Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus support

Turn a customer requirement or certification deadline into a practical action plan. CIS helps businesses prepare for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus through gap reviews, remediation and evidence gathering.

We review your devices, software, cloud services and security arrangements against the current scheme requirements, taking account of the certification level and deadline you need to meet.

You receive a clear view of the gaps, the technical work required and the information needed for assessment. Preparation and remediation costs are set out separately from independent assessment and certification fees.

Both certification levels assess the same five technical controls. Cyber Essentials uses a verified self-assessment. Cyber Essentials Plus adds independent technical testing to check the controls in practice.

Confirm the level required by your customer or tender, and use the current requirements when planning the work. The NCSC Cyber Essentials overview explains the scheme and routes to certification.

CIS’s support focuses on preparation, technical improvements and evidence. Certification depends on meeting the scheme requirements and completing the relevant assessment.

An engineering client needed Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus to support work with larger customers. Ageing hardware, operating systems and SQL Server infrastructure needed attention.

We supported staged upgrades and configuration changes. The client reported improved performance and fewer support tickets alongside the security work.

Read the engineering case study.

Preparation can uncover work that belongs in your wider IT plan, such as replacing unsupported technology, improving device configuration or clarifying access responsibilities.

Connect those actions with managed IT support or co-managed IT support. Use vulnerability management to support ongoing prioritisation of weaknesses.

Certification is one part of your security approach. Keep detection and response and backup and recovery aligned with the risks to your business.

Costs depend on your systems, their current condition and the changes needed. Older technology, incomplete records and limited maintenance windows can affect the work.

Bring any previous assessment, current certificate, device and software records, and customer deadline. We will use these to prepare the work plan and budget.

Tell us which certification level you need, your deadline and the systems involved. We can help you define the gaps, remediation work and next steps.