Cyber Essentials Sussex & the South Coast
Cyber Essentials Certification for Sussex Businesses
Cyber Essentials is the government-backed certificate that shows your business has the basics of cyber security in place. We prepare Sussex businesses to pass: a readiness review of your real systems, fixing what would fail, and the submission handled for you. Supported certification is £510 plus VAT for businesses with up to 9 employees, and we hold Cyber Essentials ourselves.
MFA · Patching · FirewallsFive technical controls
Certified ourselvesIssued September 2026
100+
UK businesses supported
< 15 min
Average support response
£510 + VAT
Supported certification
Since 2015
Supporting UK businesses
WHAT CYBER ESSENTIALS IS
A government-backed baseline,
checked properly
Cyber Essentials is run by IASME on behalf of the National Cyber Security Centre. It checks five technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. The NCSC describes it as the minimum standard of cyber security recommended by the Government for organisations of all sizes.
The current requirements, version 3.3, apply to assessments started from 27 April 2026. Cloud services such as Microsoft 365 are in scope, multi-factor authentication on cloud accounts is mandatory, and high-risk and critical updates must be applied within 14 days. Our Cyber Essentials requirements checklist covers every control in detail.
- Readiness review first
- Fixes, not just a report
- Submission handled for you
- Help with annual renewal
WHERE BUSINESSES FAIL
The gaps that stop businesses passing
Most failures are not exotic. They are everyday gaps nobody has looked at: an account without multi-factor authentication, a laptop that has stopped updating, an old server still switched on. Finding them before the assessor does is most of the work.
No MFA on cloud accounts
Updates older than 14 days
Unsupported software or devices
Everyday accounts with admin rights
Default router and firewall settings
Devices without malware protection
Personal devices accessing work data
Cloud services left out of scope
HOW WE HELP
Cyber Essentials support, from readiness to renewal
Everything you need to get certified and stay certified, from the first review of your systems to keeping the controls in place all year.
Readiness review
We check your real environment against the current requirements and tell you plainly what would pass and what would fail.
Gap Analysis
Scope Advice
Written Findings
Fixing the gaps
We fix what would fail: multi-factor authentication, overdue updates, admin rights, endpoint protection, firewall settings and unsupported software.
MFA
Patching
Endpoint Protection
Firewalls
Supported certification
£510 plus VAT for up to 9 employees. We complete the questionnaire with you and submit it through our independent certification partner.
Questionnaire
Submission
Independent Assessor
Cyber Essentials Plus
£1,550 plus VAT. The audited level, where an assessor scans your network and tests a sample of your devices. Often required in defence supply chains.
Technical Audit
Vulnerability Scan
Device Testing
Microsoft 365 and Intune
Most of the controls live in Microsoft 365. We configure Conditional Access, Intune and Defender so the answers you give are true in practice.
Conditional Access
Intune
Defender
Staying compliant
A certificate lasts 12 months. With our managed IT service the controls stay in place all year, so renewal is a check rather than a scramble.
Patching
Monitoring
Renewal
HOW CERTIFICATION WORKS
Four steps to your certificate
Realistically, allow four to six weeks from starting to holding the certificate, longer if old hardware or software has to be replaced. If you have a tender deadline, start early.
01
Readiness review
We review your devices, accounts, network and cloud services against the current requirements and agree what is in scope.
02
Fix the gaps
We close what would fail, typically multi-factor authentication, overdue updates, admin rights and unsupported software.
03
Questionnaire and submission
We complete the questionnaire with you, a board member signs it off, and an independent assessor marks it.
04
Certificate and renewal
Your certificate lasts 12 months. If you need Cyber Essentials Plus, the technical audit must follow within three months.
WHY ATS FOR CYBER ESSENTIALS
We hold it ourselves
ATS Connection is Cyber Essentials certified, so we have been through the same questionnaire we will take you through. We have supported Sussex businesses since 2015 from our offices in Arundel and Chichester.
Certified ourselves
Our own certificate was issued in September 2026 and appears on the public register.
Published prices
£510 plus VAT for supported certification and £1,550 plus VAT for Cyber Essentials Plus.
