Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus - What’s the Difference?

By Joel Lassman | May 12, 2026
Managed IT Security
Cyber Essentials vs Cyber Essentials Plus - What’s the Difference?

Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue - it’s a business risk.

With cyber attacks increasing across UK businesses, many organisations are now being asked by clients, insurers, or compliance frameworks to obtain Cyber Essentials certification. But one of the most common questions we hear is:

“What’s the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?”

While both certifications help improve your cyber security posture, there are some important differences businesses should understand before deciding which route is right for them.

What Is Cyber Essentials?

National Cyber Security Centre backed Cyber Essentials is a UK government-supported certification scheme designed to help businesses protect themselves against common cyber threats.

It focuses on core security controls:

  • Firewalls and internet gateways
  • Secure configuration
  • User access control
  • Malware protection
  • Security update management

The goal is simple:
Reduce the likelihood of common cyber attacks succeeding against your business.

Cyber Essentials is often required for:

  • Cyber insurance
  • Supply chain compliance
  • Government contracts
  • Client security requirements
  • General cyber hygiene

What Is Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials Plus includes everything within Cyber Essentials - but with an additional technical verification carried out by an external assessor.

This is the key difference.

With standard Cyber Essentials, your business completes a self-assessment questionnaire which is then reviewed and certified.

With Cyber Essentials Plus, an auditor actively tests and verifies your systems to ensure the controls are genuinely in place and working correctly.

This usually includes:

  • Vulnerability scans
  • Device testing
  • MFA verification
  • Malware protection checks
  • Patch management validation
  • User account security testing

Think of it this way:

  • Cyber Essentials = “We confirm we have these protections.”
  • Cyber Essentials Plus = “An independent assessor has tested and verified these protections.”

Which Certification Should Your Business Choose?

That depends on:

  • Your industry
  • Client requirements
  • Cyber insurance obligations
  • Risk exposure
  • Size of organisation

Cyber Essentials May Be Suitable If:

  • You’re a smaller business
  • You need baseline certification quickly
  • Clients only require standard compliance
  • You’re beginning your cyber security journey

Cyber Essentials Plus May Be Better If:

  • You handle sensitive data
  • You work in finance, legal, healthcare, or professional services
  • You want stronger assurance
  • You’re tendering for larger contracts
  • You want to demonstrate a serious commitment to cyber security

Why Businesses Are Being Asked for Cyber Essentials More Often

We’ve seen a major increase in organisations requesting Cyber Essentials certification from suppliers and partners.

Why?

Because supply chain attacks are growing.

Cyber criminals often target smaller suppliers as a route into larger organisations. As a result, businesses are now placing greater importance on vendor security standards.

Cyber Essentials helps provide confidence that basic protections are in place.

Common Misconceptions

“We Use Microsoft 365 So We’re Already Secure”

This is not necessarily the case!

Many businesses still lack:

  • Proper MFA enforcement
  • Conditional access policies
  • Device compliance controls
  • Secure administrator accounts
  • Backup validation

Having Microsoft 365 is not the same as having it securely configured.

Modern cyber attacks increasingly target:

  • Identity
  • Email accounts
  • Cloud services
  • Weak passwords
  • Unpatched devices

Cyber security today requires layered protection.

Preparing for Cyber Essentials

Before applying, businesses should ensure:

  • MFA is enabled
  • Devices are patched
  • Unsupported operating systems are removed
  • Users have appropriate permissions
  • Antivirus is centrally managed
  • Firewalls are properly configured

This is where working with an MSP like Prime Networks can significantly simplify the process.

How Prime Networks Helps Businesses Achieve Cyber Essentials

At Prime Networks, we help businesses prepare for both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus by:

  • Reviewing existing security controls
  • Identifying compliance gaps
  • Securing Microsoft 365 environments
  • Implementing MFA and device policies
  • Supporting remediation work
  • Assisting through certification processes

Our goal is not just to help businesses “tick a box”, but to genuinely improve security posture and reduce operational risk.

Final Thoughts

Cyber Essentials is becoming less of a “nice to have” and more of a business expectation.

Whether you choose Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, both certifications are valuable steps towards improving your organisation’s cyber resilience.

The important thing is ensuring the controls are properly implemented - not simply documented.

If you’re unsure which certification is right for your business, or want help preparing your environment, speaking with Prime can make the process significantly smoother and more effective so contact us today to learn more and let us help you bridge cyber security gaps and get your business accredited.

Thanks for reading.

JL

Telephone: 020 7443 5618
Email: info@prime-networks.co.uk