Why Cyber Essentials Is No
Longer Optional for Many Businesses
Cyber Essentials was introduced by the UK government to raise the baseline of cybersecurity across British businesses. It certifies that your organisation has the five fundamental security controls in place that protect against the vast majority of common cyber attacks.
For business leaders, Cyber Essentials is increasingly a commercial necessity, not just a security badge. Without it, you cannot bid for government contracts, many NHS frameworks, MOD supply chain work, or a growing number of corporate procurement processes. It's also increasingly expected by cyber insurers - and some will only offer cover, or offer it at reduced premiums, to certified organisations.
CloudHost is itself Cyber Essentials certified. We use that first-hand experience to guide clients through the process efficiently - handling the technical preparation, explaining what assessors look for, and making sure you pass first time.
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus
Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment certification - you complete a questionnaire and an external body verifies your answers. Cyber Essentials Plus goes further: an independent assessor conducts hands-on technical testing of your environment to verify the controls are genuinely in place. CE Plus is increasingly required by larger clients and government bodies, and carries significantly more credibility.
What the Five Controls Cover
Cyber Essentials requires evidence of five core security controls: boundary firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and patch management. For most businesses already on our managed IT service, the majority of these controls are already in place - certification becomes a formalisation of what we're already doing.