What is Cyber Essential?

Businesses can safeguard themselves from a range of cybersecurity threats by adopting Cyber Essentials. This program is suitable for organizations of any size or industry and serves as evidence of your dedication to cybersecurity to your partners and clients. Upon achieving certification, your company gains the ability to exhibit the Cyber Essentials badge, signaling that you have implemented controls to thwart most cyberattacks. For added assurance, Cyber Essentials Plus is available through D365 Labs, offering deeper security measures.

Our team of experienced assessors at D365 Labs caters to clients across various sectors, from small businesses to large corporations. We take pride in our transparent fixed-fee model, providing comprehensive support and guidance, ensuring a successful and cost-effective outcome for our clients.

Why Cyber Essentials Certification?

Cyber Essentials, initiated by the government in 2014, advocates for businesses to adhere to cybersecurity best practices. As an accredited Certification Body for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus by the IASME, D365 Labs stands ready to certify your company, offering comprehensive assistance throughout the certification process.

Cyber Essentials Checklist

In an era defined by constant technological advancements, cybersecurity has emerged as an indispensable requirement for businesses. With the continuous evolution of technology and software, the risk of cyberattacks grows, posing significant financial, temporal, and reputational threats to organizations.

Given these challenges, obtaining a Cyber Essentials certification offers a straightforward solution to mitigate the headache of cyberattacks. By adhering to established cybersecurity standards, businesses can safeguard themselves against potential breaches, ensuring peace of mind and protection against unforeseen disruptions.

Your Cyber Essentials Checklist are:

• Secure Configuration

• Boundary Firewalls and Internet Gateways

• Access Control and Administrative Privileges

• Patch Management

• Malware Protection

How Cyber Essentials is helpful?

Cyber Essentials, a reputable government-endorsed program, provides a robust defense against prevalent cybersecurity threats faced by businesses. Beyond the immediate security benefits it offers, obtaining certification signifies your company's commitment to cybersecurity, enhancing its reliability and credibility in the eyes of stakeholders.

Moreover, in certain cases, Cyber Essentials certification is a mandatory requirement for businesses seeking contracts in the public sector, underscoring its significance in today's marketplace.

The program outlines a set of essential controls that organizations must integrate into their systems to qualify for certification. Below, we delve into each of these critical measures.

The pathway to attaining full compliance

The Cyber Essentials checklist comprises five essential steps. Your organization can implement these measures immediately to safeguard against common cybersecurity threats. Remember, if your company has followed these steps to achieve Cyber Essentials compliance, you're nearly there.

Secure your internet connection by employing a firewall

A firewall acts as a protective barrier, creating a secure boundary between your IT network and the public internet. It blocks access to risky websites or traffic, and can also notify you of potentially harmful content. Proxy server firewalls, which conceal your IP address and regulate traffic types, are common firewall types.

Opt for the highest level of security settings available for both devices and software

Default settings on hardware and software often contribute to cybersecurity breaches, as they're typically configured to be overly open for ease of access. Manufacturers commonly use these settings for organizations' computing systems and networks, inadvertently granting cybercriminals easy access. Opt for the most secure configurations that align with your company's requirements.

Take charge of accessible data and services to ensure control and security

Review the permissions associated with your employees' accounts and enforce restrictions where necessary. Limiting access to sensitive data reduces the risk of compromise to administrative accounts. This distinction is critical, as unauthorized cyber attackers can inflict greater damage to an administrator account compared to a standard user account.

Defend against malware and viruses to safeguard your systems

Malware, a term encompassing harmful software, can infiltrate your computer via various avenues, such as email attachments, infected floppy disk drives, and visits to suspicious websites. It can manifest in the form of viruses as well. Removing malware from your system post-infection can be challenging. To shield yourself from malware, leverage widely available free programs for Windows and MacOS. Additionally, consider implementing whitelisting for corporate security, which restricts user access to approved websites while blocking unauthorized ones.

Ensure your devices and software remain up-to-date at all times

Regularly updating your software is paramount for preventing security breaches. Manufacturers consistently release patches to enhance features, fix bugs, and address security vulnerabilities.

Cyber Essentials provides your strongest defense

Discover how Cyber Essentials can safeguard your company from prevalent cyber security threats. Obtain full Cyber Essentials compliance immediately, gaining access to the online self-assessment questionnaire, a 12-month valid certification, and continuous support from the help desk.

Getting started with Cyber-Essentials

Despite its apparent simplicity, the cyber basic requirements checklist encompasses various critical elements, such as firewall-dependent systems, administrator access management, and password policy implementation. However, managing these aspects can be labor-intensive and error-prone.

Cyber Essentials, the entry-level certification, involves organizations completing a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ). It caters to organizations seeking a foundational security certification to showcase their implementation of essential cyber security controls.

Supported by the UK government and NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre), Cyber Essentials is administered by the IASME Consortium. This organization licenses certification bodies to conduct assessments and issue certifications.

Certification & Support

Self-assessment questionnaire

Expert advice and support throughout the process

Pre-submission check

24hr turnaround guarantee

Cyber insurance

Certification incl. logo

Free re-testing

Cyber Essential Cost:

£299 +VAT /Month
Employee Count

0-9

£359 +VAT /Month
Employee Count

10 - 49

£374 +VAT /Month
Employee Count

50 - 249

£454 +VAT /Month
Employee Count

250+

Cyber Essentials Services

Cyber Essentials helps you to guard your organisation against cyber attack.