Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification confirming a firm has the five basic technical controls that stop most common cyber attacks: a properly configured firewall, secure settings, access control, malware protection and up-to-date patching. For a construction claims or QS consultancy handling confidential client and third-party data, it is both a practical security baseline and, increasingly, something clients and insolvency practitioners require before sending you their data. It is usually achieved and maintained as part of managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month. Here is what it involves and why it is worth it.
As clients become more security-conscious, a consultancy that handles their confidential data is increasingly asked to prove its security. Cyber Essentials is the recognised answer. Here is what it covers and why it pays off.
What Cyber Essentials covers
The scheme focuses on five controls that together stop most everyday attacks: firewalls to secure your internet boundary, secure configuration of systems and devices, user access control so people have only the access they need, malware protection, and security update management. Simple in principle, but having them genuinely in place is what counts.
Why it suits a consultancy
These controls map directly to the threats a small, data-rich firm faces, phishing, malware, account takeover and unpatched systems, so achieving Cyber Essentials genuinely reduces risk rather than just ticking a box. For a practice holding confidential client and third-party records, that baseline is exactly what is needed.
It helps win and keep work
Clients, solicitors and insolvency practitioners increasingly require their advisers to hold Cyber Essentials before sharing confidential data, so certification can be the difference between being trusted with an engagement and being ruled out. It is recognised proof that you take security seriously, which reassures the people handing you sensitive information.
Getting certified
Certification involves confirming the five controls are in place, usually through a verified self-assessment, with the option of the more rigorous, audited Cyber Essentials Plus. A provider who knows the scheme can get your controls into shape and guide you through, so it is a smooth process rather than a guessing game.
Keeping it up
Cyber Essentials is renewed annually, and the controls must stay in place as systems and staff change. That ongoing maintenance is exactly what a managed service provides, so each renewal is straightforward and your protections stay real all year, which is what clients are really relying on.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for construction claims and quantity surveying consultancies should be able to answer:
- Have you supported document-heavy consultancies and systems like M-Files, including the SQL back end, before?
- How do you keep our case archive fast to search as it grows?
- How do you help us receive and handle confidential client and third-party data securely, through data rooms, SFTP and VPN?
- Can you support secure remote and RDS working, and our Cyber Essentials or IASME accreditation?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your practice stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: check that your document management and its server are sized and backed up properly, that confidential client and third-party data is received and stored securely, that remote access is secure and reliable, and that your Cyber Essentials or IASME accreditation is genuinely covered. Those few checks show where a consultancy-aware managed setup would pay off.
The bottom line
For a construction claims or quantity surveying consultancy, good IT comes down to two things: being able to find and work with huge volumes of case documents instantly, and keeping confidential client and third-party data absolutely secure. When the document system is fast, the data is safe, and people can work securely from anywhere, the practice can focus on the cases rather than the technology.
That reliability comes from a setup built around how a document-heavy, confidentiality-bound consultancy actually works, a well-run document management system, secure data handling, solid backups and recognised accreditation, rather than generic office IT. For a small practice whose reputation rests on protecting clients’ information, a predictable per-user cost for that dependability is far cheaper than a breach, a lost case file, or a day locked out of the archive.
Why construction consultancies choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including professional and consultancy firms, and we understand how a construction claims and quantity surveying practice works: M-Files and other document management on a SQL back end, secure handling of confidential client and third-party case data, RDS remote working, and the Cyber Essentials and IASME accreditation that clients increasingly expect. We support consultancies across Essex, Hertfordshire and London. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want to protect a small but data-rich practice properly? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.