Submit your Cyber Essentials assessment for review against the official requirements, with a clear pass or fail outcome.
CYBER ESSENTIALS IS A SELF-ASSESSMENT CERTIFICATION WHERE YOUR RESPONSES ARE REVIEWED AGAINST THE OFFICIAL REQUIREMENTS. YOU RECEIVE A CLEAR PASS OR FAIL, WITH FEEDBACK WHERE REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET.
Assessment-Based Certification
Your submitted responses are assessed against the official Cyber Essentials requirements.
Defined Requirements
Certification is based on a fixed set of security controls defined by the scheme.
Clear Outcome
You receive a clear pass or fail, with feedback where requirements are not met.
Achieve Cyber Essentials Certification
Cyber Essentials certification is a self-assessment process where your organisation submits responses against a defined set of security controls.
You complete the assessment based on your systems and processes. Once submitted, your responses are reviewed against the official requirements.
You will receive a pass or fail outcome. If requirements are not met, feedback is provided so you can make changes and resubmit within the allowed timeframe.
Cyber Essentials is designed to be straightforward, but certification depends on how your responses align with the official requirements.
Your submission is assessed against the scheme’s criteria, providing a clear outcome and identifying any areas that do not meet the required standard.
Clear Outcome
Understand whether your submission meets the required standard.
Submission Feedback
If requirements are not met, you receive feedback to support resubmission.
How The Assessment Works
Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment certification. You complete the questionnaire through the assessment portal, and we review your submission against the official requirements.
We assess your responses, issue a pass or fail result, and provide clear feedback where requirements are not met.
Security Controls Review
Understand how the five Cyber Essentials controls apply to your systems.
Assessment Guidance
Receive support completing the self-assessment questionnaire.
Firewall & Network Protection
Ensuring internet gateways are properly configured.
Secure Configuration
Reducing vulnerabilities by securely configuring devices.
Security Updates
Keeping systems protected with regular patching.
Access Control & Malware Protection
Managing user access and protecting systems against malware.
You are provided with access to the Cyber Essentials assessment portal to complete your submission.
02
Complete and Submit
You complete the questionnaire based on your organisation’s systems and controls, then submit your responses for assessment.
03
Assessment Review
Your submission is reviewed against the official requirements, typically within 48 hours.
04
Outcome and Next Steps
You receive a pass or fail result. If requirements are not met, you have 10 working days to make changes and resubmit. Once certified, you can choose to progress to Cyber Essentials Plus.
Official “Cyber Essentials Certified” marketing logo
FAQs
Once the self-assessment questionnaire has been submitted, certification bodies typically review applications within a few working days. The overall timeline depends on how prepared your organisation is before submission.
The questionnaire can be technical and the marking scheme is specific. Many organisations seek guidance to ensure their answers meet the requirements and avoid failed submissions.
If a submission does not meet the requirements, you will usually have the opportunity to correct the issues and resubmit your answers. Addressing misunderstandings before submission helps reduce the risk of delays.
Yes. Many UK government and public sector contracts require Cyber Essentials certification as a minimum cyber security standard.
The certification focuses on five core security controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control, and malware protection.
Cyber Essentials certification is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually to maintain certification.
Calm, practical cyber security guidance that replaces uncertainty with clear, usable answers.
