Do you visit businesses in Manchester?
Yes. Most preparation is done remotely, and we visit businesses across Manchester and Greater Manchester when on-site work or a walk-through helps.
Cyber Essentials in Manchester
Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus support for Manchester businesses that need to prove their security to customers, insurers and public sector buyers.
Cyber Essentials for Manchester businesses
More Manchester organisations are being asked for Cyber Essentials before they can bid for a contract, join a supply chain or renew insurance. Cyber Essentials is the government-backed scheme that proves you have five basic controls in place: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection.
BM Technologies is a Cyber Essentials certified IT and cyber security provider based in Milnrow, Rochdale, supporting businesses across Manchester and Greater Manchester. We review your setup, fix what would fail and support you through the self-assessment or the Cyber Essentials Plus audit.
The risk is real for Manchester firms of every size. Most attacks start with something ordinary, like a phishing email, a weak password or a missed update, and Cyber Essentials targets exactly these everyday attacks.
You can also do a lot yourself for free: turn on multi-factor authentication, install updates promptly and make sure staff check any unexpected request to change payment details. Certification then proves those basics are in place.
Get StartedEasier to just chat?
Been asked for Cyber Essentials by a customer or buyer and not sure where to start? Call us and we'll explain what is involved for your business.
Let’s ChatCommon reasons Manchester businesses come to us
Certification is usually triggered by a customer, a contract or a renewal. These are the situations we help with most.
Public sector and supply-chain bids
A tender or customer requires Cyber Essentials or Plus, often with a deadline. We plan the fixes and submission around it.
Hybrid and remote teams
Laptops, phones and Microsoft 365 used from home and on the move need to be in scope and properly secured.
Explore this service: Hybrid and remote teamsMulti-site organisations
Offices across Manchester and Greater Manchester with different networks, suppliers and devices brought to one standard.
Failed or expiring certificates
A failed assessment or a renewal coming up. We find out why, fix it and get you through.
Professional services firms
Accountants, legal and consultancy teams handling client data who are asked for evidence of basic security.
Moving up to Plus
Already certified and now asked for Cyber Essentials Plus? We prepare your devices and access for the technical audit.
Explore this service: Moving up to PlusWhere we work
Across Manchester and Greater Manchester
From our office in Milnrow we reach Manchester via the M62 and M60, and we support businesses in the city centre, Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Rochdale. Most preparation happens remotely.
Our Cyber Essentials process
Free conversation
We find out why you need certification, your deadline, who is asking for it and roughly what your IT looks like.
Scope and readiness review
We agree the scope, including home workers and cloud services, then check devices, accounts, Microsoft 365, firewall and software against the five controls, remotely or on site in Manchester.
Remediation
We fix the gaps, from updates and unsupported software to admin rights and multi-factor authentication, and record what changed.
Self-assessment
You complete the question set with our help. You have six months from applying to submit it, and a certification body then reviews your answers.
Plus audit if needed
An assessor tests a sample of devices and your internet-facing systems. If you certify for Plus within three months of Cyber Essentials, the questions don't need repeating.
Stay certified
Certificates last 12 months. Our managed services keep the controls in place, and we plan renewal before expiry.
Why choose us?
We are not a certification body, so our only job is getting you ready and keeping you secure. As a managed IT provider we can make the changes ourselves rather than handing you a list.
We are Cyber Essentials certified and rated 5.0 on Google.
Being based in Greater Manchester means we can visit when it matters, for example to check an office firewall or a sample of devices before a Plus audit, without long travel or call-out delays.
- Cyber Essentials certified team
- Remote reviews with on-site visits across Manchester
- Fixes done for you, not just a report
- Help with failed assessments and Plus audits
Common questions
Cyber Essentials Manchester FAQs
We need Cyber Essentials for a tender. How quickly can we get it?
It depends on how many fixes are needed. Tell us your deadline and we will review your setup first, so you know what is realistic before you apply.
Do home workers and mobile phones count?
Devices used to access organisational data or services are generally in scope, including laptops and phones used at home. We help you work out the right scope.
What is the difference between Cyber Essentials and Plus?
The controls are the same. Plus adds an independent technical audit of your systems, so it gives a higher level of assurance.
Can you help us keep the certificate?
Yes. Our managed IT and cyber security services keep updates, endpoint protection and access controls in place, so renewal each year is straightforward.
How long does Cyber Essentials last?
Certificates expire after 12 months, so you need to recertify each year to stay on the list of certified organisations.
What if we fail?
You normally get two working days to fix simple issues and update your answers. If it still fails, you have to reapply. We help you make the most of that window.
Is there anything we can do for free before certification?
Yes. Turn on multi-factor authentication for every account, install updates promptly, remove software you no longer use and make sure staff only have the access they need. These match the five controls, so they make the assessment easier too. Our free IT audit checks them for you.
Why do customers ask us for Cyber Essentials?
It gives them independent evidence that you have basic controls in place. Central government uses it to reduce cyber risk in its supply chains, and many private-sector buyers and insurers now ask for it too.
What are the five controls in plain English?
A firewall between your devices and the internet; secure settings with default passwords changed and unused software removed; updates installed promptly; accounts that only have the access they need, with multi-factor authentication; and malware protection on your devices.
Who has to sign off the assessment?
A board-level person, owner or equivalent must confirm the answers are accurate. We help them understand what they are signing, so the declaration reflects how your systems really work.
Get in touch
Get in touchTalk to us about Cyber Essentials
Tell us why you need certification and when by, and we'll explain what is involved for your business. Call 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047, or send us a message.
Let’s have a chat.
Need Cyber Essentials for your Manchester business? Call 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047 for a free conversation.
No obligation
Get Started
See our main Cyber Essentials page, IT support in Manchester and cyber security services, or read how to prepare for the Plus audit. Call 0161 672 7461 or 01706 391 047 or contact us. Book a free IT audit — a no-obligation review of your current IT setup.
Book a free IT audit
A free, no-obligation review of your current IT setup. We look at your devices, Microsoft 365, backups and security, and give you a plain-English list of what needs attention first.
Book a free IT audit