Cyber Essentials is a UK-backed government Cyber Security certification that guides businesses in protecting themselves against common cyber threats, and passing Cyber Essentials for the first time is the ideal scenario for every business.
Achieving the certification not only safeguards your business from roughly 80% of cyber-attacks but also boosts your reputation by demonstrating to customers, investors, and partners that you take Cyber Security seriously.
However, the process of earning the certification can be complex and might necessitate changes to existing security measures. Continuous monitoring and yearly renewals ensure your business meets the required Cyber Essentials standard.
Before going much further, you’ll need to be aware of the 5 key controls of Cyber Essentials certification:
- Firewalls
- Secure Configuration
- Security Update Management
- User Access Control
- Malware Protection
Passing Cyber Essentials First Time
Passing Cyber Essentials for the first time is a worry many businesses have, but with our FREE checklist and Cyber Security advice, there’s no need to worry. We asked our Cyber Security Experts for 8 tips to pass Cyber Essentials first time, and here’s what they said:
Understand the Requirements
Firstly, you should familiarise yourself with the Cyber Essentials requirements. These requirements state the basic controls all organisations should implement to mitigate the risk from common cyber security threats.
We have a great selection of information available to help you on our resources page.
Cyber Essentials Checklist
Preparing for Cyber Essentials certification has never been easier than with the free checklist. You can download the checklist, which includes how to apply for Cyber Essentials and a checklist for each of the 5 key controls and protocols of the self-assessment.
This checklist can help you pass Cyber Essentials for the first time.
Cyber Essentials Self-Assessment
Next, conduct a self-assessment. Using the checklist, look at each area the certification covers and ask yourself if your organisation meets the standards. You can tick off the boxes on the checklist in each section and identify which areas your business needs to implement/improve.
Implement Changes
If your self-assessment reveals areas where your organisation falls short of the requirements, you must make changes. This might involve implementing new security measures or changing existing ones. This can be timely and difficult if you’re new to Cyber Security, Cyber Essentials and dealing with IT infrastructure. For help from Cyber Security Experts with implementing changes to your organisation, contact us today.
Engage with a Certification Body
Once confident that you meet the requirements, you must engage a certification body. The certification body will review your self-assessment questionnaire.
If you’re looking for a certification body to work with, Excellence IT work with businesses daily to ensure they pass the Cyber Essentials self-assessment. We have a 100% pass rate, and we’re confident that we will continue to maintain this rate for businesses looking to pass Cyber Essentials.
External Vulnerability Scan
A vital requirement of the Cyber Essentials certification is that an external vulnerability scan is conducted. The scan will look for weaknesses in your IT systems that cyber criminals could exploit. Remember, the Cyber Essentials scheme was created to keep businesses safe online and can decrease up to 80% of common cyber threats.
Review and Action
After the external vulnerability scan, you’ll be given a report detailing any vulnerabilities found. You’ll need to address these vulnerabilities and may need to provide evidence that you have done so.
Certification
You’ll be awarded the Cyber Essentials certification once you’ve successfully addressed any vulnerabilities and met all the Cyber Essentials requirements. The certificate is valid for 12 months, so you must renew it annually to maintain your Cyber Essentials status.
Although passing Cyber Essentials first time may sound difficult, ensuring your processes and robust IT infrastructure continue for the next 12 months can be the tricky part.
That’s why we provide Cyber Essentials+ as a Service (CE+aaS) to help businesses maintain robust security measures all year round.
Continual Process
Remember, Cyber Security isn’t a one-off task. You should regularly review and update security measures to protect your business from common cyber threats. In addition, maintaining this level of Cyber Security will help renew the certificate 12 months later.
Get Certified Today
If your business wants to become Cyber Essentials certified, Excellence IT can help. With our 100% pass rate, we help companies to get certified with Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus daily.
For more information, contact us using the form below, and a Cyber Security Expert will contact you within 72 hours.
Digital Marketing Lead at Excellence IT.
Writing about Cyber Essentials, Cyber Security and IT Support.