IASME Cyber Assurance Shropshire

Why Shropshire organisations go beyond Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials covers five technical controls. IASME Cyber Assurance covers how the organisation around those controls is actually run: who owns risk, how data is handled, how suppliers are managed, what happens when something breaks. Shropshire organisations reach for it when a buyer stops asking about firewalls and starts asking about governance, which in this county comes from two directions.

The first is defence and logistics flow-down around Telford, where a prime that has to evidence its own supply chain passes the requirement down a tier at a time. The second is the public sector and grant funding, which reaches a lot of Shropshire organisations the private supply chain never touches: care providers, education, housing, charities, and the professional and agricultural firms in the market towns.

What a Shropshire buyer is usually asking for

Most of the time the wording in the tender is vaguer than the requirement behind it. "An information security management system", "ISO 27001 or equivalent" and "evidence of governance" are all routinely satisfied by Cyber Assurance Level 2, and we will read the clause with you before you spend anything. Where the buyer genuinely does need accredited ISO 27001, we will say so rather than sell you something that will not clear the hurdle.

Level 1, Level 2, and which one you need

Level 1 is a verified self-assessment reviewed by an assessor. Level 2 adds an independent audit of your governance, documentation and controls, includes a GDPR assessment, and is internationally recognised. When a buyer says they want more than Cyber Essentials, they almost always mean Level 2. The full breakdown of both levels is on the main Cyber Assurance page, and how it compares with ISO 27001 is set out separately.

One prerequisite: you must hold valid Cyber Essentials throughout the Cyber Assurance period. If you do not have it yet, we do both.

Doing the work in Shropshire

Shropshire is our home county. We are based at Albrighton, so a site visit anywhere between Oswestry and Ludlow costs you nothing in travel and can usually be arranged for a specific morning rather than a notional week. Level 1 is completed on the IASME portal and reviewed remotely. Level 2's audit is scheduled around you and can be remote or onsite. Your submission is read by a qualified assessor, never fed into AI.

What we see most often in Shropshire

Rural sites on consumer broadband with a router that has not been touched since installation
Businesses with no internal IT function and an outsourced provider seen twice a year
Defence and logistics supply chain organisations around Telford facing flow-down requirements

None of these is unusual and none of them is a reason to put the work off. They are simply the things worth checking before you commit to a date. If you want more detail, see how it compares with ISO 27001.

Ready to buy?

IASME Cyber Assurance pricing, in line with IASME’s fee bands. Cyber Essentials certification is a prerequisite and is priced separately. By default we give you access to the IASME portal to complete your assessment yourself. Your submission is reviewed by a qualified, certified assessor, never fed into AI. Need it faster? Add urgent turnaround below. Want us to review your setup against the controls before you apply? That is a gap analysis, quoted separately: ask for one using the contact button under the form. Buy Level 1 now, or request a quote for the audited Level 2.

An appointed IASME Certification Body: your certificate comes directly from us. Verify our credentials on the BlockMark registry, and find us listed on the IASME website.

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Optional add-on

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Urgent turnaroundMoved to the front of the queue and assessed same day where your submission arrives before midday. +£100

Total: select your size + VAT

Want a gap analysis, a different way to pay, or a question answered first?

Gap analysis. We review your setup against the controls you will be assessed on before you apply and tell you exactly what needs fixing, so nothing is a surprise when you submit. It is quoted against your setup rather than sold as a fixed add-on, so ask us and we will price it.

Anything else. Paying by card here is the quickest route, not the only one. Tell us how you would rather pay and we will sort it. Same if you want a question answered before you buy, or a quote for on-site Cyber Essentials or IASME Cyber Assurance Level 1.

Common questions

What is IASME Cyber Assurance, in business terms?

An affordable, UK-developed information-security standard from IASME, mapped to ISO 27001 and the Government's 10 Steps. It lets you evidence a real security management system to buyers without the cost of full ISO 27001.

Do we need Cyber Essentials first?

Yes. A valid Cyber Essentials certificate is a prerequisite and must be held throughout the Cyber Assurance period. If you do not have it yet, we do both.

Is Cyber Assurance recognised outside Shropshire?

Yes. It is a national, UK-developed standard from IASME, and Level 2 carries international recognition. The county has nothing to do with the certificate; it only affects who assesses you and how far they travel.

We are a Telford supplier and our prime asked for "ISO 27001 or equivalent". Does this count?

Usually yes, and Level 2 is the level they mean. Send us the clause and we will tell you honestly whether it clears it, including when the answer is that only accredited ISO 27001 will do.

We are on rural broadband with no internal IT. Is that a problem?

No. It affects how the scope is drawn far more than whether you will pass. It is worth checking before you commit to a date, which is what a gap analysis is for.