Cyber Essentials Plus is the advanced level of the UK government-backed Cyber Essentials certification scheme. While standard Cyber Essentials involves a self-assessment questionnaire, Cyber Essentials Plus requires an independent, hands-on technical audit of your systems by a certified assessor, providing a higher level of assurance against common cyber threats.
The certification process tests five key security controls:
- Firewalls and internet gateways – Verifying your boundary devices are correctly configured to block unauthorised access.
- Secure configuration – Ensuring systems are set up securely with unnecessary services disabled and default passwords changed.
- Access control – Confirming that user accounts are properly managed with appropriate privilege levels and strong authentication.
- Malware protection – Testing that anti-malware solutions are active, updated, and effectively blocking threats.
- Patch management – Verifying that software and operating systems are kept up to date with critical security patches applied promptly.
Your business likely needs Cyber Essentials Plus if you bid for government contracts, handle sensitive data, or want to demonstrate strong cyber security credentials to clients. Many cyber security packages now include certification support as standard. As cyber security experts, Connection Technologies guides businesses through the entire certification journey, from initial gap analysis to successful assessment. Get a quote to start your Cyber Essentials Plus certification.