Stress-free Cyber Essentials Certification
Protect your business and win customers by becoming Cyber Essentials certified. As a Cyber Essentials Certification Body Method IT can oversee your self assessment or guide you through the process with one of our flexible packages.
Protect your business and win customers by becoming Cyber Essentials certified with Method IT. Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed scheme from the National Cyber Security Centre designed to protect your business from the majority of cybersecurity threats.
Passing the assessment with Method is easy. Our flexible packages guarantee certification and provide ongoing support to keep your business secure moving forward. Alternatively, you can take advantage of our cost-effective Cyber Essentials Self Assessment scheme. Either way, you’ll be able to demonstrate to clients and partners you have all the controls in place to protect your infrastructure, network and data — and acquire an essential accreditation required for an increasing number of public and private contracts.
Guarantee Cyber Essentials certification with Method
As an accredited certification body, Method IT can guide you through the Cyber Essentials assessment with one of our flexible packages.
Start a Cyber Essentials Self Assessment today
Have Method IT oversee your Self Assessment application from just £310 + VAT. We review and mark your assessment before submission.
Download our eBook:
Everything you need to know about the Cyber Essentials Certification
Learn how to protect your business from the majority of cybersecurity threats with the government-backed Cyber Essentials Certification scheme.
Work with Method to become Cyber Essentials certified
Outsource your certification
to Method IT
For businesses that prefer a fully managed approach to Cyber Essentials Plus certification, we provide a white glove service that takes care of everything. In addition to everything in our Elite package, our team will also implement the technical controls required by Cyber Essentials, complete the written assessment and handle the reapplication process in a year’s time.
Complete a Cyber Essentials
Self Assessment
If you are technically minded or prefer to handle IT matters in-house, you can self-certify your Cyber Essentials certification. This involves answering a series of questions to demonstrate you have the necessary controls in place and having your submission marked by an Independent Assessor, like Method. By working with us to achieve self-certification, you’ll receive guidance if you fail on your first attempt and the opportunity to resubmit your application for free within two working days.
Download your free checklist
Discover the key measures you need in place to pass the assessment.
- Firewall set-up and settings
- Secure configuration set-up
- User access controls
- Malware Protection
- Security update management
The benefits of Cyber Essentials certification
Cyber Essentials certification proves that cyber security is a top priority for your business and demonstrates to clients and panthers that all necessary controls are in place to safeguard your infrastructure, network, and data. It also lets you apply for a growing number of public and private contracts that require this certification.
On passing your assessment, you receive:
A Cyber Essentials Certificate confirming compliance
A listing on the Cyber Essentials database
The ability to apply for free Cyber Liability insurance
A BlockMark register for electronic verification
Permission to use your certification on marketing collateral
Approved Cyber Essentials Body and Cyber Advisor Scheme Provider
Method IT is one of a handful of companies that meet the strict criteria to be an approved Cyber Essentials Certification body and a Cyber Advisor Scheme Assured Provider. Our certifications demonstrate our technical skill and gives us the ability to assist and advise customers on what needs they need technically for them to ensure they meet the standards of Cyber Essentials.
Book a one-off Cyber Essentials consultation
Your infrastructure is the beating heart of your network and your company. Without the correct hardware/software, cabling, network equipment and sufficient power, your systems might not perform as well as you would expect. Our technicians make informed decisions based on your business goals, employee size and growth plans, helping to improve your business operations through infrastructure design, implementation and updates.
Client Success Stories
See how Method IT helped their clients become Cyber Essentials Certified
How Method IT Helped First Intuition Secure Cyber Essentials Certification in Record Time
Helping Prettys Solicitors Appease Regulators and Secure Cyber Essentials Certification
Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed certification that proves your business has taken the necessary steps to protect against the majority of basic cybersecurity threats. There are two levels of certification: Cyber Essential and Cyber Essentials Plus.
The standard Cyber Essentials certification is an online self-assessment. Cyber Essentials Plus is a more in-depth assessment that includes on-premise verification of your self-assessment.
Cyber Essentials will be satisfactory for most small businesses, but larger businesses and those who want to prove their cybersecurity measures to clients, insurers and professional bodies should opt for the additional in-house verification that’s only available with Cyber Essentials Plus.
The Cyber Essentials assessment tests five key areas of your cybersecurity infrastructure: firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection and patch management.
Both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus offer a host of benefits to businesses. By meeting the certification’s requirements, businesses will be protecting themselves from 99%* of basic cybersecurity threats. The certification itself proves to clients, insurers and governing bodies that your business is committed to protecting IT infrastructure and data. It can help you win new business, too. Cyber Essentials certification is actively encouraged or required to win an increasing number of Government and private sector contracts.
When you complete Cyber Essentials, you will receive a certificate reference number and a Cyber Essentials badge to publish on your website and marketing collateral. Your business will also be listed on the NCSC’s database of Cyber Essentials-certified organisations.
Cyber Essentials can be seen as a stepping stone towards full ISO 27001 certification. Cyber Essentials focuses on basic cybersecurity measures, while ISO 27001 is a much more in-depth assessment. If you’re already ISO 27001 compliant, achieving Cyber Essentials certification will be relatively straightforward.
Cyber Essentials certification is valid for one year. Organisations must be recertified every year, which is why we recommend committing to an ongoing package. This will keep your business secure and significantly reduce the effort and cost of annual renewals.
Unfortunately, gaining Cyber Essentials certification the previous year does not guarantee you will pass this year. Businesses must stay up to date with the requirements and implement them throughout the year to be sure of a successful renewal. That’s why we provide an ongoing service as part of our packages so that you remain compliant throughout the year and significantly reduce the cost and amount of remedial work needed to recertify.
If you fail the initial Cyber Essentials assessment, you have three days to fix the issues and re-submit the application. This is extended to 15 days for Cyber Essentials Plus certification.
While Method IT guarantees certification for businesses that sign up for one of our plans, it is still possible to fail the initial assessment. However, we will work with you to ensure you submit a passing application within the time limit.
Necessary controls must be in place for a guaranteed pass to be achieved.
Applying for Cyber Essentials certification on your own can be a long and laborious process. If you fail the assessment, it’s not always clear what is wrong or how to fix it. Working with a Certification Body like Method IT streamlines the application process. We can highlight the areas you need to improve and explain exactly what you need to do to pass. In some cases, we can complete the application on your behalf but will require to certify our work and declare that the application is correct. We can also provide ongoing support to keep you protected throughout the year and reduce the effort and cost of recertifying in the future.