Get Cyber Essentials Certified with confidence
Choose Cyphere as your Cyber Essentials partner to improve your security posture and demonstrate commitment to cyber security across your customers and supply chain.
Cyphere’s a specialist security services provider with accredited expertise, tailored offerings, and ongoing support as part of our standard approach.
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What is covered in Cyber Essentials?
Are firewalls in place and configured to protect the organisation’s network from unauthorised access?
Are systems and devices configured securely to reduce the risk of exploitation?
Are security updates applied to systems and devices promptly?
Are user accounts and permissions managed effectively to prevent unauthorised access to systems and data?
Is malware protection configured effectively to protect the organisation’s network from malware infections?
How does Cyber Essentials certification help your business?
By correctly applying the five essential security controls, the Cyber Essentials program significantly empowers you to reduce the risks posed by various common cyber threats.
Bolster your company’s image and attract fresh clientele by assuring them of your strong commitment to cybersecurity and proactive security measures.
Being Cyber Essentials certified concretely demonstrates your dedication to protecting data and ensuring robust cybersecurity practices within your organisation.
The Cyber Essentials certificate opens the door to collaboration with the UK government and other public sector bodies where Cyber Essentials certification is required.
- Cyber Essentials certificates issued within the past year are featured on the IASME website, showcasing your unwavering commitment to safeguarding your and your customers’ data.
- Impact on Cybersecurity Attitudes and Behaviors
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has assessed the influence of Cyber Essentials on organisational cybersecurity practices and found that organisations express confidence in their protection, increase supplier confidence, and exhibit heightened awareness of threats.
How to become certified in Cyber Essentials?
For Cyber Essentials certification, it is a three-step process as outlined below. Cyber Essentials Plus certification also includes technical assessments.
- Set the scope – Before you begin the certification process, clarifying the certification’s range is essential. This could encompass an organisation’s entire enterprise IT infrastructure or a specific subset. Clearly defining the scope is a crucial preliminary step.
- Completion of Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) – The next phase involves filling out a questionnaire. The SAQ is carefully reviewed to ensure it complies with the scheme’s requirements before submission. Successful submissions lead to the issuance of a Cyber Essentials certificate.
- Technical Assessment (Vulnerability Scan, Device and endpoint checks) – Organisations aiming for Cyber Essentials Plus certification must undergo a comprehensive technical evaluation. This includes a series of internal vulnerability scans and assessments of the in-scope system(s) along with the SAQ. An external vulnerability scan is conducted on your internet-facing networks and applications to confirm the absence of obvious vulnerabilities. These tests are carried out from a remote location mostly.
- Certification Awarded – In the case of self-assessment, Cyber Essentials certification is awarded. In case of a failure, the customer has two business days to submit updated answers. You will receive your Cyber Essentials Plus certificate once the assessment, internal scans, and external scans are completed. If this fails, the customer has 30 days to apply fixes and submit their application.
Cyber Essentials
- Key Features: Cyber Essentials involves the completion of a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ).
- Suitability: Cyber Essentials is the appropriate choice if you seek a foundational security certification to demonstrate the presence of basic security controls. Usually, companies do this to prove their compliance requirements as part of public sector engagement, supplier onboarding or similar pre-requisite.
Cyber Essentials Plus
- Key Features: Cyber Essentials Plus goes beyond self-assessment and includes a comprehensive technical audit. This audit encompasses an external vulnerability assessment, an internal system scan, mobile device evaluations, user testing on selected devices, and verification of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) use in cloud services.
- Suitability: Cyber Essentials Plus is the right option when you require a more thorough examination of the security controls you have in place. It is also ideal for organisations where employees work remotely or when third parties can access your premises or IT infrastructure.
After agreeing on Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, you’ll be given access to the portal, where you’ll find the electronic self-assessment questionnaire for CE, or submit the one you have. You can then start the application, save your progress, and return to it later.
There’s one answer to this: it depends. Based on your readiness, passing this certification could take a few hours to a few days or weeks. Completing this questionnaire is relatively straightforward and should only take a few hours. If you buy a CE+ certification, we provide you a free readiness check session to help you be prepared to pass in the first attempt. Throughout the process, you will have support from Cyphere’s comply team.
For most organisations, Cyber Essentials Plus certification is practically achievable within a couple of months to six months.
This is possible for organisations with high-security maturity within a few weeks. For medium sized organisations needing the technical security baselines and protections to be implemented, this can easily be a 3-6 month project.
If your organisation plans to achieve CE+ certification, you must do this within three months. For instance, Cyber Essentials certification must be passed within a month window of applying for Cyber Essentials Plus certification.
Failing to meet this criterion will require you to reapply and pay another application fee to restart the Cyber Essentials process.
Businesses across the UK count on us
Why get Cyber Essentials certified with Cyphere?
Cyphere is an accredited certification body recognised by the UK government. Our expert assessors are trained to ensure your organisation meets the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus standards. We stay up-to-date with the latest threats and vulnerabilities, offering cutting-edge solutions.
We understand that every organisation is unique. Cyphere doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. We work closely with you to tailor our services to your specific needs. We’ve covered you whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise.
Our certification process is designed to be straightforward and efficient. We help you navigate the complexities of cybersecurity, making achieving and maintaining your certification easy. It’s not just about compliance; it’s about real security improvements.
Cyphere offers competitive pricing for our services. We believe cybersecurity should be accessible to all businesses, regardless of size. Our cost-effective solutions ensure you get maximum value for your investment. For organisations serious about cyber security maturity that’s more than a tick in the box, we offer these options:
- A FREE-of-cost cyber essentials certification when you procure our services for annual IT security health checks or equivalent penetration testing requirements.
- Suppose you commit to Cyber Essentials Plus along with penetration testing. In that case, we align your CE+ inside the penetration test scope to ensure you don’t pay twice to us or other security providers.
Our commitment doesn’t end with certification. We offer ongoing support, helping you maintain your cybersecurity posture. Our experts are here to answer your questions and assist you in addressing any concerns.
Trust is at the core of what we do. Cyphere has earned a reputation for integrity and professionalism. Service quality underpins everything we do.
Cyphere doesn’t just stop at Cyber Essentials. We offer various cybersecurity services to help you strengthen your defences and stay ahead of threats. From penetration testing to security audits, we’ve got you covered.
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