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IASME-assured Certification Body · NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor
Cyber Essentials
The government-backed certification that shows your organisation has the five basic security controls in place. Assessed and certified by us as an IASME-accredited Certification Body.
New: 75% government funding for first-time certificates. See if you qualify
What's included
Everything you need to get certified
- A pre-submission review that flags issues while there is still time to fix them
- Assessment against the five controls: firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection and security update management
- Your certificate and the Cyber Essentials badge, valid for 12 months
- Optional same-day fast track, subject to meeting the requirements
- £25,000 of cyber liability insurance included at no extra cost for eligible organisations (UK, turnover under £20 million, whole organisation certified)
Who it's for
Required for many government and defence contracts, and increasingly asked for by insurers and larger customers.
Good to know
- Government funding: eligible UK SMEs getting their first Cyber Essentials certificate in four years can get 75% off, from £80 plus VAT, until March 2027 or until the funding runs out. See if you qualify.
- Since April 2026 assessments use the Danzell question set. MFA on every cloud service and the 14-day patching rule are strictly enforced. Read what changed.
- No IT team? We'll guide you through the technical questions. Have an IT company? We'll work with them. How we work with you.
Questions
Cyber Essentials FAQs
Is cyber insurance included?
Yes, for eligible organisations. If you're based in the UK, have a turnover under £20 million and certify your whole organisation, you can opt in to £25,000 of cyber liability insurance at no extra cost. It lasts 12 months from certification and covers costs such as incident response, data recovery and business interruption. You can opt out if you already have cover you're happy with.
We don't have an IT team. Can we still do it?
Yes. We explain every question in plain English and review your answers before you submit. If you have an IT company, they can help with the technical answers and we'll work with them directly.
How quickly can we be certified?
Often within 24 hours with fast track, once you meet the requirements. Our pre-submission review tells you exactly what to fix first.
How long does the certificate last?
Twelve months. You renew each year to keep it valid.
Which service level should we choose?
Self-managed suits teams who are happy to complete the questionnaire themselves. Assisted adds guidance from our team. Gap Assessment includes the Assisted service, plus validation of the five Cyber Essentials controls, verification of in-scope devices and a recommendations report.
Do we need Cyber Essentials before Cyber Essentials Plus?
Yes. Cyber Essentials Plus builds on it and must be completed within three months. You can order both together on the Cyber Essentials Plus page.
Let's Talk Security
Not sure which certification you need?
Talk to one of our team, who will be happy to talk through your requirements.