The Cyber Essentials Process

• Cyber Essentials gap assessment: a straight answer on where you stand today — devices, users, cloud services, software, firewalls and security settings checked against all five controls.
• Remediation plan: a prioritised action plan covering quick wins, required changes and everything that must be in place before you submit.
• Secure configuration: We help remove default settings, reduce unnecessary services and make sure devices and accounts are configured securely.
• User access control and MFA: we review admin rights, shared accounts and joiner/mover/leaver processes, and roll out multi-factor authentication — now a mandatory requirement of the scheme.
• Security update management: We help ensure supported software is patched promptly and unsupported systems are identified and replaced or removed from scope.
• Malware protection: We check that appropriate protection is in place across laptops, desktops, servers and relevant devices.
• Cyber Essentials Plus preparation: need the higher-assurance certification for a tender or client? We get you ready for the independent technical testing that verifies the same five controls in practice.
• Annual renewal support: certification is valid for 12 months, so we keep your controls in good shape year-round — no last-minute scramble, no lapsed certificate costing you a contract.

Need Cyber Essentials for a tender or an insurance renewal?  Contact us to get your certification quote.

Cyber Essentials FAQs: your questions answered

1. What should my organisation do first? Start with a practical review of your current risks: devices, accounts, data, cloud services, backups and staff awareness. From there, prioritise the controls that reduce the biggest risks fastest.
2. What is Cyber Essentials? Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed certification scheme, administered by IASME on behalf of the NCSC, that protects organisations against the most common online threats through five technical controls. Certificates are valid for 12 months.
3. What is Cyber Essentials Plus? Cyber Essentials Plus uses the same requirements as Cyber Essentials, but includes independent technical testing to verify that the controls are working in practice.
4. Is Cyber Essentials difficult to achieve? It depends on your current setup, and most businesses get there with focused preparation. The usual stumbling blocks are unsupported software, weak access control, missing multi-factor authentication (now an automatic fail), unclear asset lists and inconsistent patching. We find and fix these before you submit.
5. Do clients, insurers or public sector contracts require it? Increasingly, yes. Cyber Essentials is often used to show that suppliers take cyber security seriously, and it can support bids where cyber assurance is required.
6. How do we prepare for a cyber attack? Put response plans in place, test backups, define roles and escalation steps, secure administrator accounts, monitor suspicious activity and train staff to report concerns quickly.
7. What is a penetration test? A penetration test is an authorised security assessment designed to find exploitable weaknesses in systems, applications or networks before criminals can use them.
8. What is best practice for cyber security? Good practice includes strong identity controls, MFA, regular patching, secure configuration, reliable backups, least-privilege access, awareness training and documented incident response.
9. How do I find a cyber security expert near me in Cambridge? Look for a local provider that works with SMEs day in, day out, explains risk in plain English, supports recognised standards such as Cyber Essentials and stays on to implement the fixes — not just hand you a report. That’s exactly what we do for businesses across Cambridge and Cambridgeshire.
10. What cyber security services do you offer? We offer Cyber Essentials support, security reviews, Microsoft 365 and cloud security checks, awareness training, incident response planning, backup and recovery reviews, and support coordinating specialist testing where needed.