Cyber Essentials Checklist to Become Certified

Published on 29 September 2023

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that helps organisations to protect themselves against the most common cyber threats. It is a basic level of cyber security certification that is suitable for organisations of all types and sizes. Find out why you need cyber certification for your business and get protected with our Cyber Essentials checklist today.

Benefits of Cyber Essentials certification

Improved cyber security – Cyber Essentials certification helps you to protect your organisation from the most common cyber threats.
Reduced risk of cyber attacks – By improving your cyber security, you can reduce the risk of being successfully attacked by cyber criminals.
Increased customer confidence – Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates to your customers that you are committed to protecting their data.
Eligibility for government contracts – Some government contracts require suppliers to be Cyber Essentials certified.

How to Get Cyber Essentials Certification

To become Cyber Essentials certified, you will need to complete a self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) and have your IT infrastructure assessed by a qualified assessor. The SAQ covers five key areas:

Firewalls – You must have a firewall in place to protect your network from unauthorised access.
Secure configuration – Your IT systems must be configured securely to reduce the risk of vulnerabilities being exploited.
User access controls – You must have controls in place to manage user access to your IT systems and data.
Patch management – You must have a system in place to keep your IT systems up to date with the latest security patches.
Malware management –You must have a system in place to protect your IT systems from malware infection.

Once you have completed the SAQ and had your IT infrastructure assessed, you will be issued with a Cyber Essentials certificate if you meet all of the requirements.