Be Secure Cyber is a Glasgow-based cyber security consultancy, IASME licensed Certification Body and NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor provider supporting organisations across Scotland and the wider UK.
Cyber Essentials is often needed for tenders, public-sector supply chains, customer assurance and internal governance. For many organisations, it is the first formal security certification they complete.
We help organisations understand the assessment, check readiness and deal with practical issues before they become certification problems.
Glasgow-based, UK-wide support
Most Cyber Essentials work can be delivered remotely. That makes the process practical for organisations across Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire and elsewhere across the country.
Local support can still be useful. Some organisations prefer to work with a Scottish provider that understands the business environment, public-sector supply chains and the way smaller professional organisations often depend on outsourced IT support, cloud services and remote working.
The important point is not location alone. It is getting clear advice from someone who can explain what the assessment means and what needs to be done.
Why Scottish organisations need Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials is most often requested when an organisation is bidding for a contract, responding to a customer assurance request, or entering a public-sector or regulated supply chain. It also comes up when a business reviews its cyber risk after growth or change, prepares for Cyber Essentials Plus, or simply wants to set a recognised security baseline. We see all of these regularly with organisations in Glasgow, Edinburgh and across the central belt, as well as further afield in Scotland.
The certificate can help satisfy an external requirement, but the process is also useful internally: it forces the organisation to check whether basic controls are actually in place.
How we support the process
Be Secure Cyber can support Cyber Essentials from early scoping through to certification.
This may include:
- confirming what systems, users and services are in scope
- reviewing readiness before submission
- explaining the assessment questions
- identifying gaps in controls or evidence
- advising on remediation priorities
- supporting certification as an IASME licensed Certification Body
- helping plan sensible next steps after certification
The work is practical. We focus on what the assessment requires, what the organisation currently does and what needs to change.
Common issues we help clarify
Cyber Essentials can raise questions that are not always obvious at the start.
Common examples include:
- whether personal or unmanaged devices are in scope
- how cloud services should be treated
- whether MFA is required for particular accounts
- how administrator access is controlled
- whether old software is still in use
- how patching is checked
- what the IT provider manages and what the business remains responsible for
- whether remote workers are covered properly
These points are easier to resolve before the assessment is submitted.
Cyber Essentials for organisations using outsourced IT support
Many small and mid-sized organisations in Scotland rely on outsourced IT providers. That can work well, but it does not remove the need for the business to understand its own certification scope.
The provider may manage devices, patching, firewalls, Microsoft 365 or security tools. The organisation still needs to make sure the assessment answers are accurate.
We can help work through the shared responsibilities and identify what information needs to come from the IT provider.
Cyber Essentials Plus and next steps
Some organisations only need Cyber Essentials . Others need Cyber Essentials Plus because a customer or tender requires technical verification.
Where Cyber Essentials identifies wider issues, the next step may involve:
- Microsoft 365 security review
- device and patch management improvements
- administrator access review
- MFA and identity hardening
- vulnerability assessment
- IASME Cyber Assurance
- ongoing vCISO support
The right next step depends on the organisation’s risk, customer requirements and current IT arrangements.
Cyber Essentials pricing
Cyber Essentials certification starts from £320 + VAT, or from £430 + VAT with our guidance and pre-submission review. Cyber Essentials Plus, which adds technical testing, starts from £1,300 + VAT. The main Cyber Essentials page explains what each option includes, or speak to us for a figure for your organisation.
Why work with Be Secure Cyber
Be Secure Cyber combines certification support with practical cyber security consultancy. We are a Glasgow-based IASME licensed Certification Body and an NCSC-assured Cyber Advisor provider, experienced in working with SMEs, service providers and professional organisations, with a focus on clear, proportionate advice.
That means we can support the certification process while also helping the organisation understand what the findings mean in business terms.
Frequently asked questions
Can you support Cyber Essentials remotely?
Yes. Most Cyber Essentials support can be delivered remotely. Meetings, readiness discussions, evidence review and assessment support can usually be handled without a site visit.
Do you only work with organisations in Scotland?
No. Be Secure Cyber is based in Glasgow and works with organisations across the UK. The Scotland page is for organisations that prefer to work with a Scottish cyber security consultancy or are searching for regional support.
Can you help if our IT is managed by an external provider?
Yes. Many organisations pursuing Cyber Essentials use an outsourced IT provider. We can help clarify what information is needed, what the provider is responsible for and what decisions remain with the business.
Should we start with Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus?
Most organisations start with Cyber Essentials. Cyber Essentials Plus is usually the next step when technical verification is required by a customer, tender or internal governance process.
Can Cyber Essentials lead to wider security work?
Yes. Cyber Essentials often highlights useful next steps, especially around Microsoft 365, MFA, device management, patching and administrator access. Those improvements can be handled separately after certification or as part of a wider security roadmap.
Speak to us about Cyber Essentials in Scotland
If you need Cyber Essentials for a tender, client requirement or security improvement programme, we can help you understand the process and prepare properly.
Contact Be Secure Cyber to discuss Cyber Essentials support.