If you run Microsoft 365, you are closer to Cyber Essentials than you think
We get you ready. Someone independent assesses you.
Certification has to be independent to mean anything, so we do not mark our own homework.
Vantage 365
We are a good fit if
This is the part that takes the work, and it is the part we do every day anyway.
Fortis Cyber Security
The assessment itself
We partner with Fortis, a UK cyber security specialist, who carry out the assessment independently of us.
An assessor who also did the remediation would not be independent, which is rather the point of the scheme.
What Cyber Essentials asks for, and what covers it
If you hold Microsoft 365 Business Premium, most of this is already licensed. The gap is usually configuration, not purchase.
Business Premium licences are included in our managed support at £79 per user per month, so clients on that service are usually most of the way there before we start.
Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials
You complete a questionnaire about how your systems are configured. Fortis reviews it and, if it meets the standard, certifies you.
Cyber Essentials Plus
When we would not bother
Certification has to be independent to mean anything, so we do not mark our own homework.
Worth doing if
Probably not, if
We partner with Fortis, a UK cyber security specialist, who carry out the assessment independently of us.
An assessor who also did the remediation would not be independent, which is rather the point of the scheme.
Been asked for Cyber Essentials?
Tell us roughly how big you are and which level you have been asked for, and we will come back with what is involved, how long it usually takes and what it is likely to cost.
No obligation, and if your environment is already in good shape, we will say so rather than inventing work.
Not sure whether you need it yet? Our free health check reviews your tenant against the five controls and tells you where you stand.
Ask about certification
Cyber Essentials frequently asked questions
Do you issue the certification yourselves?
No. We get your environment into a state where it will pass, and Fortis Cyber Security carry out the assessment and issue the certificate independently. An assessor who also did the remediation would not be independent, which is the point of the scheme.
How long does it take?
It depends entirely on where you are starting from. A well-configured Microsoft 365 tenant can be ready quickly. One with gaps in MFA, patching or device management takes longer, and the health check is how we find out which you are.
Do we need to buy new software?
Often not. If you hold Microsoft 365 Business Premium, most of the five controls are already licensed through Intune, Entra and Defender. The work is usually configuration rather than purchase.
How much does it cost?
There are two costs: the certification fee, which goes to the certification body and depends on your organisation size, and our readiness work, which depends on the state of your environment. The health check tells us the second before you commit to anything.
Does certification need renewing?
Yes, annually. Clients on our managed support stay compliant between renewals as part of the service, rather than scrambling each year.