• Risk: 43% of UK businesses reported a breach or attack in the last 12 months; phishing (dodgy emails/texts) is still the main way in and the most disruptive. That means being locked out from files/systems, web apps or online services slowed or taken down and possibly corrupted software. After an issue, about half see more attempts to attack them.

• Cost: for micro/small firms the typical direct hit is approx. £1,510 which doesn’t include lost sales, reputational hit, staff time etc.

• Benefits: organisations with Cyber Essentials are 90% less likely to make a cyber-insurance claim than those without – strong evidence the basics cut real-world risk.

Additional benefits of Cyber Essentials certification

If your business wants to contract with Government departments, public sector clients or large companies, proof of your Cyber Essentials certification will be required during the tender process. So it’s worthwhile getting the certification now in case that big contract opportunity comes up.

Cyber Essentials has strict requirements that your organisation must meet to become certified. For larger organisations this is really helpful because by ensuring their suppliers hold Cyber Essentials it can give them confidence in the cyber hygiene of their supply chain.

Businesses with Cyber Essentials certification also may qualify for free cyber insurance providing that the whole organisation has been certified and their turnover is less than £20m per annum.

Cyber Essentials or ISO27001?

Cyber Essentials can be seen as complementary to ISO27001. The ISO certification is risk-based, which means it doesn’t have mandatory requirements that are consistent across organisations. With ISO, organisations can take an individual approach to the controls they select as long as they are justified by their risk assessment.

For example, the Cyber Essentials requirement to update systems for critical vulnerabilities with 14 days may be quite different for an organisation holding ISO27001, depending on how they assessed their risks.

How much does Cyber Essentials certification cost?

If you are up to speed with the requirements for Cyber Essentials, you can use our platform to complete the assessment. The cost of certification starts from £300 for businesses with up to 9 employees through to £500 for large organisations with more than 250 staff.

If you would like some help, we can provide it. We have materials available from policies, registers and even a sample of the assessment questionnaire.

How long does it take to achieve Cyber Essentials certification?

Each situation is different. If your business is assessment ready, you can achieve certification in as little as 24 hours. We will move ahead at a pace that suits you and your business.

Can I just use my existing Cybersecurity supplier?

By choosing a different supplier for your Cyber Essentials certification, you will achieve fresh thinking from an independent perspective. The process of achieving your Cyber Essentials certification will allow you to check and challenge your existing supplier.

Why certify with us?

Our business has been licensed by the IASME Consortium to provide Cyber Essentials assessments. From April 2020, IASME are the sole partner of the National Cyber Security Centre. By working with IASME we can provide a first-class experience for your certification journey.

We are a friendly team that understands cyber jargon so that you don’t need to. Our staff are experienced and certified security professionals who enjoy working with smaller organisations.

Next steps

The path to certification normally follows the following steps:

1. Inform – We will provide free information to help you decide if Cyber Essentials is for you. The self-assessed certification requires you to be in control and actively managing a set of basic cyber security elements. Learn what needs to be managed and get some help in the process.
2. Commit – Using the background information, you can decide if Cyber Essentials is for you. If it is but if you would like some assistance putting some of the elements in place, we would be pleased to help. When you are ready, just let us know.
3. Assess – After you decide to go ahead, we will provide you with access to our assessment platform. Complete the assessment questionnaire and submit your answers.
4. Certify – Our assessor will review your submission. If you have shown that your organisation has met the Cyber Essentials requirements your certificate will be issued. If you have not been successful, our assessors’ feedback will help signpost where improvements need to be made.

Question 1 How will Cyber Essentials benefit my business?

Cyber Essentials represents the achievement of a basic level of cyber security. It provides evidence to other businesses that you have met the criteria and is mandatory to work with some government departments.

Question 2 How much does it cost?

Cyber Essentials certification starts from £300 plus VAT.

Question 3 How long will it take to certify?

Cybersec have certified some organisations within 24 hours of the first contact but this requires the certifying organisation to have their approach to cyber security compliant with the standard already. Cybersec commit to work at the pace you need.

Get in touch

Chat to us, call us on 01494 936696 or email info[at]cybersec.solutions to get started with your Cyber Essentials certification today.