Trying to figure out whether you want to achieve ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials—or both? You’re not alone. We hear this question a lot.
ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials are two of the most well-known frameworks in the UK—but knowing which one your organisation needs can be confusing. We speak to a lot of organisations who are unsure how these two certifications fit together—or whether they overlap. Some assume that being ISO 27001 certified means Cyber Essentials is no longer relevant. But that’s not always the case.
While both play an important role in strengthening your security posture, they focus on very different things. One provides a comprehensive management system for identifying and addressing risks. The other ensures that basic technical controls are firmly in place.
This blog is here to break down the difference. We’ll explain what each certification covers, highlight their key differences, and explore the scenarios where having both can give you a stronger, more well-rounded defence against cyber threats.
ISO 27001 Accreditation: What You Need to Know – A Quick Glance
ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard for managing information security risks. It’s not just about having strong passwords or a firewall—it’s about building a complete framework that helps you understand, control, and reduce the risks your organisation faces.
At its core, ISO 27001 takes a risk-based approach to security. That means:
- Identifying what information needs to be protected
- Understanding the threats to that information
- Putting policies, processes, and controls in place to reduce risk
- Continuously reviewing and improving those measures
To achieve certification, your organisation needs to implement an Information Security Management System (ISMS). This is the structured framework that underpins your security approach. It brings together people, processes, and technology under one clear strategy.
Once you’re certified, that certification is valid for three years—but there’s ongoing work involved to maintain it:
- Annual surveillance audits check that your ISMS is still working as expected
- A recertification audit is required every three years
- You’ll also need to run internal audits and management reviews regularly to stay compliant and continually improve
Cyber Essentials Scheme: Getting The Basics Right
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification created by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) that helps you put the basic building blocks of Cyber Security in place.
It’s designed to protect your organisation against the most common types of cyber attack—the ones that are opportunistic, automated, and often successful because simple security measures are missing.
To pass Cyber Essentials, you need to show that you have key technical controls in place, such as:
- Secure configuration of devices and software
- Firewalls and boundary security
- Strong access controls and user permissions
- Up-to-date software and patch management
- Protection against malware
There are two levels of certification:
Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment that gets independently reviewed. It’s cheaper than Cyber Essentials Plus, but because it’s based on a questionnaire rather than actual testing, it doesn’t really check if your security controls work in the real world. It’s more of a starting point to kick off your Cyber Security journey.
Cyber Essentials Plus builds on the basic Cyber Essentials certification. You need to complete the basic Cyber Essentials self-assessment first, and then with Cyber Essentials Plus, an external assessor conducts a technical audit. This audit tests your systems to ensure the controls you’ve listed in the basic questionnaire are not just theoretical, but are working in practice.
- One important thing to note: both certifications must be renewed every year. This ensures your defences keep up with changes in your business and the evolving threat landscape.
ISO 27001 Standard vs Cyber Essentials: What Are the Real Differences?
On the surface, it’s easy to describe Cyber Essentials as “basic” and ISO 27001 as “comprehensive.” But if you’re deciding between them—or considering both—it’s worth digging into what sets them apart in practice.
- 1. Focus and Objectives
ISO 27001 is a strategic framework. It’s designed to help you identify and manage information security risks across your entire organisation, from HR policies to supplier contracts. It promotes a culture of continual improvement through structured governance and management processes.
Cyber Essentials, focuses solely on the technical implementation of five critical controls—things like firewalls, secure configuration, and access control. Its purpose is to protect against the most common threats like phishing, malware, and brute-force attacks.
- 2. Scope and Flexibility
ISO 27001 is tailored. The controls you implement are based on a risk assessment and can vary from one organisation to another. The standard even allows for some controls to be excluded—so long as you justify why in your Statement of Applicability.
Cyber Essentials is fixed. The five control areas are non-negotiable, regardless of your business model or threat profile. You’re either compliant, or you’re not.
- 3. Certification Process and Requirements
ISO 27001 certification is a multi-step journey. It starts with implementing an ISMS, followed by an external audit in two stages. Once certified, you’re subject to annual surveillance audits and a full recertification every three years. This ensures the framework is being followed and continually improved.
Cyber Essentials requires a self-assessment questionnaire, which is reviewed by an external certification body. For Cyber Essentials Plus, an assessor carries out hands-on technical testing of your systems. Both versions require annual renewal, but there’s no expectation of continual improvement or internal audit.
