Cyber Essentials Plus Certification
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials is a cyber security certification scheme developed by the UK government to help organisations guard against automated cyber threats. This certificate helps validate that your business has taken serious steps to protect itself against common cyber threats.
To become Cyber Essentials certified, you’ll go through a rigorous security assessment. This assessment will help to identify any flaws in your current systems and processes so that you can ensure that your company infrastructure is safe, secure and up to date.
Once you have obtained your certification, you can assure customers, partners and other stakeholders that you have all the necessary measures in place to protect against cyber threats.
Firewall configuration
Secure configuration
User access control
Patch management
Malware protection
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials Plus is an extension of the Cyber Essentials scheme, providing a higher level of assurance by requiring organisations to undergo a series of vulnerability assessments by an external assessor.
To apply for Cyber Essentials Plus, an organisation must first achieve Cyber Essentials certification. Cyber Essentials Plus must then be obtained within three months of certifying to Cyber Essentials.
Why be Cyber Essentials Plus Certified?
There are several benefits to achieving Cyber Essentials Plus certification, including:
- Increase confidence
Cyber Essentials Plus certification can help instil confidence in customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders that Cyber Security is not only taken seriously – but steps have been taken to improve it.
- Competitive advantage
Cyber Essentials Plus certification is a differentiator in a crowded marketplace, particularly when
bidding for contracts that require more Cyber
Security assurance.
- Reduce risk
By implementing the Cyber Essentials controls and undergoing external testing, an organisation can reduce the risk of a cyber attack and minimise potential damage.
- Better Compliance
Cyber Essentials Plus certification can help demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements, particularly in industries that handle sensitive or confidential data.
About The Cyber Essentials Plus Audit
A Cyber Essentials audit is carried out to make sure that the devices used in your business are securely set up according to the scheme’s requirements. Firstly, a sample of computers used in your organisation is randomly selected to undergo testing.
Vulnerability scans are then performed on the selected machines to ensure that software updates and basic configuration meet the standards of the scheme.
After your vulnerability scan, an external scan will be conducted on your business’ internet-facing IP address to check that there are no obvious misconfigurations or vulnerabilities.
Finally, after those processes are complete, your email clients (for example, Outlook or Gmail) and internet browsers will be thoroughly examined to verify that appropriate anti-malware controls are in place. This helps to prevent the execution of fake malicious files and similar threats.
Cyber Essentials Plus is the highest level of certification within the Cyber Essentials scheme and involves the most rigorous evaluation of your systems.
Already Cyber Essentials certified? If not,
you’ll need to go here first…
Your result matters
Becoming Cyber Essentials Plus Certified
It’s difficult to know where to start with Cyber Security. Becoming certified can seem like a daunting
process, which is why we provide unlimited support, from start to finish. Our team won’t let you fail!
How we work
1
We send you our Cyber Essentials Plus tracker and step-by-step guide
2
We run a vulnerability test to spot areas that need remediation then rescan to check
3
We hold an assessment day to carry out observational tests on a selected user group
4
We ensure you’re compliant following testing and assessment
5
Once our report is written, your certificate is then issued!
Cyber Essentials Plus Packages
Ready to get started? Speak to one of our team who will provide you with everything you need to know.
Included in our service:
- Unlimited phone and email support
- Guided questionnaire with model answers
- Cost of certificate and administration with IASME
Ask us about spreading the cost with monthly payments at no extra cost
Looking to certify to Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus? Save time and money with our combined package
Happy Clients
Supporting our clients with down to earth advice, explained simply, is our mission. Don’t just take our word for it though. Here are a handful of our testimonials from clients we work with.
Frequently asked Questions
We’re here to help with any questions you have about plans, pricing and supported features.
While Cyber Essentials focuses on self-assessment and self-declaration of adherence to cyber security controls, Cyber Essentials Plus involves a more rigorous external assessment. In addition to the self-assessment questionnaire, Cyber Essentials Plus requires an independent cyber security professional to conduct remote testing and verification of your organisation’s implemented controls.
This external assessment provides a higher level of assurance to stakeholders and customers, demonstrating that your cyber security measures are not only implemented but also effectively tested and validated.
Cyber Essentials Plus certification offers several key advantages for your organisation. Firstly, it provides an even stronger level of assurance and validation of your cyber security controls compared to the standard Cyber Essentials certification. This can enhance customer trust and confidence, especially when dealing with sensitive data or engaging in partnerships where cyber security is a critical concern.
Cyber Essentials Plus certification also demonstrates your commitment to proactive cyber security practices, enabling you to differentiate yourself from competitors and potentially gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
The assessment for Cyber Essentials Plus involves an independent cyber security professional conducting thorough remote testing and verification of the controls you implemented at Cyber Essentials. This will include vulnerability scanning of a sample of your devices as well as testing their controls against malware. The tests also check that two factor authentication is in place for access to cloud services, and that users are not logged in as administrator.
The assessor evaluates your organisation’s adherence to the Cyber Essentials Plus controls and provides a report outlining any identified vulnerabilities or areas for improvement. This rigorous assessment process offers valuable insights into your cyber security posture and helps you address potential weaknesses.
Cyber Essentials Plus certification is valid for one year from the date of certification. After this period, you will need to undergo a reassessment to maintain your certification. Regular reassessments are crucial as they allow your organisation to demonstrate ongoing compliance with the Cyber Essentials Plus controls and ensure that your cyber security measures stay up to date in the face of evolving threats.
The reassessment process provides an opportunity to review and enhance your cyber security practices, ensuring that your organisation maintains a strong and resilient security posture.
