation regimes
• Federated security access, mobile identification solutions
• Independent security testing
• Preparation of security assurance documentation (including RMADS)
• Independent assessment of cloud security posture
• One-off or ongoing assessments and gap analysis
• Design consultancy for PCI and PSN solutions

Benefits

• Prepare to comply with the required security standards
• Confidentiality, integrity and availability of systems and data
• Identify application vulnerabilities
• Highlight and mitigate risk of attacks and breaches
• Ensure your business is resilient and protected
• Technology-agnostic view, enabling impartiality
• Gain visibility of cloud security challenges
• Optimisation, providing cost efficiencies

£500 to £1,500 a unit a day

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at bidteam@cds.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

273683819934518

Contact

Matt Johnson
0113 399 4000
bidteam@cds.co.uk

Planning

• Planning service: Yes
• How the planning service works: CDS provides consultancy to the planning stage of cloud based solutions.; ; Our consultants work with you to identify threat level and appropriate mitigation of cyber risks.
• Planning service works with specific services: No

Training

• Training service provided: Yes
• How the training service works: As well as continual ‘on the job’ knowledge transfer to upskill client teams, we can provide more formal, comprehensive training for administrators and users of the environments, SaaS solutions and applications we deploy, to support a smooth transition into business as usual. Training is fully bespoke to client needs and can be delivered either in-person or remotely. We provide robust supporting documentation, including step-by-step instructions and screenshots of systems and processes. We also provide a ‘train the trainer’ service, equipping clients to manage their own training and create their own enduring capability.
• Training is tied to specific services: No

Setup and migration

• Setup or migration service available: Yes
• How the setup or migration service works: CDS consultants can assist at every stage of the migration journey, from initial planning and strategy, through risk identification and mitigation, to tactical delivery of migration projects.
• Setup or migration service is for specific cloud services: No

Quality assurance and performance testing

• Quality assurance and performance testing service: Yes
• How the quality assurance and performance testing works: CDS’ testing capability contains ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) qualified test analysts with all the skills and expertise to quality assure cloud services. We employ a structured testing approach, to ensure and demonstrate that our services are robust and meet clients’ success criteria. Highly automated testing enables continual QA of systems throughout development, removing human error and increasing test coverage. Our testing services include: • Test strategy • Test planning • Automated test frameworks • Testing, defect management and reporting • Support of customer UAT • Security (perimeter/application) testing • Performance and stress testing. We can provide our testing services as part of a build or as a third party, to quality assure another supplier’s codebase and system performance.

Security testing

• Security services: Yes
• Security services type:
  • Security strategy
  • Security risk management
  • Security design
  • Cyber security consultancy
  • Security testing
  • Security incident management
  • Security audit services
  • Other
• Other security services:
  • Penetration testing
  • IT Health Checks
  • Risk analysis
• Certified security testers: Yes
• Security testing certifications:
  • CHECK
  • CREST
  • Other
• Other security testing certifications:
  • CDS is certified to ISO27001
  • ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) qualified test analysts

Ongoing support

• Ongoing support service: Yes
• Types of service supported:
  • Buyer hosting or software
  • Hosting or software provided by your organisation
  • Hosting or software provided by a third-party organisation
• How the support service works: We provide second- and third-line support and maintenance for deployed services via our ISO 20000-certified Service Desk, which uses an ITIL methodology to maintain the integrity and availability of business-critical, high profile and complex systems. Our Service Desk provides: • Incident and service request management • Problem management • Change management • Release and deployment management • Service level management and service reporting • Configuration management • Service management plan • Service level agreement. Clients can interact with the Service Desk via email, telephone or via an online ticketing system. All CDS Service Managers and Service Desk staff are ITIL-certified. Support and maintenance contracts stipulate a minimum level of support provision per month, appropriate to the size and complexity of the service; this entitles clients to a certain number of hours of support, at standard day rate. Additional time is chargeable at the agreed contract day rate. The SLA is flexible and can be tailored to customers’ requirements; as support needs vary, provision can be reviewed every six months to ensure it continues to meet client requirements. Typical SLAs include Service Desk support Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; we can provide out of hours (on-call) support, up to 24x7x365.

