What is Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed, industry-supported certification that helps organizations protect themselves from common online threats. It sets out a baseline of technical controls to secure IT infrastructure and is designed to ensure businesses are practicing good cybersecurity hygiene.
There are two levels of certification:
Cyber Essentials
This entry-level certification involves a self-assessment that is verified by a qualified external assessor. It covers five key areas:
- Firewalls
- Secure Configuration
- User Access Control
- Malware Protection
- Security Update Management
More information: Cyber Essentials – NCSC
Cyber Essentials Plus
Cyber Essentials Plus includes everything in the basic certification but goes a step further. It involves a technical audit of your systems to validate that the controls are in place and working effectively. This is conducted by a certified body and includes:
- Internal vulnerability scans
- External threat analysis
- User device testing
- Email and web gateway testing
More information: Cyber Essential Plus – NCSC
Why Does It Matter?
Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent, sophisticated, and damaging. Whether you’re a small business or a larger enterprise, your systems, data, and reputation are always at risk.
Cyber Essentials helps to:
- Guard against the most common threats such as phishing, malware, and ransomware
- Build trust with clients, partners, and regulators
- Demonstrate due diligence in managing security risks
- Meet requirements for government contracts (for many sectors, Cyber Essentials is mandatory)
The Benefits of Being Certified
- Improved security posture and reduced risk of breach
- Customer assurance that you take cyber hygiene seriously
- Competitive edge in tenders, particularly in regulated industries
- Increased operational resilience
Cyber Essentials Plus also:
- Gives higher credibility thanks to external validation
- Identifies blind spots in internal systems
- Offers peace of mind that controls are effective in practice.
We’re Proud to Be Certified – Again!
At ICT PROTECT, cybersecurity is at the heart of everything we do. We are thrilled to announce that we have been officially certified for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus for the second consecutive year!
This certification reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting our clients, partners, and internal operations from cyber threats. It reinforces our position as a trusted cybersecurity provider with proven technical controls and standards.
Our team works hard to maintain and improve our security practices year-round, and this recognition underscores that dedication.
See our certification.
Ready to Strengthen Your Cyber Defenses?
If you’re considering Cyber Essentials certification for your business or want to understand how ICT PROTECT can help you improve your cybersecurity strategy, get in touch with us today. We’re ready to guide you every step of the way—from readiness assessments to achieving certification and beyond.
