Do I need Cyber Essentials?

A quick, honest guide to whether your business needs Cyber Essentials, and when it is worth having even if no one is asking for it yet.

The short answer

You need Cyber Essentials if a customer, contract, tender or insurer asks for it. Beyond that, most businesses benefit from it anyway, because it covers the five basic controls that stop the majority of common cyber attacks, and it proves to clients that you take security seriously.

You almost certainly need it if

a contract or tender you are bidding for requires it; you supply, or want to supply, central government or the MoD, where it is often mandatory; a client has made it a condition of working with you; or your cyber insurer asks for it before they will cover or renew you.

You should strongly consider it if

you hold customer or personal data, take payments, or simply want to show clients and partners that the basics are in place. Even with no external requirement, Cyber Essentials is an affordable, recognised way to prove it.

How to decide

Check your live contracts, any tenders you are chasing, and your insurance renewal for the words Cyber Essentials. If it is there, you need it. If it is not, weigh up the trust and protection it buys. We are happy to tell you straight on a quick call, with no hard sell.

Ready to buy?

Transparent, fixed pricing based on your organisation size. By default we give you access to the IASME portal to complete your Cyber Essentials assessment yourself, and once you submit it we aim to assess within one business day. You can preview the Cyber Essentials self-assessment questions to see where you stand first. There is no call or consultation as standard; we simply send you the questionnaire to complete. 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.

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

Tick it if you need it.

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

Total: select your size + VAT

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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.

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Common questions