Cyber Essentials support for small businesses.
Larger customers, public sector buyers and insurers increasingly ask suppliers to hold Cyber Essentials. We get your business ready, fix the gaps in plain English and guide you through certification with an accredited certification body.
K4O5 prepares you. Certification itself is awarded by an accredited certification body, whose fee is paid direct.
Firewalls and settings
Boundary firewalls and secure configuration checked and corrected on every device and network.
Access and passwords
Multifactor authentication, sensible admin rights and leaver processes, set up properly.
Malware protection
Up to date protection on every device, and clear rules for software that is allowed to run.
Patching
Operating systems and applications kept up to date inside the time limits the scheme requires.
The assessment
We help you scope the business, answer the questionnaire accurately and gather the evidence.
Staying certified
Certification lasts a year. We keep your setup in shape so renewal is routine, not a scramble.
Readiness review
From £395 plus VAT
Know exactly what stands in the way.
- Scope definition
- Gap review of the five controls
- Clear fix list in priority order
Get certified
From £995 plus VAT
We take you all the way through.
- Everything in the review
- Fixes made or guided
- Help completing the assessment
Stay secure
From £99 a month
Keep it right all year.
- Patch and device checks
- Microsoft 365 security review
- Renewal preparation
Scope
We agree which people, devices and systems are in scope, so there are no surprises.
Gap review
A hands on check against the five technical controls, with a clear list of what to fix.
Fix
We make the changes, or guide your team through them, and prove each one works.
Certify
You take the assessment through an accredited certification body, with our help on every question.
Cyber Essentials is a government backed scheme, run with the National Cyber Security Centre, that sets out five basic technical controls which defend against the most common attacks. Holding the certificate shows customers that your business takes security seriously, and in a growing number of tenders and supply chains it is now a requirement rather than a bonus.
In December 2025 the National Cyber Security Centre published a Cyber Essentials supply chain playbook asking senior leaders to make the scheme a standard supplier requirement, and major banks have committed to expanding it across their suppliers. If you sell to larger organisations, the question is increasingly when, not whether, you will be asked for it.
The controls are not exotic, but they are specific, and small businesses often fail first time on avoidable details such as unsupported software, shared admin accounts or missing multifactor authentication. K4O5 has run its own infrastructure and managed Microsoft 365 for clients for years, so we know where the gaps usually are and how to close them without disrupting your day.
Do you issue the Cyber Essentials certificate?
No. Certificates are awarded by accredited certification bodies. We prepare your business, help you complete the assessment and fix anything it finds, then you certify with an accredited body.
How long does it take?
A small business that is reasonably well set up can be ready in a few weeks. If there is a lot to fix, we agree a realistic timetable up front.
What about Cyber Essentials Plus?
Plus adds a technical audit by the certification body. We can prepare you for that too, and we will tell you honestly whether you need it or whether the standard certificate is enough.
Does it include Microsoft 365?
Yes. Cloud services are in scope, and Microsoft 365 is where many small businesses need the most tidying, including multifactor authentication and admin accounts.
Ready to talk it through?
A short call is all it takes. No obligation, plain English, and we usually reply within two hours.