What are the benefits of Self-Service Cyber Essentials Certification?

What are the benefits of Self-Service Cyber Essentials Certification?

Cyber Essentials is a Government-backed scheme from the National Cyber Security Centre, run by IASME, that aims to protect your business from the most common cyber attacks. 

By implementing five technical controls ( access control, firewalls and routers, malware protection, secure configuration, and software updates), you’ll go a long way to keeping your business secure while also demonstrating to customers and suppliers that you take data security seriously. 

There are two ways to become Cyber Essentials certified: by working alongside an IT consultancy like Method that can assist and guide you through the questions or by completing a self-assessment and having it verified by a certification body, such as Method.

In this article, we discuss the self-assessment route in detail, looking at what it entails, who benefits from it and how you can get started today. 

What is a self-service Cyber Essentials certification?

There are two types of Cyber Essentials certification: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. 

Cyber Essentials is the self-assessment option, in which businesses complete a questionnaire that evaluates their compliance with the five technical controls mentioned in the introduction. An independent assessor will verify the answers you submit, and if they are accurate, you will pass immediately. 

Cyber Essentials Plus is the more advanced certification that requires a formal on-site assessment by a certification body to verify that you meet the technical controls. Most businesses will choose this option and use it as an opportunity to be guided by an IT consultancy like Method that takes businesses through the assessment process, helps them get their IT infrastructure in order and completes the on-site assessment theirselves. Using this approach can all but guarantee your business will pass, but it is more expensive. 

If you want a faster and cheaper option and think you can handle the assessment yourself, a self-service Cyber Essentials certification could be an excellent choice.

What are the benefits of certifying yourself?

As we’ll see in a moment, the self-service approach isn’t for everyone. If you have a good technical head on your shoulders, however (or an in-house IT team for support), then self-certification offers several benefits. 

It’s cheaper

Completing the application by yourself is the cheapest way to gain a Cyber Essentials certification. You’ll still need to pay for the assessment and for an independent Cyber Essentials Certification Body (like Method) to confirm your answers are compliant, but you don’t need to pay for an IT company to guide you through the assessment process or to improve your infrastructure in order to meet Cyber Essentials’ five controls.

It’s faster

Completing the assessment yourself is also the fastest way to get certified. Given the demand for Cyber Essentials certification, IT consultants may not have the resources to handle your assessment immediately. By going down the self-assessment route, you don’t have to wait for them. You can receive your certification in weeks, not months, allowing you to enjoy the benefits Cyber Essentials certification brings much sooner. 

You can start today

If you choose to self-assess, you can literally get started today. There’s no need to wait for us or another Certification Body to respond to your enquiry or for anyone to assess your existing technical controls. 

Simply head to our product page, choose your organisation’s size, enter key information and pay for your application. We’ll provide secure credentials for the self-assessment portal, and you can start filling in the questionnaire immediately.

When is self-certification not the best option?

While there are plenty of benefits to completing a self-assessment, it isn’t the best option for every business. Unless you have an in-house IT team or are particularly technically-minded yourself, you may not have the knowledge needed to implement the measures Cyber Essentials requires. 

Even if you do, the self-assessment approach doesn’t provide the same level of reassurance that using a qualified assessor does. You don’t have anyone to verify whether your approach to each technical control is accurate. You only know that what you wrote in the assessment was compliant. In other words, it’s possible to say one thing, do another, and not have the protection you think you do. 

Finally, self-certification means you don’t benefit from the Cyber Essentials Plus certification. This enhanced certificate is only available to businesses that have their technical questionnaire validated by a Cyber Essentials Certification Body, and it may mean you missed out on the opportunity to bid on government contracts and other RFQs that require the Plus certification.

Start your Cyber Essentials self-assessment today

If you want to get your Cyber Essentials self-assessment started today, we’re here to help. You can purchase your certification directly through us rather than using the IASME website. 

Our certification package is cheaper, and we also offer improvement recommendations in the event your initial application doesn’t quite meet the requirements. If you resubmit your application within three working days, you’ll still pass and you won’t have to pay for a new certification. 

If that wasn’t enough, 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. That means we’ve proven we can offer cyber security advice and support to businesses based on Cyber Essentials' technical controls, verify your Cyber Essentials self-assessment, and even undertake the on-site audit required for you to become Cyber Essentials Plus certified. 

Ready to get certified? Then purchase your certification from our secure payment portal today. 

For more information on how Method IT can help improve your business’ security posture, contact our team today or give us a call on 0345 521 6111.

https://method-it.co.uk/contact