Service scope

• Service constraints: N/A

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: 9am-5pm Monday to Friday as standard; up to 24x7x365 by arrangement. SLAs vary by contract
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Support levels: P1 to P5 with release management and change management as per ITIL

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: NQA
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 13/7/2021
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: No
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  CDS is certified to the internationally recognised standard BS EN ISO 14001: 2004 – Environmental Management. The standard underpins our commitment to look after the environment, prevent negative environmental impacts, manage waste and reduce our carbon footprint. CDS is Planet Mark accredited, helping us to transform society, the environment and economy by measuring our carbon and social data. Our Carbon Reduction Plan sets corporate continual improvement goals, strategies and annual targets and CDS has pledged to halve our carbon emissions by 2030 and be carbon-neutral by 2050. The Bailie Group (of which CDS is part), is applying for ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification in 2022, which will focus our efforts on continually improving energy performance. Example initiatives and activities designed to fight climate change include: • Mandatory environmental awareness training for all new staff. Thereafter, all staff are required to complete annual refresher training • Introducing site-wide recycling facilities and waste streaming • Regular staff awareness bulletins on the company’s intranet on environment and sustainability best practices, to encourage behavioural change among staff • Replacing bottled water and disposable cups with personal water bottles and reusable insulated coffee cups, to replace single use plastics • Refurbishing our Leeds office to make it more environmentally friendly including changing the entire building to LED lighting with PIR sensors on the lights and replacing gas boilers with air source heating • Providing season ticket loans for public transport to reduce single car use • Investing in collaboration tools and video conferencing to eliminate unnecessary travel • Adding additional questions into our procurement compliance checklist, to encourage all of our potential suppliers to adopt sustainable practices.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  Through our work with local authorities, transport and national infrastructure clients, we have supported many communications campaigns designed to support recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 in local communities. This includes: • Transport for London: working as TfL’s print and communications partner, CDS has supported the campaign to encourage people safely back onto public transport, producing outdoor media, train/bus stickers, signage and leaflets • London Borough of Lambeth: as Lambeth’s print partner, we have supported the borough council with its response to Covid-19, and delivering communications campaigns reaching citizens and businesses. Most recently, this has focussed on supporting recovery and economic regeneration • CDS supported Make it York (an organisation supporting York-based businesses to achieve economic prosperity) to deliver a campaign encouraging shoppers safely back into the city. Other initiaitives and activities include: • Offering opportunities for work experience, such as unpaid student placements • Providing apprenticeships • Improving workplace conditions including effective social distancing, increased cleaning and flexible, hybrid working • Creating employment opportunities for people made unemployed by Covid-19.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  CDS provides a range of initiatives designed to create new businesses, new jobs and new skills within our local community. These include: • Apprenticeships and work experience, particularly for people who face barriers to employment. In the past two years, we have provided nine apprenticeship positions at our Leeds head office, of which four have become full-time employees. This year, we plan to offer around 20 new apprenticeship roles across the company. • Local employment: as a national company, CDS operates from six offices, each run as an autonomous business unit, managed by local teams. This regional structure has resulted in CDS becoming a community-focussed organisation, owing to local recruitment. • Engagement with local SMEs to encourage spend in the community. • Volunteering: many CDS staff give up their free time to volunteer as part of our charity initiatives.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  CDS’ fully hybrid working model enables participation by people from across the country, including people experiencing limited mobility, neurodivergence and/or clinical vulnerability. Our Leeds head office is also highly accessible, with ground-floor access, a disabled toilet, a lift to the first and second floors and step-free access to all meeting spaces and refreshment areas. CDS operates an inclusive and accessible recruitment practice; we actively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Our recruitment process is fair, equal, and non-discriminatory and works on the premise that the best person for the role will be offered the job. As part of our people strategy, we will be using the Disability Confident standard to inform how we can provide opportunities for disabled people to join the organisation in the future. Other initiatives and activities include: - STEM Programme: designed to break down barriers that might prevent young people from pursuing a career in technology - Structured staff appraisal process to identify individual skill gaps, and a training programme and assigned budget for delivering Personal Development Plans.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  We support the health and wellbeing of our staff through a range of initiatives including: - Employee Assistance Programme -Trained Mental Health First Aiders - Flexible working hours to balance work and home activities - Personal healthcare plan - Staff social committee who organise regular events e.g., quizzes, film nights, meals out - Charity work in support of our chosen charity partner - Organised sponsored physical activities including the Yorkshire Three Peaks and ‘Tour de CDS’ - Cycle to Work Scheme, bike storage and shower facilities to encourage exercise - Free yoga classes and back massages - Quarterly staff engagement survey - Monthly ‘360’ reviews and professional development plans for all staff - Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices - Employee intranet providing regular content on wellbeing topics, including mental health and promoting awareness days such as Time to Talk.

Pricing

• Price: £500 to £1,500 a unit a day
• Discount for educational organisations: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at bidteam@cds.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.