Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough
Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough is a multi-site charity delivering vital frontline advice and support services to residents across the local region. Operating across three locations, they play a critical role in helping individuals navigate financial, legal and social challenges. Reliability of their day-to-day systems are essential to ensure advisers can support clients effectively and confidentially, and security of the data in which they hold is essential to protect both their business and clients, especially as governance of the type of data they hold becomes a necessity to comply with UK data security standards.
Executive Summary
Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough approached TwentyFour IT Services with a clear objective to strengthen its Cyber Security posture and achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification. They required improved network resilience, replacement of ageing infrastructure, closure of cyber security gaps and the introduction of modern management controls, all whilest ensuring staff could continue working without disruption to their day-to-day experience.
Prior to speaking with us, Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough was facing performance issues across devices and an unknown increased cyber risk exposure due to end-of-life PCs and Laptops, ageing Network Switches, inconsistent wireless coverage, outdated security policies, weak identity and access controls, missing critical device security (and operating system) patches and fragmented device lifecycle management practices.
Through a detailed assessment combining on-site surveys, endpoint discovery tools and CREST-Certified Penetration Testing, TwentyFour IT Services identified the changes required to meet Cyber Essentials Plus standards. A structured remediation programme was designed, proposed and delivered, providing a clear pathway to certification while also improving operational efficiency, strengthening resilience and creating a secure, modern foundation to support frontline service delivery without disrupting staff or client support.
Objectives
Citizen Advice Doncaster Borough’s goals focused on achieving compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus, improving resilience across their users & estate, and modernising infrastructure while maintaining a familiar working environment for users.
These priorities required a carefully planned programme between TwentyFour project implementation engineers and Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough users that balanced security requirements, practical day-to-day operations, and clearly communicated changes to ensure that every user was aware of additional security practices (such as MFA, Identity Access Management and Email Security) as part of TwentyFour’s wider Change Management implementation strategies.
"TwentyFour understood our needs, they “got” the challenges we face as a charity, particularly around balancing cyber security requirements with day-to-day service delivery, and it gave me a lot of confidence in their approach.
TwentyFour have a genuine interest in supporting Doncaster as a city, not just through the work they do with us but through things like charitable activity and Chamber sponsorship. That local commitment mattered to us and helped this feel more like a partnership than a service we were purchasing."
James Woods, CEOTechnical Solution & Implementation Timeline
Assessment and Visibility
TwentyFour IT conducted a structured discovery phase using on-site assessments, automated endpoint discovery and a CREST-Certified Penetration Test. This provided a full picture of the environment, highlighting risks, vulnerabilities and infrastructure limitations that were integrated into the proposal, and ultimately their onboarding project.
Compliance Roadmap
Microsoft Security Foundation
Infrastructure Uplift
Endpoint Modernisation
Ongoing Technology and Security Governance
Outcomes and Benefits
Through a structured review and targeted upgrade of hardware and security tools, Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough now has the policies, processes and controls required to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification. Their estate has been strengthened with modern infrastructure, Zero Trust-led endpoint security, consistent device management and enhanced visibility. These improvements have created a secure and resilient technology foundation aligned to their wider strategy, supporting both security and industry compliance and frontline service delivery.
By partnering with TwentyFour IT Services, Citizens Advice Doncaster Borough has built a long-term resilient foundation that supports both its mission and the community it serves whilst providing strategic long-term alignment and development.
"TwentyFour understood our needs, they “got” the challenges we face as a charity, particularly around balancing cyber security requirements with day-to-day service delivery, and it gave me a lot of confidence in their approach.
TwentyFour have a genuine interest in supporting Doncaster as a city, not just through the work they do with us but through things like charitable activity and Chamber sponsorship. That local commitment mattered to us and helped this feel more like a partnership than a service we were purchasing."
James Woods, CEO
