Protect your business from cyber attacks, and enable business growth with our pain-free Cyber Essentials certification packages.

Cyber Essentials (CE) is a UK Government-backed certification that proves your organisation has implemented five essential technical controls to guard against the most common cyber threats – firewall configuration, secure device setup, user access control, malware protection, and regular updates.

Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) is the advanced, independently audited version of the same scheme. It includes hands-on technical testing by an IASME-approved assessor to verify that your controls are not only in place but working effectively in real-world conditions.

At Assure Technical, we deliver both certifications as an IASME-approved Certification Body (CB), ensuring accuracy, compliance, and a stress-free process from start to finish.

If your goal is to demonstrate a strong baseline of cyber hygiene and meet minimum contractual requirements, start with Cyber Essentials.

If you handle sensitive information, operate in regulated sectors (finance, defence, public service) or want a higher level of assurance, then Cyber Essentials Plus is recommended. It provides independent verification that your defences actually work.

Many clients choose our bundle option, completing both certifications in sequence to meet all assurance requirements efficiently.

Both certifications test compliance with the same five control areas. The difference lies in validation and evidence.

• Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment verified by an IASME-approved certification body.

• Cyber Essentials Plus includes independent technical testing performed by our qualified assessors. This involves:

  • External vulnerability scans of your public-facing IPs and firewall.

  • Internal testing on a sample of endpoints to confirm patching, configuration, and malware protection.

  • Controlled payload and MFA checks to ensure defences operate as intended.

In short: Cyber Essentials shows you have the right controls. Cyber Essentials Plus proves they work.

Costs vary depending on your organisation’s size and support needs.

• Cyber Essentials: from £59 per month (Supported) or £119 per month (Turnkey).

• Cyber Essentials Plus: from £1,245 + VAT for smaller organisations.

Our fees are transparent and fixed in advance. The Supported route provides expert guidance, templates and a pre-submission review. The Turnkey route offers a fully managed certification – we perform readiness analysis, manage communication with IASME and ensure you achieve certification efficiently and correctly.

Most organisations complete Cyber Essentials in two to four weeks. Cyber Essentials Plus generally follows within two to six weeks, depending on complexity.

Because the CE+ audit must be completed within three months of achieving your Cyber Essentials certificate, we help you plan both stages together.

Our Turnkey clients benefit from an accelerated process – we coordinate your readiness review, schedule audit testing, and manage submission, helping you achieve certification without delays.

Once your Cyber Essentials certificate is issued, our assessors perform a controlled technical audit that includes:

• External vulnerability testing of your internet-facing systems.

• Secure internal testing on a sample of devices using approved tools to check for missing patches and misconfigurations.

• Payload testing to simulate safe, benign malware and confirm your anti-malware software, browsers and user accounts respond correctly.

• Multi-factor authentication verification for cloud and remote services.

Testing is completed remotely and securely, with minimal disruption. You’ll receive a full technical report outlining findings, results, and recommendations.

If any non-conformities are found, the IASME scheme allows a 30-day remediation period to fix them.

Our consultants don’t make system changes directly, but we provide clear, step-by-step guidance so your IT team or service provider can implement corrections efficiently. Once remediation is complete, we’ll re-test and verify compliance.

Because we run a pre-audit readiness review and guide you throughout, most of our clients pass first time.

Our Turnkey service provides a fully managed, end-to-end route to certification. It includes:

• A readiness review against the five control areas.

• Technical advice to close any compliance gaps.

• Management of your IASME self-assessment (for CE).

• Coordination and scheduling of your CE+ technical audit.

• Direct liaison with IASME assessors.

• Post-assessment guidance and renewal reminders.

You’ll have a dedicated consultant overseeing the entire process, ensuring accuracy, compliance and minimal internal workload.

This service is ideal for organisations that want certainty of outcome and expert-led delivery.

Both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certificates are valid for 12 months. To stay certified:

• Renew your Cyber Essentials self-assessment annually.

• Complete your Cyber Essentials Plus audit within three months of renewal.

Assure Technical offers ongoing support and reminders so your certification never lapses. We can also review system changes or upgrades to ensure your environment remains compliant throughout the year.

Assure Technical is an IASME-approved Certification Body (CB) — officially authorised to deliver both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications on behalf of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

We combine deep technical expertise with a personal, consultative approach. Our clients benefit from:

• Qualified assessors with hands-on audit experience.

• High first-time pass rates through readiness checks and guided support.

• Fixed, transparent pricing and flexible packages.

• Clear, jargon-free communication throughout.

With hundreds of successful certifications and a 4.9★ Trustpilot rating, we’re trusted by SMEs, public bodies, and enterprise organisations nationwide to deliver certification accurately, efficiently, and with genuine technical authority.