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Managed Cyber Essentials

Show Your Clients Your Business Takes Security Seriously.
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Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification that demonstrates your business has the fundamental cybersecurity controls in place to protect against the most common online threats. Whether you are pursuing certification for the first time or looking to maintain it year on year, we guide you through the process, prepare your systems and make sure you achieve the standard with confidence.

Why Cyber Essentials Is Becoming a Business Necessity

Cyber Essentials started as a government initiative to raise the baseline of cybersecurity across UK businesses. It has since become much more than that. An increasing number of organisations, particularly in the public sector, require suppliers to hold Cyber Essentials certification before they will work with them. Insurers are beginning to factor certification status into their risk assessments and premiums, and clients across many sectors are using it as a straightforward signal that a prospective partner takes security seriously.

For businesses that have never formally assessed their cybersecurity posture, the Cyber Essentials process is also genuinely valuable in its own right. The five technical controls it covers, secure configuration, boundary firewalls, access control, malware protection and patch management, address the most common vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Getting those controls properly in place reduces your risk of a successful attack significantly.

Achieving certification does not require a large IT team or a significant budget. What it requires is a clear understanding of what the standard demands and the right support to make sure your systems meet it. That is exactly what we provide.

Certification Support From First Assessment to Approval

Gap Assessment Before You Apply

We review your current security posture against the Cyber Essentials requirements before you submit your application. This identifies any gaps that need to be addressed and ensures you apply with confidence rather than guessing whether you will pass.

Remediation Managed for You

Where gaps are identified, we help you address them. Whether that means updating configurations, tightening access controls or implementing missing technical controls, we manage the remediation process so you are not left to figure it out alone.

Ongoing Certification Support

Cyber Essentials certification needs to be renewed annually. We support you through each renewal, keeping your systems in line with the requirements and making the process straightforward year after year.

Certification Without the Confusion

The Cyber Essentials requirements are clear in principle but can be difficult to interpret in the context of your specific IT environment. What counts as a boundary firewall for a business using cloud services? How should mobile devices be handled? How do the requirements apply to remote workers? These are the kinds of questions that catch businesses out during the application process.

At AOIT, we have guided a number of businesses through Cyber Essentials certification and understand where the common sticking points are. We translate the requirements into practical action for your specific environment, handle the technical preparation and make sure your application reflects your actual security posture accurately.

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What Our Partners Say

Kings Church GatesheadUnparalleled Customer Service
As a charity it was of great importance to us that we had customer support in regards to the choice of services. AOIT Networks have gone above and beyond to ensure a seamless hosting service, transfer and guidance along the way. In addition to services we applied for through AOIT, they advised we applied for a Microsoft 365 NonProfit license, then aided the set up and provided training to our administration... Read More
Smashdown ConsultantsThere to help even if you're not sure what to do!
AOIT are always there to help, even when wasn't sure what the solution is!A few weeks ago, I tried to call a contact. The outbound call didn't work, so I dropped them a text, and they were unable to reach me either. This was just two normal mobile phones (Three and GiffGaff).Having worked with Andrew a few times previously, I decided to get in touch with him—even though it was none of his equipment causing issues... Read More

Is Cyber Essentials the Next Step for Your Business?

Whether you have a specific deadline to meet or simply want to put the right foundations in place, we can help you get there. Get in touch and we will assess where you currently stand and map out what certification would involve for your business.

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What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed cybersecurity certification scheme that helps businesses demonstrate they have the fundamental controls in place to protect against common online threats. It covers five key areas: firewalls and boundary controls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and patch management. Certification is awarded following a self-assessment questionnaire, verified by an accredited certification body.
Cyber Essentials is based on a self-assessment questionnaire in which you confirm that the required controls are in place. Cyber Essentials Plus includes an independent technical audit of your systems to verify those controls, providing a higher level of assurance. Which level is appropriate for your business depends on your clients, your sector and your own risk appetite.
For businesses supplying to the UK government or handling certain types of government data, Cyber Essentials certification is required. Beyond that, it is not a legal requirement, but it is increasingly expected by clients and insurers across a range of sectors. Many businesses pursue it proactively to demonstrate their commitment to security and to open up supply chain opportunities.
The timeline varies depending on your current security posture and how much preparation is needed. For businesses whose systems are already broadly in line with the requirements, the process can be completed in a matter of weeks. Where more significant work is needed, it may take longer. We give you a realistic assessment of the timeline during our initial review.
The questionnaire covers the five technical controls at the heart of Cyber Essentials: boundary firewalls and internet gateways, secure configuration of systems and software, user access control, malware protection and patch management. We help you complete this accurately and ensure your answers reflect your actual systems and controls.
Certification is valid for twelve months and must be renewed annually. We manage the renewal process for our partners, keeping your systems in line with the requirements and making each renewal as straightforward as the first.
For most small and medium-sized businesses, the standard Cyber Essentials certification is sufficient. Cyber Essentials Plus provides a higher level of assurance through independent verification and may be required or preferred by certain clients or public sector contracts. We will advise you on which level is appropriate based on your specific circumstances.