Does my Business need Cyber Essentials Certification for Government Contracts?

A UK Government-backed scheme, Cyber Essentials helps organisations to protect themselves against common cyber threats.

• Does my Business need Cyber Essentials Certification for Government contracts?

• Does my Business need Cyber Essentials Certification for Ministry of Defence Contracts contracts?

• Why should you get Cyber Essentials?

• How can I become Cyber Essentials certified?

• Does the Cyber Essentials certification have an expiry date?

• How much does the Cyber Essentials certification cost?

• Do I need to have Cyber Essentials before getting Cyber Essentials Plus?

By achieving Cyber Essentials, your company demonstrates that they have considered and committed to increasing its defences against common cyber threats and reducing its vulnerabilities to an accredited government standard.

Cyber Essentials is mandatory for certain businesses to secure contracts; we consider the conditions under which certification is necessary.

Does my Business need Cyber Essentials Certification for Government contracts?

Cyber Essentials is mandatory for businesses looking for specific government contracts.

Without Cyber Essentials, you cannot bid for such contracts. Often these contracts will involve delivering certain IT products and services and handling personal information.

Government contracts where your Business will be required to:

• Deliver IT services or products designed to process, transfer or store data at an official level.

• Handle the personal information of any UK citizens, i.e. home addresses or bank details.

• Handle government employees' personal information, ministers, or advisors, i.e. expenses or payroll.

• Cyber Essentials certification has been mandated for businesses entering into contracts, forcing you to show you demonstrate you have achieved the set standards and can demonstrate that you have met the technical requirements - defined by the scheme.

Suppose you're looking to bid for government contracts that involve one of the abovementioned characteristics. In that case, it makes sense to consider achieving Cyber Essentials certification first and not waiting until the final hour to complete your application.

Does my Business need Cyber Essentials Certification for Ministry of Defence Contracts contracts?

Further emphasis is placed on businesses being Cyber Essentials certified by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), which requires all suppliers to comply with the Cyber Essentials scheme.

The MOD has stated that this requirement must flow into your supply chain, which mandates that both organisations directly conduct Business with the MOD. In addition, oIn addition, organisations delivering to the MOD supply chain must be certified as Cyber Essentials. Otherwise, they cannot win MOD contracts for companies in the future.

Why should you get Cyber Essentials?

There are six reasons to gain Cyber Essentials certification:

1. It helps to prevent up to 80% of cyber attacks.

2. Reassure your customers that you are working to secure your systems against cyber attacks.

3. Attract new Businesses with the promise you have cybersecurity measures in place.

4. You have a clear picture of your organisation's cybersecurity level.

5. (As above) Various government contracts require the Cyber Essentials certification.

6. Cyber Essentials certification includes automatic cyber liability insurance for any UK organisation that certifies their whole organisation and has less than £20m annual turnover.

We recently welcomed Punk Security to our Cyber Essentials Partners group.

How can I become Cyber Essentials certified?

Our Cyber Essentials Partners are official Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification providers, talk to them today!

Does the Cyber Essentials certification have an expiry date?

All new certificates our Cyber Essentials Partners issue will have a 12-month expiry date.

How much does the Cyber Essentials certification cost?

Cyber Essentials (verified self-assessment) costs £300 + VAT. The cost of a Cyber Essentials Plus assessment will depend on the size and complexity of your network. Please contact our Cyber Essentials Partners with any questions; they will provide advice and guidance.

Do I need to have Cyber Essentials before getting Cyber Essentials Plus?

No, you can go for Cyber Essentials Plus without obtaining the first level of Cyber Essentials. However, your Certification Body will work with you to complete the Cyber Essentials questionnaire and verify compliance to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus.

Read the complete list of Frequently Asked Questions about Cyber Essentials here.