What’s changed
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a 75% discount on its Cyber Essentials certification scheme for micro, small and medium-sized businesses across the UK. The move means eligible firms will pay as little as £80, and no more than £125, plus VAT, to achieve the certification, down from the previous full price.
Cyber Essentials is the government’s baseline certification scheme, designed to show that a business has essential technical protections in place against common online threats. The discount was announced by Cyber Security Minister Baroness Lloyd in a speech at the National Cyber Security Centre’s Annual Review.
Why it matters for UK businesses
DCMS cites recent estimates that a significant cyber-attack on a UK business or organisation could cost an average of £195,000. The department frames the discount as a way to stop that money draining out of SMEs, which it says employ millions of people across the country, and instead let them reinvest in growth.
Alongside the discount, the government is working with more than 230 organisations signed up to its Cyber Resilience Pledge. These larger businesses, which include major names in food, banking and other essential services, will be able to refer groups of SMEs in their supply chains for completely free Cyber Essentials certification. Some of those referred businesses will also get access to a free cyber security advisor, aimed at firms with limited in-house expertise, to help them through the certification process.
In practical terms, this creates two routes into the scheme: a 75% discount for SMEs applying directly, and a free route for smaller suppliers nominated by pledged partner organisations further up the supply chain.
The software security push
The announcement also covers a parallel effort to improve the security of software underpinning UK businesses. Fourteen new organisations are joining the second cohort of the UK’s Software Security Ambassadors, including Fortinet, Thales, Capgemini, SANS, Risk Ledger, Zscaler and several smaller firms such as Acubed IT Solutions, CloudPeek and Dot On. Their role, according to DCMS, is to drive better software security practices and help close down software vulnerabilities across industry.
Minister Lloyd said the government “will back our SMEs and help them be protected and secure,” adding that cyber security should be a priority whether a business is run from a boardroom or a kitchen counter.
What to watch next
The discount applies now, so UK business owners interested in Cyber Essentials certification can check eligibility and pricing directly through the scheme. Firms that are part of a supply chain for one of the 230-plus organisations signed up to the Cyber Resilience Pledge should ask their larger partner whether they qualify for free certification and advisor support. DCMS has not given a closing date for the discount in this announcement, so businesses should confirm current terms before applying. It is also worth watching for further details on how the new Software Security Ambassadors cohort translates into concrete guidance for businesses buying or building software.