Build trust with Cyber Essentials

CyberEssentials.AI is the Cyber Essentials certification platform of Apexward Group, a Cyber Essentials Certification Body and NCSC Assured Service Provider for Cyber Essentials. That means we are authorised to assess organisations against the NCSC Cyber Essentials scheme and issue certificates. As an NCSC Assured Service Provider for Cyber Essentials, our advisors can also guide you from readiness through implementation and assessment.

Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed scheme owned by the National Cyber Security Centre. IASME is the scheme’s delivery partner and manages the network of Certification Bodies.

Cyber Essentials helps organisations defend against the most common commodity cyber attacks by implementing five foundational technical controls.

Organisations implement five foundational controls (firewalls and internet gateways; secure configuration; security update management; user access control; malware protection). Certification is achieved by completing a verified self-assessment questionnaire, independently reviewed by a Cyber Essentials Certification Body, such as Apexward Group via CyberEssentials.AI. Current requirements version: Cyber Essentials v3.3 (Danzell) (accounts from 27 April 2026).

Official Cyber Essentials (basic) assessment fees for 2026 are £320 / £440 / £500 / £600 + VAT for Micro (0–9), Small (10–49), Medium (50–249) and Large (250+) organisations. Self-Assessed includes one hour of support and a customised policy pack at these prices. Guided CE starts at £1,100 + VAT and includes unlimited guidance within the agreed scope. Cyber Essentials Plus pricing varies according to scope and technical testing requirements. See our pricing page for the full table, package comparison and quote calculator.

• Defends against common attacks: Cyber Essentials helps organisations defend against the most common commodity cyber attacks by implementing five foundational technical controls.
• Demonstrates security to clients: Shows customers and partners you meet a government-backed baseline.
• Qualifies you for contracts: Often required for UK central government and defence supply-chain work.
• Possible insurance eligibility: Eligible UK organisations that achieve Cyber Essentials may qualify for included cyber insurance of up to £25,000, subject to insurer terms. Included cyber insurance is not automatic for every certified company. Eligibility, cover and claims are subject to the insurer’s policy terms. Insurance eligibility (up to £25,000).
• Improves cyber hygiene: The assessment process helps identify and fix foundational control gaps.

Cyber Essentials requires five key technical controls (Danzell v3.3):

• Firewalls and internet gateways
• Secure configuration
• Security update management
• User access control
• Malware protection

Security updates should typically be applied within 14 days of release for relevant patches. Unsupported software in scope can lead to assessment failure. See our Danzell 2026 guide.

Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment reviewed by a Certification Body. Cyber Essentials Plus adds independent technical testing of your controls.

Cyber Essentials Plus builds on a verified Cyber Essentials self-assessment with independent technical testing. Testing may be conducted remotely, in person, or through a combination, depending on the environment and assessor. The CE+ journey includes the verified Cyber Essentials self-assessment stage followed by technical testing. Where the underlying Cyber Essentials certificate is sufficiently recent, that stage does not normally need to be repeated. Cyber Essentials Plus.

Any organisation that wants a recognised cyber security baseline can benefit. UK suppliers to central government and defence are often required to hold Cyber Essentials where contracts involve personal data or certain IT services.

Outside government work, clients and partners increasingly ask for Cyber Essentials as evidence of basic cyber hygiene.

You certify through a Cyber Essentials Certification Body. Apexward Group is a Cyber Essentials Certification Body and NCSC Assured Service Provider for Cyber Essentials, delivering assessments via CyberEssentials.AI:

1. Prepare: Use our readiness checker or the official question set to close gaps before you apply.
2. Complete the self-assessment: Purchase an assessment, answer the questionnaire, and have a senior executive declare the answers are accurate.
3. Assessment and feedback: A qualified assessor reviews your responses. Your assessment account remains active for six months. Once your answers have been submitted and assessed, an unsuccessful result normally includes a two-working-day opportunity to correct simple issues and resubmit.
4. Certificate issued: Certificates are typically valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually.

For Plus, technical testing follows the verified CE stage. See how it works.

Yes. Companies outside the UK can become Cyber Essentials certified through a Certification Body such as Apexward Group via CyberEssentials.AI.

UK-specific benefits such as included cyber insurance (£25,000) generally apply only to qualifying UK-domiciled organisations. Included cyber insurance is not automatic for every certified company. Eligibility, cover and claims are subject to the insurer’s policy terms.

Prepared organisations often complete the basic self-assessment quickly; questionnaire input can take a few hours once controls are in place. Assessment turnaround depends on submission quality and assessor workload.

Your assessment account remains active for six months. Once your answers have been submitted and assessed, an unsuccessful result normally includes a two-working-day opportunity to correct simple issues and resubmit.

Cyber Essentials Plus takes longer because technical testing must be scheduled and any findings remediated. Many organisations plan several weeks for Plus. Timescale guide.

Certification is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually against the current requirements (currently Danzell v3.3 for new accounts from 27 April 2026). See our renewal page.

We sometimes share discount codes through our marketing channels. If you have one, enter it under “Have a discount code?” in the quote calculator. The renewal discount needs no code: eligible Self-Assessed renewals save 15% and Cyber Essentials Plus Guided renewals save 15% when you tick “This is a renewal”, provided the previous certificate was awarded in the last 14 months. Codes and the renewal discount cannot be combined. See renewal pricing.