FAQ

It depends on your organisation's needs and why you're seeking certification. If you want to work with the public sector on government contracts, Cyber Essentials is usually the minimum requirement. If you want to show customers and partners that your business takes data protection and cyber security seriously, Cyber Essentials Plus adds an extra layer of verified assurance.

• According to the UK government, achieving Cyber Essentials protects your organisation from around 80% of common cyber-attacks.
• It demonstrates to customers and stakeholders that you're committed to cyber security and protecting their data.
• It strengthens your reputation and improves your chances of winning new business by showing you have robust security measures in place.

Certification protects your business against the majority of common cyber-attacks and shows stakeholders you're committed to keeping their data secure, helping with both retention and new business. It also raises the overall security level of your systems and puts processes in place to maintain and improve it year on year, driving efficiency and lowering operational costs. It opens the door to UK government contracts involving sensitive data, and can help reduce your cyber insurance premiums by proving your business is more resilient to threats.

Full details on the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus schemes are available on the National Cyber Security Centre website. Our team is also happy to walk you through the requirements directly.

Yes — you can download a copy of the self-assessment questions from the IASME website, with further guidance available from the National Cyber Security Centre.