Celebrating 10 Years of Cyber Essentials: A Decade of Strengthening Business Cyber Defenses

The Cyber Essentials scheme is a cornerstone of the UK’s cybersecurity efforts, empowering businesses to protect themselves from cyber threats.

Now celebrating its tenth year, the scheme, developed by the National Cyber Security Centre, provides organizations of all sizes with tools to reduce the risk of cyber attacks by taking simple yet effective security measures.

To mark the anniversary, the NCSC teamed up with the Department of Science, Innovation, and Technology and some of the UK’s biggest banks, including Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander UK, and TSB.

Joining together, they encouraged all UK businesses to improve cybersecurity across their supply chains by taking up Cyber Essentials. In the past year alone, more than 40,000 certifications have been awarded, reflecting the growing demand for robust cyber defenses amid increased digital threats.

New Research Underlines Impact of Cyber Essentials

New research published to mark the anniversary showed businesses with Cyber Essentials certifications demonstrate increased levels of cybersecurity awareness and resilience. Certification enhances direct cyber protections and helps create a more secure supply chain network, encouraging more organizations to adopt stronger security measures.

Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for Cyber Growth at NCSC, emphasized that the scheme remains as relevant today as when it was first launched:

As the cyber threat landscape continues to evolve, attackers keep using the same vulnerabilities they were targeting in 2014. That’s why I urge all organizations to make Cyber Essentials a fundamental part of their cyber resilience.”

He highlighted the real benefits of the scheme: “Businesses that adopt Cyber Essentials’ five core controls can significantly reduce their chances of being breached by cyber-attacks.”

Cyber Security Minister: Continued Vigilance Paramount

Addressing members in the House of Lords, Cyber Security Minister Feryal Clark praised the success of the Cyber Essentials scheme and confirmed the government’s determination to help businesses create a safer online environment.

The Minister underscored that such certification was vital for all those businesses that do not have in-house cybersecurity skills. She also called on the organizations to reach out to the Cyber Advisor Service, newly accredited by the NCSC, providing professional guidance to organizations seeking certification and additional cybersecurity measures.

As the Cyber Essentials scheme enters its second decade, NCSC and its partners continue encouraging businesses of all sizes to embed strong cybersecurity practices—safeguarding their assets but also those of their clients, partners, and the wider UK economy.