Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed compliance framework that is highly effective at protecting your business from most cyber-attacks. Certification provides additional benefits, such as access to UK government and commercial supply chains and meeting trade and industry requirements. It also boosts customer trust and includes complimentary cyber liability insurance.
However, achieving a first time cyber essentials pass can be challenging if you’re not fully prepared or supported by the right expertise. Here are some common mistakes to avoid as you work towards your Cyber Essentials certification — and how Assure Technical can help you avoid them.
1. Misunderstanding the Requirements
Cyber Essentials has a clear list of requirements your organisation must meet to achieve certification. These cover five key areas:
- Firewalls
- Secure Configuration
- User Access Control
- Malware Protection
- Patch Management.
Many first-time applicants try to complete the self-assessment independently without fully understanding these requirements. This often leads to failing the certification.
How Assure Technical Can Help:
Assure Technical provides clear, easy-to-understand guidance through the certification process. Our fully qualified assessors will guide you through the framework and offer tailored advice to implement the necessary controls.
2. Choosing the Wrong Level of Certification
Cyber Essentials offers two certification levels:
Basic Cyber Essentials Certification:
This involves completing the Cyber Essentials questionnaire, which is assessed by a Cyber Essentials Certification Body. It’s a good starting point, but it doesn’t involve any independent checks to ensure your cyber security measures are working effectively, so may offer less protection from costly breaches.
Cyber Essentials Plus Certification:
Once you have obtained basic certification, you can pursue Cyber Essentials Plus. This level involves a technical audit carried out by your Certification Body. The audit proves that your cyber security measures are effective, ensuring strong protection against breaches.
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the most suitable level of certification, such as:
- your supply chain
- industry compliance requirements
- risk profile and cost constraints.
How Assure Technical Can Help:
Assure Technical offers expert advice on choosing the right level of Cyber Essentials certification for your organisation. We will assess your unique set of circumstances and provide honest advice on whether the basic certification or the more comprehensive Cyber Essentials Plus audit is the best fit.
We can also help make Cyber Essentials Plus more accessible by offering discounts on our competitive {Cyber Essentials Packages} when it is purchased at the same time as Cyber Essentials.
3. Not Defining the Scope Appropriately
Defining the scope of which parts of your IT infrastructure to include in the scope of your Cyber Essentials assessment is a key step in the process. For complex systems, it’s important to balance practicality with comprehensive protection.
How Assure Technical Can Help:
Assure Technical assists you in defining the optimal scope for your Cyber Essentials certification. Our consultants work closely with you to identify which elements of your IT infrastructure should be included. We help you strike the right balance to safeguard your business whilst remaining manageable and aligned with your operational needs.
4. Not Completing the Questionnaire Correctly
The Cyber Essentials questionnaire has approximately 70 questions. Misunderstanding or misinterpreting these are the most common challenges during the self-assessment process. Another key challenge is understanding what supporting evidence is required. Some companies mistakenly skip questions altogether, assuming they don’t apply to their situation. However, you must answer all questions to pass the assessment.
How Assure Technical Can Help:
At Assure Technical our award-winning team of cyber security experts take the pain and guesswork out of completing the self-assessment questionnaire. Our Cyber Essentials packages have been designed to ensure you pass first time with a minimal amount of fuss:
- Supported Package: You will receive comprehensive remote guidance throughout the self-assessment process. Our experts conduct a pre-assessment review of your responses and provide remote, non-judgemental guidance throughout the process.
- Turnkey Package: If you’re short on time or not too sure where to start, why not let us handle everything with our Turnkey Solution? During a one-hour consultation, your dedicated consultant will take the time to understand your current cyber security setup, guide you on any necessary changes to meet the Cyber Essentials standard, and offer tailored advice. They then complete the questionnaire on your behalf, ready for your approval.
5. Failing to Obtain Independent Professional Advice
Many organisations invest a great deal of time and effort trying to prepare for and complete the self-assessment independently without the support of independent professionals. Whilst useful tools, such as the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)’s Cyber Essentials Toolkit, are available to help companies with this, the effort involved in the process is often more costly to a business than obtaining external support.
Even larger-sized businesses with in-house cybersecurity expertise significantly benefit from using cybersecurity specialists who have an intimate understanding of the Cyber Essentials scheme, which evolves annually to ensure it stays up to date with evolving threats.
Without obtaining professional advice, any pre-emptive remedial work or equipment and software investments may also be suboptimal or unnecessary and lead to even higher costs and delays. However, working with experienced professionals like Assure Technical can avoid these issues.
How Assure Technical Can Help:
Our packages include pre-assessment reviews and free re-tests as standard, ensuring a smooth certification process and increasing your chances of passing on the first attempt, regardless of your business’s cybersecurity expertise. Pre-assessment reviews identify the specific remedial actions needed, eliminating the guesswork and avoiding unnecessary investments in systems or hardware.
Our team of fully qualified assessors will work in partnership with your in-house IT team or service provider to help you achieve compliance in the most cost-effective way. If you do not have any existing IT support available, we can also conduct remedial work on your behalf at a highly competitive rate.
Conclusion
Achieving a first-time pass for your Cyber Essentials certification is a significant milestone in safeguarding your organisation against cyber threats. By avoiding these common mistakes and partnering with Assure Technical, you can streamline the process and increase your chances of success. Remember, Cyber Essentials isn’t just about compliance; it’s about building a secure foundation for your business in the digital age.
Ready to secure your business with Cyber Essentials? Contact Assure Technical today to learn how we can help you achieve a smooth and successful certification process tailored to your needs. You can find out more about our Cyber Essentials services here.
