Course description

Has a customer or tender asked for Cyber Essentials, or do you simply want to stop worrying about scams, hacked accounts and ransomware? This course walks small UK businesses through the government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme step by step, in plain English, with no technical background needed.

It's a full course, not a quick tour. There are 10 sections and 50 written lessons. You follow the office manager of a 14-person joinery firm from the day a tender asks for Cyber Essentials to the day the certificate arrives: listing every device and cloud service, fixing 33 problems, failing one answer and putting it right within two days, and then spotting a fake bank details email months later. Every section has a worksheet, answers, a cheat sheet and ready-made templates and workbooks.

What you'll learn

• The threats and the scheme: the common attacks on small businesses, what Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus cover, who asks for them and what they cost.
• Your scope: a register of every device and cloud service, personal phones and home workers, and unsupported kit.
• Firewalls: your office router, device firewalls, home working and guest Wi-Fi.
• Secure configuration: removing what you don't need, default passwords, screen locks and a standard set-up for new devices.
• Security updates: the 14-day rule, automatic updates, supported software and a monthly routine.
• User access control: one account each, separate admin accounts, passwords the Cyber Essentials way, multi-factor authentication and leavers.
• Malware and fraud: anti-malware, app stores, backups, phishing and fake payment requests.
• Applying and staying certified: the questions, the declaration, fixing a fail, the free insurance, incidents, training and renewal.

Who it's for

Owners, office managers and anyone who looks after IT in a small UK business or charity. It ends with a final project: your own device and service register, scope statement, gap analysis and action plan, and a ready-to-use policy pack.

This is general information based on the NCSC's published requirements, not legal or certification advice. The certification decision is made by an independent Certification Body when you apply.

What will I learn?

• Understand the common attacks on small businesses and what Cyber Essentials covers
• Build a register of every device and cloud service and decide your scope
• Secure your router and device firewalls, including for home workers
• Set up devices securely and remove what you don't need
• Keep every device and app supported and updated within 14 days
• Control accounts, admin rights, passwords and multi-factor authentication
• Protect against malware, ransomware and payment fraud
• Apply for Cyber Essentials, fix problems quickly and stay certified all year

Frequently asked questions