What is Cyber Essentials and do I need it?
Cyber Essentials in plain English: what it checks, what it costs, what changed in 2026, and whether your business needs it.
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Cyber Essentials readiness
Get ready for Cyber Essentials without the guesswork. I prepare you and fix the gaps. The certificate comes from a certification body.
The problem
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme that shows your business has the basic protections against common online attacks in place. More and more customers ask for it, and some contracts, especially in the public sector, require it.
The questions are reasonable, but working out whether your laptops, accounts, router and cloud services meet each requirement takes time. Getting it wrong means fixing things and resubmitting.
What I do, and what I don't
What's included
- A gap check against the five areas the scheme covers: firewalls, secure settings, who has access to what, protection against malware (harmful software), and keeping software updated.
- A clear list of what needs to change, in plain English.
- Hands-on help fixing the gaps on your devices, accounts and servers.
- Help preparing your answers for the self-assessment questionnaire, so they are accurate and complete.
What you get at the end
A business that meets the Cyber Essentials requirements, and a questionnaire ready to submit with confidence.
Just as useful: real protection against the most common attacks, and a clear picture of how your IT is set up.
How it's priced
A fixed price for teams of up to 10, agreed before I start. The certification body's fee is separate and paid directly to them.
Who it's for
- Small businesses whose customers or contracts ask for Cyber Essentials.
- Teams of up to 10 people. Bigger team? I will quote for it.
- Anyone who has started the questionnaire and got stuck.
Questions
Can you guarantee we will pass?
I can't promise a pass, because the certification body makes that decision. What I can do is make sure you meet each requirement before you submit, so there are no surprises.
Is the certification fee included?
No. The certification body charges its own fee, which you pay directly to them.
What about Cyber Essentials Plus?
Plus adds a hands-on technical audit by an assessor. I can prepare you for that too. It is quoted separately, because the audit goes deeper.
We have more than 10 people. Can you help?
Yes. Tell me how many people and devices you have and I will quote for it.
How long does a certificate last?
Twelve months. After that you renew, and I can help you check nothing has slipped in the meantime.
Anything else I should know about prices?
- Retainer clients get 10% off project work and the breach rate.
- Out-of-hours emergency work is by arrangement, not a 24/7 promise.
- I'm not VAT registered, so there is no VAT to add.
Related guides
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Get ready for Cyber Essentials
Tell me how many people and devices you have, and whether a customer or contract is asking for it.