Cyber Essentials Plus Certification for UK Businesses
Independent technical verification of the Cyber Essentials controls, delivered by a CREST-accredited, IASME-authorised certifying body.
2-sec helps UK organisations prepare for Cyber Essentials Plus, confirm scope, complete technical assessment, remediate issues, and evidence that the five controls are working in practice.
- CREST-accredited
- IASME-authorised
- NCSC-aligned
- Cyber Essentials certifying body
2-sec audit
Audit Complete
-
Firewall Configuration
Pass -
Secure Configuration
Pass -
User Access Control
Pass -
Malware Protection
Pass -
Patch Management
Pass
The Same Five Controls, Independently Tested
Cyber Essentials Plus builds on Cyber Essentials by adding independent technical assessment of the controls in your live environment.
Instead of relying only on questionnaire answers, a qualified assessor tests a sample of systems and checks whether controls such as secure configuration, patching, malware protection, and access control are working as expected.
Why Organisations Move From CE to CE Plus
Cyber Essentials proves that the baseline controls have been declared. Cyber Essentials Plus gives stakeholders more confidence that those controls have been tested.
That extra assurance matters when clients, contracts, insurers, regulators, or internal risk teams need more than a self-assessment answer.
Certificates awarded
Cyber Essentials certificates awarded from January to December 2025.
CE standard
Standard Cyber Essentials certificates awarded in the same reporting period.
CE Plus
Cyber Essentials Plus certificates awarded where independent technical verification was required.
Lower claim likelihood
Organisations with Cyber Essentials are reported as less likely to make a cyber insurance claim.
Source: GOV.UK Cyber Essentials management information, January to December 2025; NCSC Annual Review 2025.
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus
Both certifications are built around the same five controls. The difference is how much independent technical verification is involved.
Cyber Essentials
Best when you need a recognised baseline certification, often for procurement, supply-chain checks, or internal security hygiene.
Self-assessment questionnaire.
No external system testing.
Usually 1–2 weeks, depending on readiness.
Most organisations seeking a practical starting point.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Best when clients, contracts, or internal risk expectations call for independent technical verification of the five controls.
External technical assessment after Cyber Essentials.
Vulnerability scanning and sample testing.
Usually 2–4 weeks, depending on remediation.
Higher-risk environments or stronger assurance needs.
Built for Organisations That Need Trust to Scale
Cyber Essentials is relevant to organisations of any size. The driver is usually not size alone, but what the organisation needs to prove.
It is especially useful when customers, partners, insurers, or internal stakeholders need a simple answer to a simple question: are the basics covered?
Public Sector Suppliers
Organisations bidding for higher-value or more sensitive public sector contracts may need stronger evidence than baseline certification alone.
Managed Service Providers
MSPs, IT providers, cloud partners, and outsourced technology suppliers often need to show that controls work across managed environments.
SaaS & Technology Firms
Product-led and SaaS businesses can use Cyber Essentials Plus to support security questionnaires, procurement reviews, and enterprise sales.
Sensitive or Regulated Environments
Financial services, legal, healthcare, data-rich, and professional services organisations may need stronger assurance for clients and internal governance.
CE Plus Success Depends on Readiness Before Testing Starts
Cyber Essentials Plus is more sensitive to unsupported software, unclear scope, inconsistent device builds, and patching gaps.
2-sec helps you identify likely blockers before the assessment window becomes a deadline problem.
90-Day Eligibility Window
Cyber Essentials Plus must be completed after a valid Cyber Essentials certification, so timing and readiness need to be managed carefully.
Systems & Network Scope
External IPs, internal ranges, end-user devices, cloud services, and web applications need to be understood before assessment.
Remediation Planning
If vulnerabilities or configuration gaps are found, the route to remediation and retesting must be clear enough to keep certification moving.
From CE Baseline to CE Plus Certificate
The process is straightforward when scope, sample sets, technical access, and remediation responsibilities are clear from the start.
Confirm Cyber Essentials Status
We confirm your Cyber Essentials certification status, timeline, and whether the CE Plus assessment can be completed within the required window.
Define Scope & Sample Sets
We agree the systems, users, device types, external services, and representative samples that need to be included in the technical assessment.
Run Technical Testing
The assessor carries out vulnerability scanning and sample testing to check whether the five Cyber Essentials controls are operating correctly.
Remediate and Retest
Where issues are identified, 2-sec provides practical remediation guidance and retesting support to help close gaps quickly.
Issue Certification
Once requirements are met, the Cyber Essentials Plus certificate is issued and your organisation can use the stronger assurance signal commercially.
Ready to Get Cyber Essentials Plus Certification?
Speak to 2-sec about your Cyber Essentials Plus scope, readiness, testing requirements, and assessment window.
Whether certification is needed for a tender, supplier review, client request, insurance conversation, or a stronger security baseline, 2-sec Cyber Essentials Online helps you understand what needs to happen next.
- CREST-accredited
- IASME-authorised
- NCSC-aligned
- Cyber Essentials certifying body