Cyber Essentials

Nexus has partnered with Cyber Tec Security to offer you a complete package to help protect your business against cyber-attacks and help guide you to becoming Cyber Essentials Certified.

The threat of a cyber-attack is now a routine risk of running a business; Cyber Essentials is a way of protecting your business against the most common risks associated with a cyber-attack.

What Is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is the only UK Government cyber certification. It has been created for SMEs to reduce their chance of suffering from the most common cyber-attacks by up to 80%  by being aligned with the five technical controls: malware protection, firewalls, password-based authentication, user access control and secure configuration.

By becoming Cyber Essentials certified, you will reassure your clients that you take security seriously and, having been certified, you can display the badge on all your communication channels for your prospects and clients to see. It is worth noting that certification is a requirement in order to do business with some government organisations.

Your certification lasts a year.

2023 Cyber Essentials Logo
Nexus can hep you pass Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials Plus

Cyber Essentials Plus assesses the same technical controls as Cyber Essentials, but also comprises remote and on-site vulnerability testing.

This checks whether the controls the supplier has put in place actually provides a defence against basic hacking and phishing attacks, using commodity tools that are widely available online.

It is a more rigorous assessment and should be used when there is a higher risk of cyber security threats.

Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note
Cyber Essentials Plus Logo

Cyber Essentials Plus is independently verified by ‘Certifying Bodies’, such as our partner Cyber Tec Security.

Cyber Essentials Plus allows us to check that you are aligned with all the important security controls. We always recommend that you undergo a Cyber Essentials Plus ‘Pre-Assessment’ first, so that any security gaps can be identified and then remediated, ensuring a pass when it comes to the actual Plus assessment itself.

The Cyber Essentials Plus process is completely streamlined, so you can have peace of mind that you’re in expert hands, and assessments are fully remote thanks to our proprietary technology.

Nexus has the Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation (as well as ISO 27001).

South West CRC Cyber Essentials Partner

Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West

Cyber Essentials Partner

You’re in safe hands: Nexus is one of a small number of Cyber Essentials providers in the South West to be granted ‘Cyber Essentials Partner’ status with the police-led Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West.

The Process

Many organisations go through the process of self-certifying for Cyber Essentials and, whilst some are successful, many struggle to achieve a pass.

With the joint service Nexus and Cyber Tec Security are offering, you can be confident that the assessment process, remediation of any security gaps, and becoming Cyber Essentials certified will be a smooth and efficient process.

Nexus can assess your current situation and work on the necessary improvements, to help you pass the assessment first time. As the awarding body, Cyber Tec can hold your hand on the path to becoming certified and can ensure you have a fail-proof application first time.

Which technical areas does Cyber Essentials cover?

  • Boundary firewalls and internet gateways
  • Secure configuration
  • Access control
  • Malware protection
  • Security update management

The benefits of being cyber essentials certified

Secure your business by reducing the risk of breach by 80%.

Many SMEs tend to believe they are safe with simple firewalls or anti-virus software but these are often not good enough. With Cyber Essentials, you can significantly reduce your risk of being breached by 80%.

Gain a competitive advantage and enhance your reputation with alignment to the only recognised British cyber security accreditation.

With Cyber Essentials, your business will gain the respect and trust of your clients as you demonstrate your commitment to data protection.

Apply and bid for Government tenders.

Bidding for a contract is a competition. Cyber Essentials is the minimum requirement when bidding for public contracts and, if your main competitor has Cyber Essentials and you do not, unfortunately it will count against you and mean your competitor has the advantage with the contracting authority.

Secure your supply chain.

Target, Etihad Airways and T-Mobile are just a few examples of how black-hat hackers managed to exploit weak third parties to intrude into larger corporations’ networks in order to do harm. By certifying for Cyber Essential Plus, you are moving towards securing your supply chain and ensuring the businesses you work with won’t lead to a breach in your business.

Many large organisations such as Deloitte, Ernst and Young, KPMG and many more are already certified for Cyber Essentials and promote the certification amongst their respective supply chains.

Receive FREE Cyber Insurance.

You must fit the following criteria to be eligible for free Cyber Insurance:

  • Your organisation must have Cyber Essentials Certification at either the basic or plus level
  • Your organisation must be certified with an IASME certification body
  • Your organisation must turnover under £20,000,000
  • Your organisation must be domiciled in the UK

Reduce future cyber insurance premiums.

Cyber insurance agencies look more favourably on organisations that have achieved Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

Avoid hefty GDPR fines post breach.

It is impossible to be 100% secure and guarantee to avoid breaches but with Cyber Essentials Plus certification, you can successfully prove to the Information Commissioner’s Office that your business made a significant effort to protect client data and reduce the chances of having to pay up to 4% of your global turnover.

Promote your certification status on your website and social media

Your prospects will instantly understand they are dealing with a secure, compliance-first, business when they see the Cyber Essentials logos on all your communication channels.

How much will it cost?​

These are the assessment costs. These are separate from any work that might need to be done to bring you in line with the requirements.

  • Micro Organisations (0-9 Employees) – £315 + VAT
  • Small Organisations (10 – 49 Employees) £440 + VAT
  • Medium Organisations (50 – 249 Employees) £500 + VAT
  • Large Organisations (250+ Employees) £600 + VAT

Cyber Essentials Plus has the same requirements, except that an assessor such as Cyber Tec Security actively verifies the measures in place. As such, there’s an extra level of credibility. The extra assessment makes it a bit more expensive (as a guide, starting from £1220 for the external assessment) and the final cost will depend on your IT environment.

Getting Started

We can assess your current cyber security status and arrange any remedial work that you may need to help your chances of success in passing the certification.

We will then engage with our partner Cyber Tec and address any of their findings.

Local Cyber Essentials

We’re one of the leading cyber essentials providers in the South West, offering an experienced service for local business. With a head office in Exeter, as well as an office in the heart of Bristol city centre, we’re perfectly placed to serve all your Cyber Essentials needs. Whether you want to understand the process of becoming Cyber Essentials certified, are interested in learning more about Cyber Essentials Plus, or have a more general enquiry about cyber security, our Exeter cyber security and Bristol cyber security teams are on hand to help.

Give us a call today to get in touch

Or

get in touch