Is the UK Cyber Essentials a legal requirement?

Is the UK Cyber Essentials a legal requirement?

No, the UK Cyber Essentials is not a legal requirement. It is a voluntary scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats.

However, there are certain government contracts that require businesses to have achieved Cyber Essentials certification. This means that for these specific contracts, achieving Cyber Essentials is a condition of being able to bid for the contract. In addition, some industries may require Cyber Essentials certification as part of their regulatory requirements.

For example, some organisations in the financial services sector are required to have achieved Cyber Essentials certification in order to comply with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SM&CR).

Overall, while Cyber Essentials is not a legal requirement, there are certain circumstances in which it is necessary to achieve certification in order to be eligible for certain contracts or to comply with certain regulations.