Cyber Essentials Plus Audits & Technical Verification
Hands-on technical verification, internal vulnerability scanning, and email/web defence testing conducted by our accredited team of industry experienced assessors.
Select Your Organisation Size to See Required Endpoint Sample & Fee
Independent Technical Audit & Hands-On Testing
While standard Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment, Cyber Essentials Plus is the highest tier of government-backed accreditation. It includes an independent, hands-on technical audit conducted by our accredited team of industry experienced assessors to verify that the technical controls declared in your self-assessment are functioning correctly across your estate.
Our assessors test sample endpoints (workstations, laptops, cloud servers, mobile devices) against external vulnerability scans, internal network scans, email attachment security, and web browser payload execution.
Why Upgrade to Plus?
- Government Tenders: Mandatory for PPN 09/14, MOD DEFCON 658, and central government contracts.
- NHS Compliance: Satisfies NHS Digital Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) requirements.
- Supply Chain Trust: Proves to enterprise partners that your defences have undergone independent technical testing.
How SafeWatch Conducts the Cyber Essentials Plus Audit
Our accredited assessors execute four mandatory technical testing modules as specified under the official NCSC audit criteria:
We run vulnerability port scans against all public IP addresses and perimeter gateways declared in scope, verifying that open admin ports or unpatched vulnerabilities are absent.
We scan a representative sample of workstations, servers, and mobile devices to verify that operating systems and high-risk software (browsers, Office, Acrobat) are patched within 14 days.
We send benign test files (such as executable attachments and macro-enabled documents) via email and web downloads to verify that your endpoint security blocks execution.
We audit sample user accounts to ensure standard day-to-day web browsing and email tasks are conducted without administrative privileges, enforcing Least Privilege access.
Cyber Essentials vs. Cyber Essentials Plus: Technical Scope & Audit Fees
Understanding the difference between the two certification tiers is crucial when tendering for UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), NHS, or central government contracts. SafeWatch delivers both verified self-assessments and hands-on technical audits with transparent fixed pricing and pre-audit gap assistance.
| Specification Feature | Standard Cyber Essentials | Cyber Essentials Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Audit Methodology | Verified Online Questionnaire & Assessor Review | Hands-on Technical Testing & Vulnerability Scans |
| External Vulnerability Scan | Not required | Mandatory external port scan of all public IPs |
| Endpoint Sample Testing | Self-declaration of fleet controls | 5 to 15 representational devices actively scanned |
| Malware & Macro Testing | Policy declaration | Live email attachment & web download execution test |
| Tender Compliance | Entry-level supply chains & local government | Crown Commercial Service, MOD DEFCON, NHS DSPT |
| Included Cyber Insurance | £25,000 Free Cover (turnover < £20m) | £25,000 Free Cover (turnover < £20m) |
Cyber Essentials Evidence Collection for Audit & Official Certificate Check
Preparing for a Cyber Essentials Plus audit requires structured audit evidence collection across access controls, patching, firewalls, and malware defence. SafeWatch guides your internal IT team or MSP through every required screenshot and configuration export, and registers your completed certificate on the official NCSC / IASME Certificate Search registry.
Microsoft Entra ID or Google Workspace Conditional Access export proving 100% cloud MFA and separated administrative accounts.
Intune, RMM, or Windows Update compliance report verifying OS builds and third-party apps meet the 14-day High/Critical patching SLA.
Once signed off by a SafeWatch Lead Assessor, your certificate is immediately verifiable via the public IASME Cyber Essentials Certificate Check database.
Ready to Schedule Your Cyber Essentials Plus Audit?
Speak directly with our team of industry experienced assessors to define your sample endpoint scope, run pre-audit vulnerability checks, and book your technical audit window.