- 4. Organisational Impact
ISO 27001 reaches far beyond IT. It influences your organisational culture, decision-making, third-party risk management, incident response, and even legal compliance. It’s often led by senior management or risk teams—not just the IT department.
Cyber Essentials is typically owned by IT or technical teams. It doesn’t touch wider policies, supplier risk, or user awareness in any depth. It’s often used as a stepping stone or as part of contract compliance—particularly in the public sector.
Is Cyber Essentials Redundant If You Have ISO 27001?
On paper, ISO 27001 covers a much broader scope than Cyber Essentials. So it’s a fair question—if your organisation is already certified to ISO 27001, do you really need Cyber Essentials as well?
The answer? Not necessarily. But in many cases—it’s still worth it.
Here’s why:
- 1. ISO 27001 doesn’t guarantee the basics are done
ISO 27001 is a flexible, risk-based framework. That’s one of its strengths—but it also means you get to decide which controls are relevant to your environment. If your risk assessment doesn’t highlight a particular vulnerability, you could (in theory) exclude it entirely.
Cyber Essentials, on the other hand, is not flexible. It requires concrete evidence that five key technical controls are in place, such as patching, access control, and malware protection. These are the areas where many breaches start.
- 2. Cyber Essentials gives visible assurance
Cyber Essentials is a government-backed badge. It’s simple, well-known, and increasingly used as a minimum requirement—especially for public sector contracts and supply chain due diligence in the UK.
Even if ISO 27001 shows strategic maturity, it may not be immediately clear to clients, partners, or procurement teams that you’ve nailed the security fundamentals. Cyber Essentials fills that gap.
While it’s not globally standardised like ISO 27001, it still holds weight for international organisations with UK operations, or those working with UK-based supply chains. It shows a clear commitment to baseline controls that many UK businesses and government bodies expect as a minimum.
- 3. Cyber Essentials encourages routine checks
ISO 27001 focuses on continual improvement, but the pace and structure are determined by your organisation. It’s easy for basic technical hygiene to slip down the priority list between audits or management reviews.
Cyber Essentials forces an annual review of your defences. It encourages IT teams to stay on top of:
- Software updates
- Secure configurations
- User accounts and access controls
- Antivirus and anti-malware
- Boundary firewalls and internet-facing defences
When Might You Need Both?
You don’t always need both ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials. But in many situations, they work best together—each covering what the other doesn’t.
Here’s when it makes sense to hold both certifications:
- 1. You’re Bidding for Public Sector Work
Many UK government contracts—and those in regulated sectors—require Cyber Essentials as a minimum. ISO 27001 might demonstrate your security maturity, but it won’t replace a Cyber Essentials certificate on a pre-qualification questionnaire.
Even if you’ve gone above and beyond with ISO 27001, you won’t get through the door without Cyber Essentials in some tenders.
- 2. You Want Fast, Visible Reassurance
Cyber Essentials is simple, recognisable, and trusted. It shows external stakeholders—whether they’re customers, partners, or procurement teams—that you’ve covered the basics.
- It’s a government-backed scheme
- It’s often requested by clients as part of due diligence
- It’s quick for non-technical people to understand and verify
If you want to instantly signal security readiness, Cyber Essentials provides the visual proof ISO 27001 often lacks.
- 3. You Want to Keep the Basics Front of Mind
ISO 27001 is about building systems, policies, and a long-term roadmap. But it’s possible to lose sight of the day-to-day security tasks that matter—like patching outdated software or removing unused admin accounts.
Cyber Essentials gives you that nudge. The annual renewal process forces your teams to revisit and reinforce their frontline defences. That means fewer gaps and better resilience against everyday attacks.
- 4. You’re Using ISO 27001 to Manage Risk—But You Still Need a Baseline
ISO 27001 gives you freedom. It lets you assess and prioritise risks based on what matters most to your business. But that flexibility can create blind spots, especially if you’re not in a high-risk industry.
Cyber Essentials plugs that gap by enforcing a fixed set of baseline controls. It ensures your organisation is resilient to opportunistic attacks, regardless of how your risk register looks.
The two frameworks together offer strategic coverage and tactical protection—a full-circle approach to Cyber Security.
Your Next Step in Cyber Security: Cyber Essentials vs ISO 27001
Not sure what’s right for your business? Let’s chat. Call us on 0121 663 0055 or email enquiries@equilibrium-security.co.uk
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