Cyber Essentials Plus: What Birmingham Businesses Need to Know
Cyber Essentials Plus is a UK government-backed certification that demonstrates your business has essential cyber security measures in place. For many Birmingham businesses, especially those working with the public sector or handling sensitive data, it's becoming essential.
What is Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials Plus is the higher level of the Cyber Essentials certification scheme. While the basic Cyber Essentials involves a self-assessment questionnaire, Cyber Essentials Plus requires an independent audit of your systems. It sits at the heart of any serious cyber security strategy for UK businesses.
The Five Technical Controls
1. Firewalls
Your network boundary must be protected by properly configured firewalls. This includes:
- Hardware firewalls for your office network
- Software firewalls on all devices
- Properly configured router settings
2. Secure Configuration
All devices and software must be configured securely:
- Remove unnecessary software
- Change default passwords
- Disable auto-run features
- Configure browser security settings
3. User Access Control
Limit access to data and services:
- Unique user accounts for everyone
- Administrative privileges only where necessary
- Strong password policies
- Account lockout after failed attempts
4. Malware Protection
Protect against malicious software:
- Anti-malware software on all devices
- Automatic updates enabled
- Regular scans scheduled
- Web filtering in place
5. Patch Management
Keep software up to date:
- Operating system updates within 14 days
- Application updates within 14 days
- Firmware updates for network devices
- Removal of unsupported software
Benefits for Birmingham Businesses
Win Public Sector Contracts
Many government contracts now require Cyber Essentials Plus. Without it, you're excluded from bidding on lucrative public sector work.
Demonstrate Trustworthiness
The certification badge shows customers and partners that you take security seriously. It's a powerful differentiator in competitive markets.
Reduce Insurance Premiums
Some cyber insurance providers offer discounts for Cyber Essentials Plus certified businesses.
Improve Your Security Posture
The certification process identifies vulnerabilities and ensures basic protections are in place. If your team works remotely, you'll also want to review our guide on essential security measures for remote teams.
Who Needs Cyber Essentials Plus?
Certification is particularly important for businesses in regulated sectors. Financial services firms handling client data, healthcare providers working with NHS systems, and manufacturers in public-sector supply chains all benefit from having the badge.
The Certification Process
- Preparation - Assess your current security measures against the five controls
- Remediation - Address any gaps identified
- Self-Assessment - Complete the Cyber Essentials questionnaire
- External Audit - A certification body tests your systems
- Certification - Valid for 12 months
Common Challenges
Legacy Systems
Older systems that can't be updated may need to be isolated or replaced. A cloud migration can help retire legacy infrastructure that's holding your security posture back.
Remote Workers
Home networks and personal devices add complexity to the scope. Our IT consultancy service can help you scope remote devices properly before the audit.
Cloud Services
You're still responsible for configuring cloud services securely. If you're running Microsoft 365, make sure your tenant settings meet the Cyber Essentials requirements.
How LeapIT Can Help
As Cyber Essentials Plus certified ourselves, we guide Birmingham businesses through the certification process:
- Gap analysis to identify what needs fixing
- Remediation support to address issues
- Documentation preparation
- Audit preparation and support
- Ongoing compliance maintenance
Our wider IT support service includes ongoing patch management and monitoring, which keeps you compliant between annual audits. We cover Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, and the wider West Midlands.
Get Started
Cyber Essentials Plus certification typically takes 4-6 weeks with proper preparation. Contact us to discuss your certification journey, or meet the team who'll be guiding you through it.
