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.

Common questions