Business IT
Prepare your organisation for Cyber Essentials.
Understand your current technical position and work through the changes needed for readiness. Solworx provides preparation and technical support; assessment and certification are carried out separately by an authorised Certification Body.
Discuss preparation supportThe service
Turn requirements into practical work.
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed scheme covering five technical control areas intended to help protect organisations against common cyber attacks. Preparation means understanding how those requirements apply to the systems within your assessment scope.
Our support is for organisations approaching the scheme for the first time or reviewing their readiness before renewal. We help examine devices, accounts and configuration, identify gaps and implement agreed technical changes.
When this can help
- Uncertainty about your current devices, accounts or configuration
- Technical gaps that need fixing before an assessment
- A need to coordinate preparation across IT and Microsoft 365
What Solworx does
Practical work, clearly scoped.
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Understand the technical position
Review the devices, software, accounts and services you use. Work with you to clarify the proposed scope and the information needed for preparation.
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Identify gaps and responsibilities
Compare the current setup with the applicable scheme requirements. Set out actions and identify where changes depend on your team or another provider.
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Implement agreed changes
Help address configuration, access, update and protection issues. Check the changes made and record any remaining work.
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Prepare for the assessment process
Help you understand the technical information behind your responses. You remain responsible for their accuracy; the authorised Certification Body evaluates the assessment and determines certification.
In focus
Five technical control areas.
We organise the technical review around the scheme's five control areas. The current official requirements, rather than a generic checklist, guide preparation.
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Firewalls
Review how network boundaries and device firewalls restrict unwanted connections.
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Secure configuration
Review settings, installed software and unnecessary features or access.
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Security update management
Check supported software and how security updates are identified and applied.
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User access control
Review accounts, permissions and administrative access against working needs.
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Malware protection
Review the protection measures used on relevant devices and systems.
Read the NCSC's Cyber Essentials overview and current scheme requirements.
How the work happens
Preparation and certification have different owners.
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Solworx: review and prepare
We review the technical environment, identify gaps and agree a preparation plan with your organisation.
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Your organisation and Solworx: address gaps
We implement agreed changes with your team and other providers. Your organisation confirms the scope and the accuracy of assessment information.
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Certification Body: assess and certify
An authorised Certification Body carries out assessment and determines whether certification can be issued. Solworx does not act as your assessor or issue certificates.
Connected capabilities
Part of Business IT.
Keep organisations secure, supported and productive. See how the services fit together in our Business IT overview.
Before you start
Questions about the service.
Can Solworx certify us for Cyber Essentials?
No. Solworx provides preparation and technical support, including help with remediation. Assessment and certification are performed separately by an authorised Certification Body. We do not issue certificates or guarantee an assessment outcome.
What technical areas does Cyber Essentials cover?
The five areas are firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. Preparation should use the current scheme requirements and the scope of your assessment.
Can you help fix issues before assessment?
Yes. We can help implement agreed technical changes following a review. Some actions may require your staff or other suppliers, so we identify responsibilities and outstanding work as part of preparation.
Next step
Start with your readiness, not the paperwork.
Tell us where you are in the Cyber Essentials process and what technical help you need. We will discuss the preparation work involved.