Under Attack?
Cyber Essentials & Cyber Essentials Plus Services
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed and industry-supported scheme that helps organisations protect themselves against common online threats. It is relevant for all organisations, regardless of size, industry, or sector.
Why get Cyber Essentials certified?
Achieving Cyber Essentials certification is one of the most effective ways to strengthen your organisation’s cyber security posture and demonstrate your commitment to protecting data and systems from common online threats.
Developed by the UK Government and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Cyber Essentials provides a clear, practical framework that helps organisations of all sizes safeguard their IT infrastructure, reduce risk, and build resilience against cyber attacks.
Benefits of becoming Cyber Essentials certified
-
Demonstrate your cyber security commitment – Reassure customers, partners, and stakeholders that you take information security seriously and have robust measures in place to protect their data.
-
Win new business opportunities – Many clients now expect or require suppliers to have Cyber Essentials certification, giving you a competitive advantage when tendering for contracts.
-
Meet UK Government requirements – Cyber Essentials certification is mandatory for organisations bidding for certain UK Government and MOD contracts that involve handling sensitive data.
-
Understand and improve your defences – Gain a clear and measurable picture of your current cyber security level and identify areas for improvement.
By becoming Cyber Essentials certified, your organisation not only enhances its protection against cyber threats but also builds greater trust and credibility with customers and partners.
Key features:
-
Firewalls: Ensuring devices are protected against unauthorised access and disclosure.
-
Secure Configuration: Ensuring systems are configured in the most secure way for the needs of the organisation.
-
Access Control: Ensuring only those who should have access to systems have access and at the appropriate level.
-
Malware Protection: Ensuring that virus and malware protection is installed and is up to date.
-
Patch Management: Ensuring the latest supported version of applications is used and all the necessary patches supplied by the vendor have been applied.
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials Plus certification provides a higher level of assurance than the basic Cyber Essentials scheme, delivering a rigorous, hands-on assessment of your organisation’s cyber security controls.
Unlike the self-assessment approach of the standard certification, Cyber Essentials Plus involves an independent technical audit carried out by an accredited external assessor. This in-depth evaluation tests how effectively your security measures protect against real-world cyber attacks, ensuring your defences perform as intended.
The benefits of Cyber Essentials Plus certification
-
Prove advanced cyber resilience – Demonstrate your organisation’s ability to defend against sophisticated cyber threats through verified technical testing.
-
Strengthen trust and credibility – Reassure customers, partners, and stakeholders that your cyber security has been independently validated to the UK’s recognised Government standard.
-
Gain a competitive edge – Meet client and regulatory expectations more easily, especially when working with organisations that demand higher levels of assurance.
-
Validate your Cyber Essentials framework – Confirm that the controls implemented under your Cyber Essentials certification are operating effectively in practice.
Achieving Cyber Essentials Plus certification highlights your organisation’s ongoing commitment to maintaining strong, proactive cyber defences and continuous security improvement.
Why choose Integrity360?
Our team of cyber security and privacy experts provide a comprehensive report highlighting the identified risks and proposed mitigation measures. The report serves as evidence of compliance efforts, guiding risk management strategies, and ensuring that data processing activities respect individuals’ privacy rights.
Gartner Recognised
We are thrilled to share that Integrity360 has been recognised as a Gartner Representative Vendor in 5 of their Market Guides, including: Managed Security Services, Managed Detection and Response, Gartner's Market Guide for Co-Managed Security Monitoring Services and Managed SIEM Services.
Gartner has included a range of providers within its market guide for managed services to ensure clear coverage from a geographical, vertical and capabilities perspective. Those included in the Gartner market guide display clarity in the vision for an end-user outcome-focused offering distinct from a pure technology-driven offering.
Speak to an expert
Call us
London: +44 20 3397 3414
Sofia: +359 2 491 0110
Cape Town: +27 08 606 25673
Johannesburg: +27 08 606 25673
Email us
Cyber Essentials FAQs
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme that outlines five core security controls organisations should implement to defend against common cyber threats. It provides a foundation for good cyber hygiene and is often a prerequisite for public sector contracts.
What is the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials is self-assessed and involves submitting responses to a questionnaire. Cyber Essentials Plus includes all the same requirements, but adds hands-on technical verification and independent testing of your systems by a certifying body.
What does Integrity360’s Cyber Essentials service include?
Integrity360 guides organisations through the self-assessment process, helping you understand the five control areas—firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection, and patch management—and provides recommendations to pass certification.
What does the Cyber Essentials Plus service include?
For Cyber Essentials Plus, Integrity360 performs a readiness assessment, conducts internal vulnerability scans, and supports remediation efforts. Once you're ready, Integrity360 facilitates the formal certification process with an approved external assessor.
Why should my organisation consider Cyber Essentials or Plus?
Both certifications demonstrate your commitment to cyber security, help fulfil supply chain requirements, support GDPR compliance, and protect your organisation from basic cyber attacks. Plus adds further credibility through independent validation.
Can Integrity360 help us prepare for both certifications?
Yes. Whether you’re starting with Cyber Essentials or moving to Plus, Integrity360 provides a full gap analysis, remediation guidance, technical support, and liaison with certifying bodies to ensure you’re fully prepared.
How long does the process take?
With Integrity360’s support, most organisations can achieve Cyber Essentials within a few days to a week, and Cyber Essentials Plus within a few weeks—depending on existing cyber maturity and remediation needs.
What makes Integrity360’s Cyber Essentials support different?
Integrity360 goes beyond the checklist. You get access to experienced security professionals who help interpret the requirements, recommend fixes, and align the certification process to your broader security goals and infrastructure.
