A client wants your certificate before they sign
We run the gap review and fix what would fail first, then help you complete and submit the self-assessment.
Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus in Reading
We prepare Reading businesses for Cyber Essentials and Plus. We check your IT against the five controls, fix the gaps and guide the self-assessment. An IASME-licensed body does the assessment.
Book a free IT review or call 0118 359 2276- Five-control gap reviewBefore you apply, not after
- Basic level and PlusReadiness for the technical audit
- Annual renewalWe track your 12-month expiry
- Office hoursMon to Fri, 8am to 5pm
The short answer
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification showing your business has five technical controls in place. Certificates last 12 months. Plus adds a hands-on audit.
We prepare you for both levels but don't assess or certify, so the verdict stays independent.
- Firewalls set to block unwanted inbound traffic
- Secure configuration, with default passwords and unused software removed
- User access control, with MFA and limited admin rights
- Malware protection on every device in scope
- Critical and high-risk security updates applied within 14 days
- Unsupported operating systems and apps replaced or removed from scope
What's included
Our Cyber Essentials help, step by control
Most of the work happens before anyone opens the question set. We find what would fail, fix it, then help you write answers that match what an assessor would see.
Gap review against the five controls
We check firewalls, device settings, accounts, malware protection and patches on everything in scope. You get a written list of what would fail.
Patching and unsupported software
We patch Windows, macOS, browsers and apps, with critical fixes inside 14 days. Unsupported software gets replaced or moved out of scope.
MFA and admin rights
We switch on MFA across Microsoft 365 and other cloud services and remove admin rights from everyday accounts. Admin work gets a separate account.
Scope and BYOD decisions
We help you scope offices, devices and cloud services, including personal phones with work email. We secure or restrict any that would fail.
Help with the self-assessment
We work through the question set with you and draft answers that match your setup. You review them and submit in your company's name.
Plus audit readiness and renewal
Before a Plus audit we test sample devices ourselves. Through the year we keep controls in place and start renewal before expiry.
Local to Reading
Why Reading businesses get asked for Cyber Essentials
In Berkshire, the request for Cyber Essentials comes from buyers: councils, NHS trusts and the large companies on Reading's business parks.
RG1 · Forbury & Abbey QuarterPublic sector tenders
Council, NHS and government tenders list Cyber Essentials as a requirement. We work to your bid deadline so the certificate's ready when you submit.
RG2 · M4 J11Green Park & Reading International Business Park
Large companies on these parks send suppliers questionnaires asking for a current certificate. We get you ready and keep the evidence procurement expects.
RG41 · M4 J10Winnersh Triangle & Wokingham
Teams split between Winnersh and home need every laptop to meet the same controls. We configure firewalls, updates and settings so home laptops pass.
RG6 · University of ReadingSpinouts & Thames Valley Science Park
Spinouts and young tech firms need Cyber Essentials once a funder, partner or first enterprise customer asks. We prepare teams with no IT staff.
Problems we fix
Cyber Essentials problems we fix for Reading firms
Old laptops and software would fail the scheme
We list every unsupported device and app and price replacements. We isolate anything you keep and scope it out where the rules allow.
Staff read work email on personal phones
A personal device that reaches company data is in scope. We give those phones a screen lock, encryption and update rules, or block them.
You certified last year and nothing has been checked since
New starters get admin rights, updates stall and a test account loses MFA. We monitor patches, accounts and MFA through the year.
Scoping call
We agree which offices, devices and cloud services are in scope, and whether you need the basic level or Cyber Essentials Plus.
Gap review and fixes
We test your setup against the five controls, give you a fix list and work through it with you or your IT provider.
Assessment
We help you complete the self-assessment for an IASME-licensed certification body. For Plus, we prepare your devices for the assessor's technical audit.
Stay compliant and renew
We keep patching, MFA and admin rights in line through the year and start renewal before the 12 months run out.
Frequently asked questions
Cyber Essentials in Reading: common questions
Are you a Cyber Essentials certification body?
No. Reading IT Support prepares your business for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus, but an IASME-licensed certification body carries out the assessment and issues the certificate. Keeping preparation and assessment separate keeps the result independent. We help you choose a certification body and support you through the process.
What is the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?
Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment that a certification body marks. Cyber Essentials Plus covers the same five controls and adds an independent hands-on technical audit, where an assessor tests a sample of your devices and accounts. Some businesses certify at the basic level first and move to Plus when a contract asks for it.
How long does a Cyber Essentials certificate last?
A Cyber Essentials certificate lasts 12 months, at the basic level and at Plus. To stay certified you renew each year. We track your expiry date and start the renewal review ahead of time, so a lapsed certificate does not hold up a tender or a client contract.
Why do Reading businesses need Cyber Essentials?
Public sector buyers and many larger companies ask suppliers for Cyber Essentials before they sign a contract. Plenty of Reading firms supply councils, the NHS or the corporate tenants on Green Park and Thames Valley Park, so the certificate can decide whether you are able to bid at all.
What are common reasons for failing Cyber Essentials?
Common causes are unsupported operating systems or apps, critical updates left longer than 14 days, cloud accounts without multi-factor authentication, and staff working with admin rights. Personal phones that open work email can also bring extra devices into scope. Our gap review finds these issues before you submit.
Do personal devices count for Cyber Essentials?
Yes. If a personal phone, tablet or laptop accesses company data or services, such as work email, it falls within scope and must meet the five controls. We help you decide whether to bring those devices under your security settings or restrict their access so they stay out of scope.
Can you help if we already have an IT provider?
Yes. We can run the gap review and readiness work as a one-off project alongside your current IT provider, share the fix list with them, or make the changes ourselves. After certification you can keep us for compliance checks through the year or hand the work back.