How Can I Get a Cyber Essentials Certificate?

Staying safe online and protecting your organisation should be first priority when running a business. Without cybersecurity, businesses are exposed to common online threats including phishing, viruses, and hacking. One of the primary ways of protecting organisations in the UK is to get a Cyber Essentials Certificate.

Cyber Essentials works to protect businesses against online attacks and can be used by any business regardless of sector or size. The scheme is backed by the government making it a highly regarded program which is mandatory in some instances when exposed to sensitive information. Here, we’ll cover how to get a Cyber Essentials certificate, the required information, and how long the process will take.

How Do I Get Cyber Essentials Certified?

In order to get certified with Cyber Essentials you will first need to purchase your chosen level of certification. Businesses get the choice between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, the main difference being Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment option whereas Cyber Essentials Plus is a technical hands-on option. Both protect organisations from the majority of common cyber attacks, offering peace of mind when it comes to your online defences.

Once this has been purchased, you will need to complete a questionnaire which is then uploaded and reviewed by the certification body. This should not take a particularly long time and will ask for information regarding your business or organisation.

Provided there are no issues with your application, the awarding body, which is the IASME Consortium, should approve your submission and post your certificate out to you shortly after along with relevant Cyber Essentials branding to use where you like. The process is generally pretty straightforward and shouldn’t cause you any hiccups.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Cyber Essentials Certificate?

Once you have ordered Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, you’ll receive a login for the self-assessment in the site’s members’ area. Throughout the self-assessment questionnaire, you can save the application and return it at a later time, making it easy to complete at a time that best suits you. The questionnaire takes a couple of hours on average to complete which may sound like a long time but it’s definitely worth it.

You have three months to complete and submit the self-assessment questionnaire from the start of the process. Failing to do so will close your application and require you to start again from scratch with another Cyber Essentials payment.

After having sent your application, it should take a few days for the awarding body to assess your answers and come to a decision on your certification. You should be kept up to date on your application via email.

How Much Does Cyber Essentials Cost?

The cost of a Cyber Essentials certification will depend on the size of your organisation. The more employees and online systems you have, the more protection you will require. The Cyber Essentials pricing system works on a tiered list as follows:

• Micro organisations (0-9 employees) = £300 + VAT
• Small organisations (10-49 employees) = £400 + VAT
• Medium organisations (50-249 employees) = £450 + VAT
• Large organisations (250+ employees) = £500 + VAT

If you’re opting for Cyber Essentials Plus, the price of the certificate will depend on the complexity of your network as well as the size.

Enquire About a Cyber Essentials Certificate

To learn more about Cyber Essentials and the certification process, feel free to contact our team at Lucidica where we’ll be more than happy to talk you through the application and tackle any additional queries you may have. Get in touch with us today.