Unity IT is an IASME-approved Cyber Essentials Certification Body with our own in-house Cyber Advisor. We take businesses across the UK from first conversation to certificate, for both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. As your managed service provider, we can also fix any gaps we find along the way.
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme, run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), that helps organisations protect themselves against the most common cyber threats.
Certification shows customers, partners and insurers that your business has the essential security controls in place to defend against the majority of internet-based attacks. There are two levels: Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. We deliver both.
Both levels cover the same five technical controls. The difference is how they are verified.
Verified self-assessment
You complete the Cyber Essentials question set with our guidance. Our IASME-approved assessors then review and verify your answers.
Hands-on technical audit
Cyber Essentials Plus goes further. Your controls are tested on your real systems, not just described, which gives customers and contract owners the strongest level of assurance.
Boundary firewalls and routers configured to block unauthorised access.
Devices and software set up to remove unnecessary accounts, services and defaults.
Least-privilege accounts, separate admin accounts and MFA on cloud services.
Up-to-date anti-malware or application controls on every in-scope device.
Supported software, with critical and high-risk updates applied within 14 days.
Unity IT has a dedicated Cyber Advisor in-house. That means you work with the same expert from the first conversation to the day your certificate arrives, with no hand-offs and no call centre.
Your Cyber Advisor will review your setup against the Cyber Essentials requirements, explain in plain English what needs to change, and help you put the right controls in place. Our technical team can then make those changes for you.
We discuss your current setup, agree the scope, and confirm which level of certification suits your business.
Our Cyber Advisor checks your systems against the five controls and highlights any gaps.
We fix the gaps for you as your managed service provider, or guide your own IT team through the changes.
You submit the Cyber Essentials question set with our support, and our assessors review it thoroughly.
Once approved, you receive your Cyber Essentials certificate, valid for 12 months.
Go further with a hands-on technical audit of your systems, completed within 3 months of your Cyber Essentials certificate.
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks from start to Cyber Essentials certification, depending on your readiness. Cyber Essentials Plus follows within 3 months.
Both cover the same five technical controls. Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment: you answer the question set and our assessors review it. Cyber Essentials Plus adds a hands-on technical audit, in which your systems are scanned and tested to confirm the controls are working in practice. We deliver both.
Yes. Cyber Essentials Plus builds on a current Cyber Essentials certificate, and the Plus audit must be completed within 3 months of your Cyber Essentials certification date. We'll plan both together so the timings line up.
Both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus are valid for 12 months from the date of issue. You'll need to recertify annually to stay certified, and we'll remind you well in advance.
A Cyber Advisor helps you understand where you stand against the Cyber Essentials controls and what needs to change to meet them. Ours is part of the Unity IT team, so the advice comes with practical, hands-on help to put it into place.
We'll give you clear, actionable guidance on what needs to be addressed. You can resubmit once the issues are resolved, and we'll support you through the whole process.
Yes. As a Managed Service Provider (MSP), we're well placed to implement any technical controls you need, from firewall configuration and patching to MFA and endpoint protection, for both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.
Yes. The Cyber Essentials self-assessment can be completed entirely remotely. Much of the Cyber Essentials Plus audit can also be carried out remotely, and we'll confirm exactly what's needed when we scope your audit.
Ready to achieve Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus? Talk to our Cyber Advisor about where you are now and the fastest route to certification.
Call: 028 9266 1190 · Email: info@unityit.co.uk
