Which Certification is right for your organisation?

Different organisations face different cyber assurance expectations. The right certification depends on your size, risk profile, and who you need to demonstrate assurance to.

Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed certification that demonstrates your organisation has implemented baseline cyber security controls to protect against common threats.

It is widely used as a minimum requirement for public-sector contracts and supplier onboarding.

Common reasons organisations choose Cyber Essentials:

• Required for government or local authority tenders

• Useful for insurers and risk-based procurement checks.

• Requested by customers or suppliers

• Establishing a recognised cyber security baseline

IASME Cyber Assurance

IASME Cyber Assurance provides broader assurance across governance, risk management, and technical controls. It is suitable for organisations that need to demonstrate deeper cyber maturity beyond baseline certification.

Common reasons organisations choose Cyber Assurance:

• Handling sensitive or regulated data

• Operating in higher-trust or regulated environments

• Responding to customer or partner assurance requests

• Valuable for risk management frameworks and board reporting

Discuss Cyber Essentials →

Discuss Cyber Assurance →

How certification with Idela works

1. Initial readiness discussion
   We confirm scope, eligibility, and the most appropriate certification route.

2. Pre-assessment (optional)
   Where requested, we identify gaps before formal assessment begins.

3. Formal assessment
   Assessment is conducted strictly against official IASME criteria.

4. Certification decision
   Certification is issued only when standards are fully met.

Our process is designed to be transparent, proportionate, and aligned with recognised UK assurance expectations.

Learn more about Idela's approach on our homepage →

Why Organisations Fail Cyber Essentials

Most SMEs approach Cyber Essentials assuming their existing controls are compliant—only to face weeks of clarifications or failed submissions. We've identified the seven most common failure points SMEs encounter. Understanding these before you start saves time, cost, and frustration.

→ Read: Why SMEs Fail Cyber Essentials

→ Download: The 7 Deadly Sins Quick Reference Guide

→ Take: Our 5-Minute CE Readiness Diagnostic

Our readiness-first approach means you identify and fix gaps before formal assessment—not during it.

Supporting Services

Need help with specific aspects of your certification preparation? We offer focused support services:.

Policy & Documentation Review — From £500 Review existing policies for CE alignment, identify gaps, provide templates where needed.

Technical Configuration Support — From £750 Firewall hardening, MFA implementation, patch management process design, user access control remediation.

MSP Coordination — From £400 Engage your MSP, coordinate documentation requests, verify controls with third parties. [View Full Service Details & Pricing →]

These services are optional and do not influence certification decisions, which are made independently in accordance with IASME requirements.

Certification in a changing cyber landscape

UK organisations are increasingly expected to demonstrate proportionate cyber resilience; particularly when working with government, regulated customers, or security-conscious supply chains.

Recognised certification provides a clear, independent way to evidence cyber controls aligned with UK standards.

Start your certification journey

If you’re unsure which certification is appropriate, we’ll help you determine the right path before any formal assessment begins.

Why organisations choose Idela

✓ Enterprise expertise, SME focus Led by a CISSP/CISM-qualified Security SME with over a decade of experience across Financial Services, Healthcare, and Critical Infrastructure

✓ Readiness-first approach We identify gaps before formal assessment, not during it—saving you time and avoiding failed submissions

✓ Clear, transparent pricing No hidden costs, no surprise fees. You know exactly what you're paying for upfront

✓ Personal service Every assessment conducted personally by Femi, our Lead Assessor, no junior consultants, no sales team