Is Cyber Essentials mandatory for UK businesses?

No – but Cyber Essentials is required for many public sector contracts and is increasingly expected within private sector supply chains.

How long does certification last?

Cyber Essentials certification is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually.

Can you help if we don’t have an internal IT team?

Absolutely. We regularly support SMEs that require guidance and hands-on support from an outsourcing partner.

What’s the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment certification, while Cyber Essentials Plus includes independent technical testing for additional assurance.

Can we apply if changes are still needed?

Your environment needs to meet the required controls before certification. Thankfully, we help identify and remediate issues before submission to improve your chances of success.

CyberEssentials as a Service

Save Time. Gain Trust. Get Cyber Essentials Certified

Achieving Cyber Essentials certification is one of the simplest ways to strengthen your cyber security and demonstrate your business takes security seriously.

At Grant McGregor, we make the process straightforward. From your initial assessment through to full certification, we guide your business every step of the way – helping you achieve Cyber Essentials status quickly, confidently, and without the time-consuming admin.

Whether you need certification for a specific requirement, public sector tender, insurance expectations, or simply your customers’ peace of mind, we’re here to advise on the fastest route to certification.

Let’s get started

Why Cyber Essentials Matters

Cyber threats continue to grow, and businesses of all sizes are now expected to prove they have basic cyber security controls in place.

Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme designed to help organisations reduce exposure to common cyber threats and improve their overall security posture.

For many SMEs, Cyber Essentials is becoming an increasingly standard requirement.

By gaining Cyber Essentials certification, your business can:

Demonstrate commitment to cyber security
Build trust with customers and suppliers
Improve protection against common cyber attacks
Meet supplier and tender requirements
Strengthen your cyber security foundations
Improve confidence across your supply chain

We make Cyber Essentials simple

Completing the Cyber Essentials certification cycle doesn’t need to be stressful or time-consuming.

Our IT consultants will provide practical, hands-on support to help your business understand what’s required, close any gaps, and complete the process successfully.

Our Cyber Essentials service includes:

Initial review and gap analysis

We’ll dive into your current environment and identify what needs to change.

Hands-on implementation support

We’ll implement new controls, including system, user and device reconfigurations.

Certification guidance from start to finish

We’ll guide you through your application, reducing the risk of delays or failed submissions.

Ongoing support and renewal advice

We’ll be on hand to help you maintain compliance and prepare for renewal.

We work with organisations of all sizes, including businesses without dedicated internal IT teams.

Not sure if you’re ready for certification? We’ll assess your current position and explain exactly what’s needed.

Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus

Cyber Essentials provides a recognised certification that helps protect your business against the most common cyber threats. It’s ideal for organisations like yours that are looking to improve their security, meet their compliance requirements, and demonstrate their credibility.

The baseline is ideal for companies that:

Need certification quickly
Want to improve their broader cyber security
Need to meet supplier or tender requirements
Want reassurance for customers and stakeholders

Cyber Essentials Plus includes independent technical verification and testing to confirm that your security controls are working effectively in practice. It provides a higher level of assurance and is increasingly requested by larger organisations and supply chains.

It’s the most sensible choice for businesses that:

Handle sensitive information
Require stronger assurance levels
Work with enterprise or public sector clients
Want additional verification of their cyber controls

Find out which certification is the right fit for you by getting in touch with the team here at Grant McGregor today.

Let’s get started

Why Choose Grant McGregor?

Our Cyber Essentials consultants focus on making cyber security practical, understandable, and achievable for SMEs.

Businesses choose us because we provide:

Clear, jargon-free guidance
End-to-end certification support
Practical implementation assistance
Reduced risk of failed assessments
Support tailored to your business environment
Ongoing cyber security advice beyond certification

As an NCSC Assured Service Provider with over 20 years of experience supporting businesses with their technology and security needs, you can rest assured your Cyber Essentials certification is in safe hands with us.

What’s Covered?

Cyber Essentials focuses on five key security controls designed to reduce the risk of common attacks.

These include:

Firewalls and network security
Secure system configuration
User access controls
Malware protection
Security updates and patch management

Modern scheme requirements also include areas such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), where this is supported.