The UK government-backed scheme that protects organisations against the most common cyber threats. Required for all UK government contracts involving the handling of personal data.
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). It helps organisations protect themselves against the most common cyber attacks, which account for the vast majority of breaches.
The scheme covers five technical controls that, when properly implemented, can prevent around 80% of common cyber attacks. Certification is achieved through a self-assessment questionnaire verified by an NCSC-approved certification body.
Cyber Essentials is mandatory for all UK government contracts involving the handling of personal data or the provision of certain technical products and services.
The five controls
The five technical controls that form the foundation of Cyber Essentials certification.
Boundary firewalls and internet gateways must be configured to protect all devices. Includes software firewalls on individual devices.
Computers and network devices must be configured securely, removing unnecessary software, disabling default accounts, and applying security settings.
User accounts must have only the access they need. Administrative privileges must be limited and controlled, with multi-factor authentication for cloud services.
Protection against malware through anti-malware software, application allow-listing, or sandboxing, covering all devices that access the internet.
Software and operating systems must be kept up to date. High-risk vulnerabilities must be patched within 14 days of a patch becoming available.
Certification process
Netru makes Cyber Essentials straightforward, guiding you through every step and ensuring you pass first time.
We define the scope of your Cyber Essentials assessment, which devices, software, and services are in scope for certification.
For Cyber Essentials (basic), you complete a self-assessment questionnaire. Netru guides you through every question and helps you evidence your answers.
Any gaps identified during the questionnaire are remediated before submission, ensuring you pass first time.
Your completed questionnaire is submitted to a NCSC-approved certification body. Upon approval, you receive your Cyber Essentials certificate.
Cyber Essentials certification must be renewed annually. Netru manages your renewal cycle and keeps your controls up to date.
How Netru delivers it
Netru has a 100% first-time pass rate on Cyber Essentials assessments. We guide you through every question, remediate any gaps, and manage the submission, so there are no surprises.
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