Getting Cyber Essentials certified is an important milestone for any organisation. It demonstrates, above all, that fundamental technical controls are in place to provide protection against the most common cybersecurity threats, reassuring customers and regulators that you take security seriously.
However, it’s important to bear in mind that Cyber Essentials certification is not a one-off exercise, something that you can do once and then forget about. Rather, your certification must be renewed annually – and recertification can often be more challenging than the initial assessment.
In this guide, we’ll look in detail at what Cyber Essentials renewal and recertification involves, why it matters and how your business can prepare to ensure that the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible.
Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed scheme designed to help businesses safeguard their digital assets against the cybersecurity threats they’re most likely to encounter. It centres on five key pillars: firewalls, secure configuration, access control, malware protection and patch management.
There are two levels to Cyber Essentials: Cyber Essentials basic and Cyber Essentials Plus. Cyber Essentials candidates are required to complete a self-assessment questionnaire, while Cyber Essentials Plus involves an independent assessment to verify that controls are correctly implemented. The scope and requirements involved remain the same, however.
Cyber Essentials certification is valid for 12 months, after which it expires. If you want your organisation to remain certified, it will need to go through the assessment process again so that your certification can be renewed.
The reason for annual renewal is that cybersecurity threats are continually evolving, while organisations’ IT environments can also change significantly over a year with the addition of new users, devices, software and so on. Regular renewal ensures continued compliance.
If you allow your business’s certification to lapse, it’s likely to be ineligible for certain contracts where Cyber Essentials certification is a prerequisite, which is especially common in the public sector. It may also cause unease among customers, partners and other key stakeholders.
To renew Cyber Essentials certification, organisations must resubmit the self-assessment questionnaire to confirm that their controls still adhere to the relevant requirements. Firms looking to renew Cyber Essentials Plus must undergo independent testing again.
Changes that have occurred since the previous assessment must be accurately reflected. This may include, for example, the addition of new users, cloud platforms, remote working arrangements or alterations to how systems are managed. Such changes can result in weaknesses that were either not present or not noticeable at the previous assessment.
There is a tendency in many organisations to assume that, in terms of technology and cybersecurity, little changes over the course of a year. However, modest changes soon add up. Inconsistent patching practices, new software tools or a few unmanaged devices can mean a failure to obtain renewal.
Policy drift is another common challenge. Everyday practices may no longer adhere to policies as put down on paper. Patching might not be as consistent as originally intended, asset inventories might have gaps in them, or access controls may have weakened. Often, these issues only come to light during the renewal process, giving organisations little time to resolve them.
The best way to approach Cyber Essentials renewal is to prepare well ahead of time. Don’t leave your preparations until your certification is on the verge of expiry; this often leads to rushed fixes which can cause further complications. Carry out an internal review or gap analysis at least a few weeks in advance, as this gives you more time to resolve any problems that crop up.
Your organisation should also review its policies, access controls, device and software inventories, and patching processes to see whether they accurate reflect day-to-day practice. Assessing potential vulnerabilities proactively, instead of waiting for the assessment to pick up on them, significantly increases the chances of renewing your certification successfully.
Treating cybersecurity as a matter of ongoing vigilance and monitoring, rather than a one-off or once-yearly exercise, not only makes Cyber Essentials renewal much simpler but also represents a much better approach all round.
Monitoring vulnerabilities, applying patches promptly, reviewing policies and educating users gives businesses reason to be confident when renewing Cyber Essentials. Effective cybersecurity is about continuous improvement, not ticking boxes.
Cyber Essentials renewal should be seen as an opportunity to confirm that your organisation’s security controls are still robust in an ever-changing cybersecurity environment. Early preparation and having the right support at hand can make renewal straightforward and reassuring, instead of being an obstacle to be approached with trepidation.
Cyber Tec Security specialises in helping businesses and organisations of all sizes to become – and remain – Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certified. Find out more about what we can do for your organisation by contacting our helpful team of experts today.