Your Business Cyber Insurance may require this
Cyber Essentials certification is now a condition of many cyber insurance policies, all UK Government contracts, and an increasing number of enterprise supply chains. GEEX certifies at both Basic and Plus level, in-house.
20+ Years in Business
Trading since 2004. We have seen every kind of IT failure and know how to stop it before it starts.
1,000+ Clients
From accountancy firms to architectural practices. West Midlands and beyond.
700+ Endpoints
Managed and monitored.
Growing to 1,000.
FCA Regulated
We’re regulated so your lease is straightforward, protected, and professionally handled.
Why Certify
Three Reasons UK Businesses Cannot Afford to Skip Cyber Essentials
Cyber Insurance Is Tightening
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
UK Government Contracts Require It
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
Your Enterprise Clients Are Starting to Ask for It
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
certifications
Basic or Plus — Which Do You Need?
| Cyber Essentials Basic | Cyber Essentials Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| What it involves | Self-assessment questionnaire, verified by an accredited assessor | Everything in Basic, plus an independent technical audit of your systems |
| Who verifies it | GEEX (IASME-backed accreditation body) | GEEX — independent technical assessor conducts onsite/remote tests |
| What it covers | Firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection, patch management | All of Basic, plus vulnerability scanning, penetration testing elements, and network analysis |
| Time to complete | 1–3 weeks depending on your current posture | 4–8 weeks from assessment to certificate |
| Pricing | [Pricing TBC — Steve to confirm] | [Pricing TBC — Steve to confirm] |
| Best for | Most SMEs; insurance requirement; first-time certification | Government contracts; enterprise supply chain; regulated sectors; more risk-exposed businesses |
| Annual recertification | Yes — required annually to maintain certification | Yes — required annually to maintain certification |
Cyber Essentials Basic - Certification and Compliance
Protect your contracts and reduce your insurance premium
Cyber Essentials Plus - Certification and Compliance
Protect your contracts and reduce your insurance premium
What’s covered?
Five Technical Controls That Stop the Most Common Attacks
Cyber Essentials is built around five technical controls that the NCSC has identified as blocking around 80% of common cyber attacks. Here is what each one means in practice.
Firewalls and Internet Gateways
Your network boundary must be protected by a firewall with a properly configured ruleset. This means blocking traffic that your business has no reason to receive and logging traffic that looks suspicious. The assessment checks that your firewall is active, configured correctly, and not set to factory defaults.
Secure Configuration
Every device on your network — laptops, desktops, mobile phones, servers — must be securely configured before use. Factory default settings, unnecessary software, and unneeded services must be removed or disabled. The principle is that a device should do only what it needs to do for your business.
User Access Control
User accounts must be set up with the minimum permissions needed to do the job. Administrator accounts must be kept separate from day-to-day user accounts and must be protected with multi-factor authentication. Not everyone should be able to install software or access sensitive data.
Malware Protection
Every device must have active malware protection running — whether that is traditional antivirus software or more modern EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) technology. GEEX One clients already meet this requirement through their managed EDR agent.
Patch Management
Software and operating system updates must be applied within 14 days of release. Unpatched software is the most exploited attack vector in the UK. Cyber Essentials requires that you have a process for applying patches promptly and can evidence it.
GEEX One and Cyber Essentials
Already on GEEX One? You Are Closer Than You Think
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
- Your malware protection (managed EDR) is already deployed and documented
- Your patch management is handled automatically by the update agent
- Your password management and access control are in place
- Your email threat protection reduces your phishing exposure
What you will still need to complete:
- A review of your firewall configuration and network boundary
- Documentation of your secure configuration baseline
- Confirmation of your user access control policies
- The formal self-assessment questionnaire (Basic) or technical audit (Plus)
GEEX One clients typically pass Cyber Essentials Basic within two to three weeks of starting the process. The groundwork is already done.
FAQs
Common Questions About Cyber Essentials
What is the minimum contract length?
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
What is the minimum contract length?
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
What is the minimum contract length?
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
What is the minimum contract length?
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
What is the minimum contract length?
GEEX One is designed to give you the technical posture you need to pass Cyber Essentials. When you are already on GEEX One:
20+ Years in Business
Trading since 2004. We have seen every kind of IT failure and know how to stop it before it starts.
1,000+ Clients
From accountancy firms to architectural practices. West Midlands and beyond.
700+ Endpoints
Managed and monitored.
Growing to 1,000.
FCA Regulated
We’re regulated so your lease is straightforward, protected, and professionally handled.
Let Us Show You What Two Decades of IT Experience Looks Like
A conversation costs nothing. Tell us what your current IT looks like and we will tell you honestly whether we can improve on it — and what it would cost.