Cyber Essentials Certification: How Cyber Sorted Pro Supports You

Cyber Essentials Certification: How Cyber Sorted Pro Supports You

In today’s digital economy your business is only as strong as its cybersecurity.

That’s why thousands of UK organisations are turning to The National Cyber Security Centre's Cyber Essentials certification, a government-backed scheme that proves your business is taking proactive steps to protect itself against common cyber threats.

But while the idea is simple, the execution often isn’t. If you’re a small or medium-sized business without an in house IT team, the path to certification can feel confusing, technical, and time-consuming.

That’s exactly why we created Cyber Sorted Pro, a practical, plain-English toolkit that walks you through building real security habits and aligning with the requirements of Cyber Essentials certification.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

  • What Cyber Essentials certification is and why it matters
  • Common challenges small businesses face when pursuing it
  • How Cyber Sorted Pro helps you meet each requirement
  • What to expect from the certification process
  • Why Cyber Essentials alignment is valuable even if you don’t plan to certify

Whether you're aiming for compliance, better security, or both, Cyber Sorted: Pro is designed to support you at every step.

What Is Cyber Essentials Certification?

Cyber Essentials is a UK Government scheme that outlines five technical controls every business should follow to reduce the risk of cyber attacks. It’s backed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and has become a benchmark for digital trust and security across the UK.

Two levels of certification:

Certification Details
Cyber Essentials Self-assessment, externally verified, based on five key technical controls.
Cyber Essentials Plus Includes a hands-on technical audit by a certification body.

Both certifications assess your defences against threats such as malware, phishing, and unauthorised access.

Why does it matter?

  • Contract eligibility: Cyber Essentials is mandatory for many UK government contracts and increasingly expected in private tenders.
  • Customer trust: It signals to clients and partners that you take data protection seriously.
  • Real protection: It helps guard against 80% of common cyber threats (NCSC).
  • Lower risk, lower cost: For UK small businesses that experienced a cyber attack with real consequences, like downtime, lost data, or recovery work, the average cost in staff disruption alone was £3,230. That’s before you even count fines, IT fixes, or damage to your reputation. In total, breach costs can range anywhere from £3,110 to over £10,000 depending on the severity.
    (Source: UK Government – Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025)
"Cyber Essentials shows you how to address the basics and prevent the most common attacks." — NCSC

Yet despite its benefits, many small businesses struggle to get started. That’s where Cyber Sorted: Pro can help.

What Is Cyber Sorted Pro?

Cyber Sorted: Pro is a hands-on cybersecurity resource pack designed to help small businesses take practical action, reduce their risk, and align with Cyber Essentials, without the jargon or complexity.

It's structured over four weeks, each focusing on a key area of security. It includes:

  • Fully editable policies, checklists, and tracking tools
  • Plain-English guidance documents
  • Easy-to-use staff training resources
  • A clear progress tracker so you can document your improvements
  • A built-in Cyber Essentials Health Check to see how close you are to certification

Built for real businesses

Cyber Sorted: Pro was developed for:

  • SMEs without dedicated IT teams
  • Business leaders who want clarity, not complexity
  • Teams seeking to embed security into their culture, not just tick a box
It's practical, flexible, and designed to work whether you’re preparing for certification now, later, or just want to get secure.

How Cyber Sorted Pro Aligns to Cyber Essentials Requirements

Let’s break it down by each of the 5 Cyber Essentials (CE) technical controls — and see how Cyber Sorted: Pro maps to them.

1. Firewalls and Internet Gateways

What CE requires:
Control incoming and outgoing network traffic to block unauthorised access.

How Cyber Sorted: Pro helps:

  • Device Hardening Guide: Helps you configure firewall settings and block unsafe ports.
  • Security Audit Checklist: Identifies common misconfigurations.
  • Cyber Essentials Health Check: Lets you self-audit your firewall and perimeter controls.
Did you know? Poorly configured firewalls are among the top causes of small business breaches.

2. Secure Configuration

What CE requires:
Ensure systems are configured securely and unnecessary features are disabled.

