What are the benefits of getting Cyber Essentials certification?

<li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1"> Protection against 80% of common cyber attacks <li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1"> Compliance with UK government requirements <li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1"> Competitive advantage when tendering for contracts <li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="4" data-aria-level="1"> Lower cyber insurance premiums with some insurers <li aria-setsize="-1" data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="8" data-list-defn-props="{"335552541":1,"335559685":720,"335559991":360,"469769226":"Symbol","469769242":[8226],"469777803":"left","469777804":"","469777815":"hybridMultilevel"}" data-aria-posinset="5" data-aria-level="1"> Trust and reassurance for customers, partners, and stakeholders

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As a licensed certification body, we’ll help you achieve Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

Q: What is the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials: A self-assessment questionnaire reviewed by a certification body, like us. It covers five key security controls: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection, and patch management. Cyber Essentials Plus: Includes all the above but adds an independent technical audit and testing. This provides stronger assurance to clients, regulators, and stakeholders.

Minimise risk with Cyber Essentials

The Cyber Essentials scheme, developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), offers an affordable and effective level of cyber assurance for businesses of all sizes. The certification comes in two levels: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.

The programme sets out 5 key technical controls to help your business with cyber protection which, when implemented, will protect you against the most common cyber threats. In fact, the cyber security certification aims to reduce an organisations’ risk of attack from internet-borne threats by 80%.

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The five controls of Cyber Essentials

Underpinning Cyber Essentials are five simple but powerful controls that protect against the most common cyber threats. These measures form the foundation of good security practice and have been proven to reduce the risk of attack by up to 80%.

At Air IT Group we help you to meet these standards, so that your business will become significantly more resilient and you’ll demonstrate to customers, partners, and regulators that you take data security seriously.

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Block unauthorised access and filter traffic entering or leaving your network.

Ensure all systems are set up securely, removing default settings and unnecessary features.

Limit access rights to only those who need them, reducing insider and privilege misuse risks.

Protect devices with anti-malware and EDR to stop viruses, ransomware, and spyware.

Apply updates promptly so hackers can't exploit known vulnerabilities.

Build resilience with cyber certification

Achieving Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates to your customers, partners, and suppliers that you take cybersecurity seriously. It also reduces your risk of attack by implementing recognised controls and strengthens your chances in tenders and contracts.

With Air IT Group, you gain expert support that simplifies the process and ensures certification the first time. More importantly, your business becomes better protected, more resilient, and more trusted in the eyes of your stakeholders.

IT & cyber security experts

All our assessors are fully qualified and have deep expertise across IT and information security.

Quick & efficient certification

We’ve developed a unique, 5-step process to ensure your certification goes as smoothly as possible right from the start.

Reliable cyber security partner

We offer comprehensive cybersecurity solutions. Our experts know how to help you stay protected and meet the standard.

100% success rate

We’ll work with you throughout the process to ensure your certification is a success.

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials Plus

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials is a questionnaire-based assessment that confirms your organisation meets the UK’s recognised baseline standards of cybersecurity.

As a licensed certification body, we not only guide you through the questionnaire but also conduct a gap analysis of your systems. This helps identify the steps to be taken to get your business ready for certification.

Questionnaire-based assessment
Cybersecurity gap analysis

We’ll complete the documentation with you and issue your certification directly, giving you complete peace of mind. .

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Managed Detection & Response

Password Management

Managed DMARC

Email Security

Cyber Security Awareness Training

Cyber Essentials Plus

Cyber Essentials Plus builds on the standard certification by adding a remote or onsite assessment. As part of the process, we perform both internal and external vulnerability scans and test a sample of user devices and network equipment.

Remote or Onsite assessment
Internal & external vulnerability scans

These tests confirm that your defences are working effectively against real-world attacks. Once everything checks out, we’ll finalise and issue your certification.

Please note: Cyber Essentials Plus must be completed at the same time as, or within 3 months of, the standard certification.

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Managed Detection & Response

Vulnerability Management

SOC as a Service & Managed SIEM

Network Security

Mark McKeever

Director of Carousel Marketing

"Peace of mind is the biggest benefit that Air has delivered to the business, with systems updating automatically, a responsive service and excellent communication. With the technological advances in recent years, we have more and more of our core systems based online. Due to the nature of some of the work we do, and the data we hold on behalf of, our clients, IT security is a top priority and Air has advised on an array of protocols. We’re now in the process of Cyber Essentials and they have been really insightful and informative – they’re helping us every step of the way."

Case Study

Carousel Marketing

Air IT Group provides Carousel Marketing with managed IT, strong security, and compliance guidance, enabling the team to focus on delivering results for clients.

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Frequently asked questions

Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification that helps organisations protect against common cyber threats. It demonstrates that your business has taken essential steps to secure networks, devices, and data. Many public sector contracts require Cyber Essentials, and it reassures customers and partners that security is taken seriously.

Cyber Essentials: A self-assessment questionnaire reviewed by a certification body, like us. It covers five key security controls: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection, and patch management.

Cyber Essentials Plus: Includes all the above but adds an independent technical audit and testing. This provides stronger assurance to clients, regulators, and stakeholders.

Cyber Essentials is highly recommended for all UK businesses, but it’s mandatory for organisations bidding on certain central government and Ministry of Defence contracts. The certification provides credibility, reduces cyber risk, and protects your business.

Most organisations can complete Cyber Essentials in a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the complexity of their IT environment and readiness. Cyber Essentials Plus usually takes longer because it involves independent testing. At Air IT Group, we can offer a cybersecurity gap analysis to identify the steps needed to get your business ready for certification.