Cyber Essentials passes 61,000 certificates, mostly renewals
Government figures show certificate numbers up by a fifth in a year, but nearly three in four basic certificates went to organizations renewing rather than joining for the first time
- Certificates are valid for 12 months, so holders must recertify each year to stay certified.
- The data counts certificates, not organizations: every Cyber Essentials Plus certificate comes with a basic one, and DSIT notes that some large organizations hold more than one.
- Cyber Essentials Plus rose about 22% year on year in the quarterly breakdown, slightly faster than the basic level.
- The government says organizations with Cyber Essentials are 92% less likely to make a claim on their cyber insurance.
- The figures are management information, not Official Statistics.
Renewals are the steady core of this market, which suits MSPs that fold the annual assessment into a managed contract. The faster growth is in first-time certificates and Cyber Essentials Plus, where the audit and remediation work is likely to carry more margin. With customer confidence, rather than regulation or insurance, the most common reason applicants give, partners look likely to find their best leads in their clients’ supply chains rather than among firms waiting for a mandate.
The government’s Cyber Essentials management information, updated on 16 September, shows 61,430 certificates awarded in the 12 months to June 2026. Of those, 46,245 were at the basic level and 15,185 at Cyber Essentials Plus, which adds an independent technical check.
The quarterly tables in the underlying data, compiled by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) from figures supplied by IASME, which delivers the scheme under contract, put the rise at about 20% on the previous 12 months. Infosecurity Magazine reported it as a record year. Renewals still dominate: 33,745 of the basic certificates in the quarterly breakdown were recertifications and 12,402 were first-time issues. The new issues are growing faster, up 29% from 9,595 a year earlier, but from a small base.
Micro and small organizations accounted for 32,792 of the basic certificates. The most common reason applicants gave was to give confidence to their customers, cited on 18,301 certificates, followed by a general wish to improve security (13,765). Commercial contracts (5,736) and government contracts (5,291) trailed well behind, and insurers were named on just 894.
