Cyber Essentials Plus Consultancy and Audit Readiness
Preparation for an independent technical audit, with the device estate, patching and access controls brought to the standard the assessor will test.
Our Approach to Cyber Essentials Plus
Cyber Essentials Plus verifies the same five control areas as Cyber Essentials, but through an independent technical audit rather than a self-assessment. That changes the preparation entirely: what matters is what the assessor finds on the devices. Cloud Agile prepares and remediates the environment, then coordinates the assessment with the certification body.
Everything You Need From Cyber Essentials Plus
- Readiness review against what the technical audit will test
- Device and infrastructure scope confirmation and sampling considerations
- Vulnerability and configuration remediation
- Patch management, malware protection and access-control work
- Evidence preparation and assessment coordination
- Resolution of issues identified during readiness work
How Plus differs, and why preparation is different
Cyber Essentials is answered; Cyber Essentials Plus is tested. An assessor examines a sample of devices and checks the controls in practice, so anything that is 'mostly' in place tends to surface.
Cyber Essentials certification is a prerequisite, so the two are usually planned as one programme.
- Sampling across the device estate, including remote and home workers
- Verification of patching currency across operating systems and applications
- Checks on malware protection and how it behaves in practice
- Multi-factor authentication and account-control verification
- Email and web-based tests against the sampled devices
Remediation and readiness work
We run the environment through a readiness exercise that mirrors the audit, then fix what it finds. It is far cheaper to discover an unpatched application before the assessor does.
- Patch currency across operating systems, browsers and common applications
- Removal or replacement of unsupported software and operating systems
- Consistent malware protection and configuration across the estate
- Administrative account separation and multi-factor authentication coverage
- Device configuration baselines, applied consistently through management tooling
- Evidence gathered and organised ahead of the assessment
Assessment coordination and staying ready
The formal assessment and the certificate come from an authorised certification body and its assessor. We coordinate the logistics, support you through the audit and resolve any issues raised.
We cannot guarantee a pass: that depends on the environment at the point of assessment. What we can do is remove the predictable reasons for failure beforehand.
- Scheduling and coordination with the certification body
- Device availability and access arrangements for the audit
- Support during the assessment and rapid remediation of findings
- Post-certification maintenance so the estate stays audit-ready
- Annual renewal planning
How a Project Works
- 1
Confirm
Establish scope, sampling considerations and the Cyber Essentials position.
- 2
Rehearse
Run a readiness exercise mirroring what the audit will test.
- 3
Remediate
Fix patching, configuration, malware protection and access findings.
- 4
Coordinate
Schedule the assessment and support you through the audit.
- 5
Maintain
Keep the estate audit-ready and plan the annual renewal.
The Outcomes You'll Actually See
Findings surface early
A readiness exercise mirrors the audit, so problems are fixed before an assessor sees them.
The whole estate, not a sample
Remediation is applied across devices, because the assessor chooses the sample, not you.
Audit logistics handled
We coordinate with the certification body and support you through the assessment.
What Success Looks Like
- A device estate prepared against what the technical audit tests
- Patching, malware protection and access controls applied consistently
- Evidence organised and the assessment coordinated
- A maintenance plan that keeps the estate ready for renewal
Related services
Cyber Essentials Consultancy
The prerequisite certification, scoped and remediated with the Plus audit already in mind.
Cyber Security
Managed controls and monitoring that keep patching, EDR and access controls consistently in place.
Governance, Risk & Compliance
The broader assurance programme, from supplier questionnaires to ISO 27001.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we need Cyber Essentials before Cyber Essentials Plus?+
Yes. The basic certification is a prerequisite for the Plus audit, and the two are usually planned together so the remediation work is only done once.
Can you guarantee we will pass?+
No, and nobody honestly can: the outcome depends on what the assessor finds at the time. Our readiness work removes the predictable causes of failure and resolves issues before the audit wherever possible.
Who carries out the audit?+
An assessor from an authorised Cyber Essentials certification body. Cloud Agile prepares and remediates the environment and coordinates the process; we do not conduct the assessment or issue the certificate.
How are home and remote workers handled?+
Their devices are in scope and can be sampled. We make sure remote devices are managed, patched and configured to the same standard, and we plan how they will be made available for the audit.
Our Other Services
IT Support & Helpdesk
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Cyber Security
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