Cyber Essentials for £80 to £125: Is It Worth It for a Small UK Business?

Small UK businesses can now get 75% off Cyber Essentials certification. That brings the price down to between £80 and £125 plus VAT. The offer started on 3 November 2026 and runs until March 2027 or until the money runs out, so it's worth deciding soon.

What is Cyber Essentials?

It's the UK government's minimum recommended cyber security standard, developed by the National Cyber Security Centre. It checks five things:

• Firewalls protecting your internet connection
• Secure settings on your computers and devices
• Security updates kept up to date
• Control over who can access your data and services
• Protection against malware

Who can get the discount?

Micro, small and medium-sized businesses across the UK can apply, as long as they haven't held Cyber Essentials in the last four years. The fund is £2.4m and it's first come, first served. The government expects it to help about 6,000 businesses.

You apply through IASME at firststep.iasme.co.uk. The discount covers the assessment and, if you pass, the certificate. It doesn't guarantee that you'll pass.

Is it worth it?

It's most useful if one of these applies to you:

• You supply larger companies, councils or public bodies, because they may ask for it.
• You hold customer data and want to show that you take it seriously.
• You want the insurance. Holders with a turnover under £20m also get up to £25,000 of cyber liability cover, so check the terms.

It's less urgent if you're a sole trader with one laptop and very little customer data. The five checks are still worth doing, but you may not need the certificate yet.

What it won't do

A certificate won't make your business immune. It covers common internet-based threats and checks your devices, accounts and systems at a point in time. You'll still need to keep your website, plugins and backups up to date.

What to do next

1. List the computers, phones and accounts you use for work.
2. Turn on automatic updates and two-step login.
3. Ask your larger customers whether they need the certificate.
4. Check whether you qualify on the IASME site before the fund runs out.

Sgôr builds and looks after websites for businesses across South Wales. If you'd like a second opinion on yours, get in touch.