What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed cybersecurity certification scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against common online threats. It provides a practical framework for improving an organisation's basic cybersecurity controls and demonstrates that appropriate measures are in place to reduce common cyber risks.
Cyber Essentials focuses on five key areas:
- Firewalls and network security – controlling and protecting connections to your systems and devices.
- Secure configuration – ensuring computers, laptops, applications and systems are securely configured.
- Security update management – keeping software and operating systems up to date with important security updates.
- User access control – ensuring users only have the access and permissions they need.
- Malware protection – implementing appropriate measures to protect devices and systems from malicious software.
Cyber Essentials is particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses because it provides a clear and practical starting point for improving cybersecurity without requiring an overly complex security programme.
How can SamaCloud help?
SamaCloud can help your organisation prepare for Cyber Essentials by assessing your existing IT environment and identifying areas that may need attention before you complete the assessment.
Rather than simply focusing on the certification itself, the approach can include:
1. Cyber Essentials Readiness Assessment
Review your current IT environment against the Cyber Essentials requirements and identify potential gaps.
2. Microsoft 365 Security Review
Review areas such as user accounts, authentication, permissions, security configurations and Microsoft 365 security controls.
3. Device & Endpoint Security
Review Windows devices, security configurations, updates, applications and endpoint management to help ensure devices meet the required security standards.
4. User Access & Identity
Review accounts, administrator privileges, permissions and authentication controls to help reduce unnecessary access and security risks.
5. Security Configuration
Identify weaknesses in the configuration of computers, devices, cloud services and other relevant systems and provide recommendations for improvement.
6. Remediation Support
Where issues are identified, provide practical technical assistance to help implement the necessary improvements.
7. Ongoing Security Support
Cybersecurity should not stop once an assessment is completed. Ongoing Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID and security administration can help maintain a stronger security posture over time.
What makes the approach different?
The key difference is the focus on practical implementation rather than simply completing a checklist.
A Cyber Essentials assessment can identify whether your organisation meets the required controls, but businesses may need technical support to understand what needs to change and how to implement those changes correctly.
With experience across Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID, Azure, Windows and endpoint management, SamaCloud can help businesses connect Cyber Essentials requirements with their existing Microsoft technology.
Assess → Identify → Remediate → Secure → Maintain
This provides businesses with a practical pathway towards improving their cybersecurity while preparing for Cyber Essentials.
Important distinction
SamaCloud can provide technical preparation, guidance and remediation support, but should not present itself as the organisation that awards Cyber Essentials certification unless it is operating as an authorised certification body/assessment provider. The actual certification assessment is completed through an approved Cyber Essentials certification body.