Cyber Essentials Certification

Protect your organisation and your customers against the most common online threats.

Cyber Essentials is a simple yet incredibly effective UK Government-backed initiative, supported by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), suitable for any organisation of any size, in any sector.

Designed to protect against the most common cyber attacks, it's a certification we recommend to all our customer that we have achieved first hand. 

See how Cyber Essentials can work for your business

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Does my organisation need Cyber Essentials Certification?

As a managed IT services provider with a strong focus on modern, secure IT environments, we're strong advocates of Cyber Essentials certification.

Cyber attacks come in many shapes and sizes, but the vast majority are basic in nature, carried out by relatively unskilled individuals, the digital equivalent of a thief trying your front door to see if it's unlocked. Committing to Cyber Essentials gives you an effective, affordable way to reduce your exposure to these attacks.

We'll work with you to analyse your current environment and identify the areas you need to focus on, including:

  • Do you have a password policy?
  • Do you know the minimum standard of passwords in use?
  • Have all passwords been changed from their defaults?
  • Are all operating systems, firmware, and applications supported and up to date?
  • Are accounts for staff who've left the organisation deleted or disabled?
  • Do you know which staff have administrative-level accounts?
  • Do admin account holders use these accounts only for administrative purposes?

Why Get Cyber Essentials Certified?

Our Cyber Essentials process is tried and tested across many of our existing customers, meaning we can map out and deliver your path to certification quickly. Certification helps you:

  • Reassure customers you're working to secure your IT against cyber attack
  • Attract new business by demonstrating cyber security measures are in place
  • Get a clear picture of your organisation's current cyber security level
  • Meet the requirements of Government contracts that mandate certification

What Controls Are Required for Cyber Essentials?

Boundary Firewalls and Internet Gateways

Establish network perimeter defences and firewall policies to detect and block access to known malicious domains, and prevent computers from communicating directly with the internet.

Malware Protection

Build and maintain malware defences to detect and respond to known attack code.

Patch Management 

Patch known vulnerabilities with the latest software versions to prevent attacks that exploit software bugs.

Whitelisting and Execution Control

Prevent unknown software from running or installing itself, including AutoRun on USB and CD drives.

Secure Configuration 

Restrict the functionality of every device, operating system, and application to the minimum needed for the business to function.

Passwords and Access

A password policy is essential, along with limiting normal users' execution permissions and applying the principle of least privilege.

Ready for Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials Plus is the highest level of certification offered under the scheme. It requires an even stronger, more robust cyber security environment, with particular focus on areas such as phishing attacks and hacking. We can take you through the process, starting with a review of your current setup.

Useful links

Cyber Essentials Readiness Toolkit
Requirements for IT Infrastructure - NCSC Guide
Cyber Essentials 7 Step Checklist

Common Questions

Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment certification covering five key security controls. Cyber Essentials Plus adds an independent, hands-on technical audit of your systems, requiring a stronger security environment with particular focus on phishing and hacking resilience.

We deliver a two-day engagement to assess your organisation's level of protection, working through each stage of the process and identifying any improvements needed before submitting for formal accreditation.

Some UK Government contracts require Cyber Essentials certification as a condition of bidding or delivery, so it's worth checking the requirements of any contracts you're pursuing.

Yes. Cyber Essentials is designed to be accessible and affordable for organisations of any size, and is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce exposure to common cyber attacks.

No. Cyber Essentials establishes a strong security baseline, but many businesses complement it with additional protection such as SentinelOne EDR and Proactive Security Monitoring for more advanced threat detection and response.

We're here to help

Whether you are ready to start your next project or simply want to learn more about Kick, our team is here to help.

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