Cyber Essentials & Compliance Support for Businesses in Northern Ireland
Cyber Essentials certification is increasingly required to win contracts, satisfy insurers and meet supply chain obligations - and for many businesses, it's no longer optional.
At 3PS, we provide structured Cyber Essentials support and full certification guidance for small and medium-sized businesses across Northern Ireland. We don't just advise - we manage the process end to end, from your initial gap assessment through to successful certification. Whether you are working towards Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, we ensure your systems are properly configured, maintained and aligned with recognised standards.
Structured Compliance — Not Last-Minute Preparation
Many organisations treat Cyber Essentials as a last-minute tick-box exercise - and then struggle to pass. It works far better when your systems are maintained in a compliant-ready state throughout the year. This approach helps ensure your environment remains aligned with Cyber Essentials requirements - not just at the point of certification, but as part of ongoing Cyber Essentials IT support.
Systems Reviewed
We work with you to ensure every required control is in place well before certification is attempted.
Gaps Closed
Gaps are closed and improvements are made in a structured, manageable way - not all at once.
Renewal Made Easier
Reducing last-minute scrambles and making each annual renewal significantly easier.
What Our Compliance Support Covers
Cyber Essentials Preparation
We assess your current environment against the five Cyber Essentials control areas and identify exactly what needs to change. Firewall configuration, device security, user access controls, update management and system hardening - every gap is documented and addressed before you attempt certification.
Cyber Essentials Plus Readiness
We ensure your systems are not just configured correctly on paper, but capable of passing independent technical verification. Devices are tested, configurations are validated and your environment is prepared to meet the higher standard - so there are no surprises on assessment day.
Policy Development & Documentation
Cyber Essentials requires clear documentation and defined processes - and assessors look closely at whether policies reflect how a business actually operates, not just what sounds good on paper. We help produce practical, relevant policies aligned with your real-world environment.
Certification Process Management
We manage the entire certification process on your behalf - completing submissions, liaising with the certification body, providing access where required and making sure your systems are ready for assessment. You have one point of contact throughout, and we handle the complexity, so you don't have to.
Ongoing Compliance & System Alignment
We help maintain your systems in a Cyber Essentials-ready state, ensuring your PCs, user accounts and configurations remain aligned with requirements. This reduces effort for future renewals and improves overall security.
Compliance Built Into Everyday IT Support
Where we also provide managed IT support, most Cyber Essentials requirements are already addressed as part of day-to-day system management. Devices are kept updated, security controls are active and configurations are maintained consistently - meaning your environment stays compliant without it becoming a separate project. For many clients, certification is far simpler, with reduced effort for future renewals and an improved overall security posture as a result.
Applying ISO-Level Security Principles
3PS is externally audited and fully certified to ISO/IEC 27001 - the internationally recognised standard for information security management.
A higher internal standard
While Cyber Essentials sets a strong baseline, our own internal security operates to a significantly higher standard. That depth of understanding shapes how we support clients through the certification process, and beyond it.
Sustainable, not just sufficient
We apply these principles when supporting clients through compliance - helping organisations build better governance, improve their understanding of risk and introduce security practices that are sustainable, not just sufficient to pass.
Who we support
We work with SMEs across the UK that need to demonstrate their security posture - whether for internal governance, insurance requirements, government contracts or supply chain obligations. Typically, organisations with between 10 and 250 employees that need structured, guided support rather than one-off advice they're left to act on alone. Based in Northern Ireland, we support clients throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Employees — our typical client size
Headquartered in Northern Ireland
Client coverage across both regions
We are privileged to support these valued customers
Why Businesses Choose 3PS for Compliance
Compliance doesn't have to be complicated - but it does need to be done properly. We take a practical, structured approach - explaining requirements in plain language, managing the process on your behalf and supporting you beyond certification.
Genuinely Better-Managed Systems
Our clients don't just pass; they come away with genuinely better-managed, more secure systems - not just a certificate.
A Smoother Certification Experience
A faster path to renewal each year, with the complexity handled on your behalf from start to finish.
A Genuinely More Secure Environment
More importantly, an IT environment that is genuinely more secure as a result - not just compliant on paper.
Let's Review Your Compliance Requirements
If your organisation needs to achieve Cyber Essentials - or isn't sure whether your current systems would pass - the best starting point is an honest assessment of where you stand. An initial conversation allows us to review your current setup, identify gaps and outline what would be required to move forward. You'll come away with a clear picture of your current compliance position, what needs to change and a realistic path to certification.
FAQ's
Let's get through them together.
Managed IT support covers helpdesk access for your staff, proactive monitoring of your systems, regular updates and security patching, and ongoing management of your IT environment. The aim is to keep everything running reliably and prevent problems before they affect your business - not just clean up after them.
Response times are agreed upfront and depend on the priority of the issue. Critical problems are escalated immediately. General support requests are handled promptly and tracked through to resolution - you’ll always know where things stand.
Yes. We resolve the majority of issues remotely for speed, but our engineers come onsite whenever hands-on support is required. You get both - without having to manage two separate providers.
Yes. Microsoft 365 and other cloud platforms are fully supported as part of our managed IT service - including setup, administration, user management and ongoing troubleshooting.
Ready to transform your business?
Contact us today and let's take the next step together.