Cyber Essentials Readiness Checklist

About Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials is a UK Government-backed scheme that helps organisations guard against the most common cyber threats. Achieving certification demonstrates to customers, partners, and regulators that you take cyber security seriously.

The Five Technical Controls

Cyber Essentials focuses on five key areas of security. Assess your readiness against each:

1. Firewalls

• Is a firewall configured on every device that connects to the internet?
• Have default firewall passwords been changed?
• Are only necessary network services and ports accessible from the internet?
• Is the firewall firmware up to date?

2. Secure Configuration

• Have default passwords been changed on all devices and software?
• Are unnecessary user accounts removed or disabled?
• Is auto-run disabled for removable media?
• Are devices configured to lock after a period of inactivity?

3. User Access Control

• Does each user have a unique account with a strong password?
• Are admin accounts used only for administrative tasks?
• Is multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled where available?
• Are access permissions reviewed regularly?

4. Malware Protection

• Is anti-malware software installed and active on all devices?
• Is it configured to update automatically?
• Are real-time scanning and scheduled scans enabled?
• Are users prevented from installing unapproved software?

5. Patch Management

• Are operating systems set to auto-update?
• Are applications and firmware updated within 14 days of patches being released?
• Is unsupported software removed or isolated?
• Is there a process for tracking and applying critical patches?

Next Steps

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your organisation has gaps that need addressing before Cyber Essentials certification. Our team can help you identify and remediate these gaps quickly and cost-effectively.