Cyber Essentials Cost UK: 2026 Pricing Guide

Cyber Essentials Pricing by Organisation Size

Cyber Essentials pricing is set by IASME, the National Cyber Security Centre's delivery partner, using a tiered model based on staff numbers. Below are the standard 2026 fees:

What's Included in the Price

• Official IASME certification fee
• Pre-assessment guidance from a qualified assessor
• Question-by-question support on the self-assessment
• First-time-pass review before submission
• £25,000 cyber liability insurance (UK-domiciled, under £20m turnover)
• Re-submission support if remediation is needed

Cyber Essentials Plus: What Drives the Price?

Cyber Essentials Plus adds an independent technical audit on top of the self-assessment. Pricing reflects three factors:

1. Sample size – the number of user devices the assessor must test (typically 10% of the estate, minimum sample set by IASME).
2. Internet-facing infrastructure – every external IP and cloud service in scope is vulnerability-scanned.
3. Operating system mix – multi-OS estates (Windows, macOS, mobile) require broader test coverage.

Is Cyber Essentials Worth the Cost?

For most UK SMEs the answer is unambiguously yes. The certification:

• Protects against ~80% of common internet-based attacks (NCSC data).
• Is mandatory for many UK government, NHS and MoD contracts.
• Is increasingly required by enterprise customers, insurers and supply-chain partners.
• Includes £25,000 of cyber liability insurance for eligible UK organisations under £20m turnover – often worth more than the certification fee.

Frequently Asked Questions