How Cyber Sorted: Pro helps:

  • Hardening Guide: Step-by-step actions to disable default settings and reduce attack surface.
  • Maturity Tracker: Helps you monitor your security posture over time.
  • Staff Security Checklist: Ensures devices are safely configured during onboarding.
Even minor adjustments, like disabling guest accounts or turning off unused services, can make a big difference.

3. User Access Control

What CE requires:
Limit user access to only what’s needed, and restrict admin rights.

How Cyber Sorted: Pro helps:

  • Cyber Awareness Policy: Reinforces role-based access control.
  • Leadership Messaging Templates: Promote a security-first mindset from the top down.
  • Awareness Exercises: Help staff understand how their access affects security.
Many businesses fail this control simply by giving admin rights to too many people. Cyber Sorted Pro makes it clear who should have what, and why.

4. Malware Protection

What CE requires:
Protect all devices from malware using appropriate anti-virus and safety practices.

How Cyber Sorted Pro helps:

  • Phishing Cheat Sheet: Educates staff on how malware often enters via email.
  • Health Check Tool: Validates malware protection on your devices.
  • Awareness Tools: Empower staff to avoid suspicious downloads or websites.
This is where culture matters. A trained team is often your best defence against malware.

5. Security Update Management

What CE requires:
Apply updates within 14 days of release — including OS, apps, and firmware.

How Cyber Sorted Pro helps:

  • Update Policy Template: Sets expectations and roles clearly.
  • Business Impact Matrix: Helps you prioritise what to patch first.
  • Audit Checklist: Tracks updates and highlights overdue systems.
Keeping systems patched is simple in theory, but difficult without a clear process. Cyber Sorted Pro makes it manageable.

How Cyber Sorted Pro Helps You Prepare for Certification

If you are preparing to certify, Cyber Sorted: Pro simplifies the entire experience:

  • Follow a weekly plan: Start with awareness, then progress to tech hardening and monitoring.
  • Complete the Health Check: See how close you are before applying.
  • Track your progress: Use the progress tracker as a logbook for your application.
  • Support your team: Awareness materials keep everyone engaged, not just the person filling out the form.

And unlike traditional security guides, it’s written in human language, with real examples, plain-English explanations, and support at every step.

While not a certification product, Cyber Sorted: Pro aligns with many of the core areas required by Cyber Essentials, making it easier for SMEs to understand what’s expected and where to focus.

Why It’s Still Worthwhile, Even If You Don’t Certify

Not every business will go for certification. That’s fine.

But aligning with Cyber Essentials still:

  • Reduces your risk
  • Builds customer trust
  • Prepares you for future compliance
  • Helps secure insurance policies
  • Creates security habits that last

You can align with Cyber Essentials without applying for the badge. Cyber Sorted: Pro gives you the structure to do that well.

Certifying is optional. Being secure isn’t.

Common Questions

❓Do I need to be technical❓

No. Cyber Sorted: Pro is for business owners, team leads, and operations managers, not just IT experts.

❓Can I use it with my MSP or IT provider❓

Yes. Many MSPs encourage it, because it helps with documentation, user behaviour, and culture-building.

❓ Will it guarantee certification❓

It gives you everything you need to prepare. Certification still requires an official application via a certifying body.

❓How long will it take❓

The toolkit is structured as a 4-week journey, but you can go faster or slower depending on your availability.

Start Your Journey Today

Whether you're pursuing certification or just want real security without the stress: Cyber Sorted: Pro is your guide.

✅ No jargon
✅ No guesswork
✅ No more wondering if you’re “secure enough”

Explore Cyber Sorted: Pro Join the Waitlist
Stay Aware, Stay Secure, Get Cyber Sorted

Final Thoughts

Cyber Essentials certification is a powerful signal — to your clients, your team, and yourself, that you take cybersecurity seriously.

But even without the certificate, following the principles behind Cyber Essentials will make your business more secure, more resilient, and more trusted.

Cyber Sorted: Pro helps you do that in a way that’s structured, supportive, and sustainable, even without an IT department or technical background.

So whether you're looking to certify this year or simply build smarter habits, there’s no better time to get started.

Not sure where to start? Get Cyber Sorted: Foundations. Our free toolkit helps small businesses build stronger security in just a few simple steps.