Fixes, not just advice
We do the remediation work ourselves rather than handing you a list of problems.
Microsoft 365 depth
Most of the controls sit in Microsoft 365, Intune and Defender, which we manage every day.
Independent assessment
Your submission is marked by an external assessor, not by the company that set up your systems.
Local engineers
Offices in Arundel and Chichester, with on-site help across Sussex when a fix needs hands on it.
CYBER ESSENTIALS IN PRACTICE
Businesses we
have helped
Repaircraft, a defence engineering business with 13 users across two sites, achieved Cyber Essentials Plus with ATS after we modernised its IT. Other clients have let us publish how we work with them.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Other Sussex clients
CYBER ESSENTIALS ACROSS SUSSEX
Cyber Essentials support in every part of Sussex
In West Sussex we support businesses in Arundel, Chichester, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Rustington, Angmering, Middleton-on-Sea, Lancing, Horsham, Crawley, Burgess Hill, Pulborough, Billingshurst, Storrington, Midhurst and East Grinstead.
In East Sussex we look after businesses in Brighton, Lewes and Eastbourne. Most of the work is done remotely, with engineers on site when a fix needs hands on it. For ongoing support, see our IT support across Sussex.
- Public sector suppliers
- Defence and engineering supply chains
- Law, finance and healthcare firms
- Businesses asked by clients or insurers
Free • No obligation • Senior engineer
Find out if you would pass today
Tell us about your business and we will arrange a readiness review, then give you a clear list of what would pass, what would fail and what it would cost to fix.
Cyber Essentials Sussex
- Check devices, accounts and cloud services
- Test against the version 3.3 requirements
- List exactly what would fail
- Give a fixed price to get you certified
If it is urgent, call us on 01903 255 159.
What clients say
Rated 5.0 on Google by Sussex businesses.
★★★★★
We have been with ATS Connection for years and they have always been reliable. Fast, efficient, and they really know their stuff.
MichelleNorthgate PropertiesGoogle ★ 5.0
★★★★★
Their proactive IT support has saved us a lot of headaches. We can focus on growing our business knowing our IT is sorted.
VickyCallatech EngineeringGoogle ★ 5.0
★★★★★
ATS Connection has been a huge help. Whenever we run into IT issues, they are always there to resolve things quickly.
NicholasNorfolk Arms HotelGoogle ★ 5.0
FAQ
Cyber Essentials – common
questions
The certification fee is set by IASME: £320 plus VAT for 0 to 9 employees, £440 for 10 to 49, £500 for 50 to 249 and £600 for 250 or more. Our supported certification is £510 plus VAT for businesses with up to 9 employees and covers the readiness review, fixing the gaps the assessment would catch, the questionnaire and the submission. Larger businesses are quoted individually, and replacing unsupported hardware or software is extra.
With ATS, Cyber Essentials Plus is £1,550 plus VAT. You must hold Cyber Essentials first, and the Plus audit must be completed within three months of it.
If your systems are already in good order, certification can be completed in days. Realistically, allow four to six weeks from starting to holding the certificate, longer if old hardware or software has to be replaced.
Five technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. Cloud services such as Microsoft 365 are in scope.
Version 3.3 of the requirements applies to assessments started from 27 April 2026. Multi-factor authentication on cloud accounts is mandatory, cloud services cannot be left out of scope, and high-risk and critical updates must be applied within 14 days.
It is required for central government and NHS contracts that involve personal data or certain IT services, and a growing number of larger clients and insurers ask suppliers for it. The government recommends it as the minimum standard for organisations of all sizes.
UK organisations with turnover under £20 million that certify their whole organisation can take up £25,000 of cyber liability insurance included with the certificate. Our guide to whether you need cyber insurance explains what it covers and what it leaves out.
Yes. ATS Connection Ltd holds Cyber Essentials, issued in September 2026, and appears on the public IASME register.
Yes. Our offices are in Arundel and Chichester, and we help businesses across West and East Sussex. Most of the work is done remotely, with engineers on site when a fix needs hands on it.
