Most UK businesses now handle sensitive information through everyday tools. Email, cloud storage, finance software, customer records, and remote access keep workflows moving. That same convenience also makes it easier for attackers to find weak points, especially in smaller organisations with limited internal IT.
Cyber Essentials remains one of the clearest ways to show you take security seriously. It is a government backed scheme that focuses on the technical steps that block a large share of the attacks that hit UK organisations.
Updated in 2025, that update matters in 2026 because it reflects modern working patterns and clearer expectations around how you manage systems, user access, and updates. A well-planned certification effort reduces avoidable risk and also gives you a recognised way to answer client and supplier security checks.
What Changed in The Willow Update?
Willow refined definitions and tightened the way organisations describe what is included in an assessment. The intent stays the same. You still need practical security hygiene across devices and services you use for work.
It matters for Cyber Essentials Plus as well. The technical audit’s scope should match the scope of the related self-assessment, so you avoid confusion over which systems assessors will test.
Guidance now places clearer emphasis on multi factor authentication. This reflects the requirement to protect user accounts with an additional verification step beyond a password, rather than focusing on vendor specific authentication terms. This clarity helps businesses understand what assessors expect to see in practice when users sign in.
In 2026, the scheme works best as a structured set of requirements you can evidence, rather than a questionnaire you fill in at speed.
What Must be Included in The Assessment?
Scoping is where many applications go wrong. If you include too little, you risk failing an audit or being challenged by an assessor. If you include too much, you create unnecessary work.
Focus on systems and services that process business data and connect to the internet, including staff devices and any hosted platforms.
A Cyber Essentials certification works best when you reflect how your staff actually work. Any remote access route into company systems, like laptops or cloud tools, counts.
If you want a clear starting point, begin with Cyber Essentials certification requirements and map your systems against the scheme areas.
How to Prove Secure Configuration
Secure configuration means you start from a sensible setup rather than leaving default settings in place, which can favour convenience over protection.
Focus on settings that reduce the chance of unauthorised access. Most organisations restrict admin rights and remove accounts that no longer have a purpose. Unused services are often disabled as part of the same tidy up.
Evidence matters. Document your settings choices and how you apply them as assessors are looking for clarity.
Consider how new laptops and accounts get set up. A repeatable setup process reduces variation between staff and keeps your answers consistent when renewing.
The Cyber Essentials certification pushes this approach because the scheme expects your configuration to be intentional.
How do You Keep Updates Within Scheme Rules?
Patch management often feels dull until something breaks. It also remains one of the most effective ways to reduce risk.
A key point in the Willow guidance is the expectation that security updates get applied promptly. Most organisations aim to install critical and high-risk security fixes quickly across operating systems, software, and the services they rely on.
This stays manageable with an update schedule that includes testing where needed. Note down what you update and how often you check for fixes.
A Cyber Essentials certification supports businesses that struggle with update discipline. It gives you a structure for making update work part of routine operations, instead of an occasional scramble.
What Access Rules Meet The Standard?
User access control is about reducing unnecessary access. People should have the access they need for their role, not the access they once had.
Admin rights come first. Limit them to those who genuinely need them. Review shared accounts and remove them where possible.
Access reviews help as you change roles and add new staff. You can keep reviews light if you schedule them and record decisions. ACyber Essentials certification gives you a set of access expectations you can follow.
If you want a structured readiness check before applying, our team can support you through a focused Cyber Essentials service review.
How do You Reduce Malware Risk?
Malware still causes disruption through ransomware, unwanted software, and credential theft. Smaller businesses often feel the impact more because one locked device can stop a team.
Managed protection on work devices reduces risk. Updates should apply reliably and coverage should include laptops used off-site, as well as office devices.
Email remains a frequent entry point. Staff training helps, yet technical protection matters more because people will make mistakes. Backups also help recovery, but they can’t stop the initial infection. Combine protection with fast isolation steps, so a single device does not affect the rest of the business.
Cyber Essentials certification includes expectations around protection against malware.
Which Checks Secure Internet-Facing Connections?
Internet-facing services include your firewall, remote access routes, and any services exposed to the web. Attackers scan these routes looking for weak settings.
Router and firewall settings come first. Confirm you use secure settings and that remote management is restricted. Review remote access, removing any access that nobody uses.
Cyber Essentials certification treats boundary protection as a core area. Getting it right reduces the risk from automated attacks that target exposed services.
What Evidence Speeds Up Assessment?
Evidence preparation reduces delays. It also helps you answer questions with confidence. Working best when it stays practical, short screenshots and clear settings notes often work well.
It helps to tighten your asset list first, matching it to the scope you declared. You can then show how you manage updates, access settings, and protection.
Cyber Essentials certification is easier when you treat evidence as a living pack. Update it as systems change so renewal does not become a last minute rush.
Where Does Certification Help in Supplier Checks?
Procurement checks often ask blunt questions about security. A current certificate helps you answer those checks quickly. It also shows that an independent assessor has reviewed your approach.
The certificate can support contract discussions, making it easy to access so your team can provide it without delay. The Cyber Essentials certification can also reduce the burden on leadership.
How Can nTrust Guide Certification in 2026?
We help you plan and complete Cyber Essentials certification in a way that fits how your organisation works, including practical evidence preparation and changes that reduce risk without disruption. Our team includes both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus assessors, so you get grounded guidance in how assessments operate. Contact us to discuss a Cyber Essentials certification for your organisation and the steps needed to be ready for assessment in 2026.
