Get Cyber Essentials certified in 14 days — and unlock the contracts you can't bid for today.
Independently verified security that protects you from the breaches that close businesses down, the ICO fines that follow them, and the client lawsuits that come after that.
Updated for Cyber Essentials v3.3 requirements (April 2026)
The Three Threats Every UK SME Owner Faces Today
You will be attacked.
Not 'might be.' Will. The average UK SME faces thousands of automated probing attempts every week. The question isn't whether something gets through — it's whether you're ready when it does.
You will be fined.
Under GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, the ICO can issue fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover for serious data breaches. Smaller fines and enforcement notices start at a few thousand pounds and take a year to fight.
You will lose contracts.
An increasing number of public sector and enterprise buyers now require Cyber Essentials as a condition of tender. Without it, you're disqualified before you start.
What Cyber Essentials Actually Does
It's not a piece of software. It's a government-backed certification that proves your business has the five basic technical controls in place:
- Firewalls and internet gateways
- Secure configuration
- User access control
- Malware protection
- Patch management
We assess your setup against these five controls, then submit the application through our partner IASME-accredited certification body, which reviews and either issues your certificate or tells you exactly what to fix first.
Pricing — Two Layers, No Surprises
| Organisation size | Scheme fee |
|---|---|
| Micro (1-9 employees) | £320 + VAT |
| Small (10-49 employees) | £440 + VAT |
| Medium (50-249 employees) | £500 + VAT |
| Large (250+ employees) | £600 + VAT |
Plus our service fee — quoted after your free 30-minute call based on what your setup actually needs. You'll know exactly what it is before you commit to anything.
The scheme fee is set by IASME and identical no matter who you certify through. Our fee is the only variable, and you'll know exactly what it is before you commit to anything.
Why Now, Not Next Quarter
Every day you delay is another day you're:
- Locked out of contracts you could be bidding for today
- One breach away from an ICO investigation you can't afford to defend
- Telling yourself you'll 'get around to it' — the same sentence you've been telling yourself for months
The certification itself usually takes 1–2 weeks once you've got the basics in place. Most clients are certified within 14 days of starting.
What You Get
- A free pre-assessment audit of your current setup (no obligation)
- A clear list of exactly what needs fixing, in plain English
- Personal guidance from your consultant through every gap
- Help with the submission when you're ready
- The Cyber Essentials certificate, valid for 12 months
- A baseline you can build on toward Cyber Essentials Plus later
What Happens on the Call
30 minutes. No sales pitch. No obligation.
Here's exactly what we'll do, so you know before you book:
- Minutes 1–5You tell me about your business, your current IT setup, and what prompted you to look at Cyber Essentials
- Minutes 5–20I ask a few questions about your firewalls, devices, who has admin access, how you handle updates, and your malware protection
- Minutes 20–25I give you a straight answer on whether you're ready to certify now, or what needs fixing first
- Minutes 25–30If there's a fit, I'll quote our service fee. If there's not, I'll tell you that too
You don't need to prepare anything technical. If you can describe roughly how your IT works in plain English, that's enough to start.
Email mark@cybertechsecure.co.uk if you'd rather book by email.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most clients are certified within 14 days of starting. If your IT setup needs significant changes first, it can take longer — the free call will give you a realistic timeline.
You get a clear list of exactly what didn't meet the standard, fix it, and resubmit. You don't lose your scheme fee. The free pre-assessment call is designed to catch most issues before you ever submit.
Probably not yet. Plus is a hands-on technical audit (someone checks your devices) and is usually only required for higher-tier government contracts. Most UK SMEs start with standard Cyber Essentials and add Plus later if a specific tender requires it.
Some can. Ask them if they're an IASME-accredited certification body — that's a specific registration, not just 'they do IT.' If they're not accredited, they can still help you prepare, but the certificate has to come from an accredited body.
12 months. After that you recertify. Most clients find renewal much faster the second time around because the basics are already in place.
Both. The five controls are genuinely the things that stop most everyday attacks. Following them makes you materially harder to breach, and the certificate proves it to your customers.
Our Technical Team
Your pre-assessment and gap analysis are overseen by our lead consultant, a network architect with over 20 years of hands-on experience in UK enterprise and SME environments, holding:
- Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (Emeritus)
- GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
- GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT)
On the free pre-assessment call, you'll speak directly with the lead consultant who will be handling your account throughout. For the final official certification, we partner directly with accredited IASME certification bodies to guarantee your submission is processed smoothly.
Get Cyber Essentials certified in 14 days — and unlock the contracts you can't bid for today.
30 minutes. No sales pitch. No obligation.