Cyber Essentials Checklist: The Ultimate Guide to Cyber Security Compliance

Cyber threats are more prevalent than ever. Businesses of all sizes are potential targets for cyberattacks, which makes cybersecurity a top priority (naturally)! Achieving a Cyber Essentials accreditation can help you protect your data and financials.

In our nifty guide, we’ll walk you through our Cyber Essentials checklist and share the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. We’ll support you make sure that your business works towards being cyber safe, and help you decide which certification best suits your needs.

Quick guide

• What is Cyber Essentials?
• Cyber Essentials checklist: 5 key security controls
• What are the benefits of Cyber Essentials certification?
• What’s the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?
• How to get Cyber Essentials certified

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is a cybersecurity certification scheme developed by the UK government and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). It gives businesses a set of fundamental security measures to help protect them against the most common cyber threats. For example: malware, phishing, and hacking attempts.

There are two levels of certification:

• Cyber Essentials: A basic self-assessment certification that helps organisations implement essential security controls.
• Cyber Essentials Plus: A more advanced certification that includes an external assessment and vulnerability testing to verify security measures.

By achieving a Cyber Essentials certification, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to cybersecurity, which can be a requirement for working with government contracts and other organisations that prioritise data protection.

Cyber Essentials checklist: 5 key security controls

The Cyber Essentials framework is built on five key security controls. Let’s take a look…

1. Firewalls and internet gateways

A firewall acts as the first line of defence between your internal network and external threats. To comply with Cyber Essentials, you’ll need to:

• Ensure firewalls are properly configured to block unauthorised access.
• Use boundary firewalls to filter incoming and outgoing traffic.
• Restrict access to only necessary services and ports.

2. Secure configuration

Devices and software also need to be securely configured to reduce vulnerabilities. This includes:

• Removing unnecessary applications and services.
• Changing default usernames and passwords.
• Ensuring only essential users have administrative privileges.

3. Access control

Restricting access to sensitive data helps to minimise the risk of unauthorised access. Best practices include:

• Implementing the principle of least privilege, where users only have access to the information necessary for their roles.
• Using multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security.
• Regularly reviewing and updating user permissions.

4. Malware protection

Malware is software that infects your device against your will. It can compromise your systems and steal sensitive data. To mitigate this risk, you should:

• Install and maintain up-to-date antivirus software.
• Use application allow-listing to prevent unauthorised programs from running.
• Educate employees on phishing scams and suspicious downloads.

5. Patch management and software updates

Outdated software can have vulnerabilities that hackers exploit. To maintain security:

• Enable automatic updates where possible.
• Regularly check for and apply security patches.
• Replace software that is no longer supported by the vendor.

By following our Cyber Essentials checklist, your organisation will meet the basic security requirements for certification!

What are the benefits of Cyber Essentials certification?

Achieving Cyber Essentials certification offers several advantages for small and large businesses alike.

1. Protection against cyber threats

Cyber Essentials helps safeguard your business by reducing the risk of common cyberattacks through basic but essential security controls. By addressing your business’ vulnerabilities, it significantly strengthens your overall cybersecurity. This proactive approach minimises the chances of data breaches, downtime, and financial loss.

2. Compliance with regulations

Achieving Cyber Essentials certification supports your compliance with legal and regulatory requirements such as GDPR and the Data Protection Act. It demonstrates that your organisation is taking appropriate steps to protect sensitive data, which can help avoid costly fines and penalties. Meeting these obligations also reinforces trust with customers and partners.

3. Enhanced business reputation

Being Cyber Essentials certified signals to clients, partners, and stakeholders that you take cybersecurity seriously. It shows a clear commitment to safeguarding data, which can boost your credibility and strengthen relationships as a result. In a competitive market, this trust factor can be a key differentiator!

4. Access to government contracts

Many UK government and public sector contracts require suppliers to hold a Cyber Essentials certification. So having it in place opens up new business opportunities. Especially in sectors like healthcare, education and defence. It also streamlines the tender process by meeting mandatory security standards up front.

5. Lower cyber insurance premiums

Insurers increasingly view Cyber Essentials as a positive risk indicator. Some offer reduced premiums or enhanced coverage to certified organisations due to their lower exposure to threats. In some cases, certification may even be a prerequisite for obtaining certain types of cyber insurance.

What’s the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?

When considering Cyber Essentials certification, businesses must choose between the two levels: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Below is a comparison to help you determine the best option for your organisation.

Which one is right for my business?

• Cyber Essentials is suitable for small businesses and organisations that want to establish a foundational level of cybersecurity.
• Cyber Essentials Plus is ideal for companies that handle sensitive data, require a more robust security posture, or work with organisations that demand a higher level of security compliance.

Many businesses start with Cyber Essentials and later upgrade to Cyber Essentials Plus as they expand their cybersecurity measures.

How to get Cyber Essentials certified

1. Assess your current security measures: Use the Cyber Essentials checklist to ensure your organisation meets the requirements. You can ask your IT department (or us!) to do this for you.
2. Choose your certification level: Decide between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus based on your business needs. If you’re unsure, we can help advise you – plus, complete the certification for you and offer a hand-holding service throughout the whole process.
3. Complete the self-assessment questionnaire: If applying for Cyber Essentials, fill out the self-assessment form detailing your security measures.
4. Undergo an external assessment (for Cyber Essentials Plus): If applying for Cyber Essentials Plus, an external auditor will conduct security tests.
5. Receive certification: Upon successful assessment, you will be awarded your Cyber Essentials certification.

And you’re all set!

Achieving a Cyber Essentials certification is a significant step towards protecting your organisation from cyber threats. By following our Cyber Essentials checklist, you can implement key security controls and demonstrate your commitment to data protection!

Got a question? We can answer it. Click here to get in touch.