Malware protection that meets Cyber Essentials requirements as standard, with EDR endpoint protection, 24/7 monitoring and cloud backup from £20 per user per month.
Modern endpoint detection and response is included as standard, not sold as a pricey add-on you have to remember to ask for.
Our malware protection is configured to meet Cyber Essentials' requirements from the outset, not retrofitted at certification time.
Continuous monitoring catches malware activity early, before it can spread across your network.
Malware protection is one of the five technical controls required for Cyber Essentials certification, alongside firewalls, secure configuration, user access control and patch management. It sounds straightforward — install antivirus software, tick the box — but the assessment actually expects malware protection to be properly configured, kept up to date, and applied consistently across every device that touches company data, including laptops used at home and mobile devices with access to email. A surprising number of Cyber Essentials applications fail first time not because malware protection is entirely absent, but because it's inconsistently applied, out of date on some devices, or configured with settings an assessor doesn't consider adequate.
We build cyber essentials malware protection into every managed IT support plan as standard, using modern EDR endpoint protection rather than legacy signature-based antivirus that increasingly struggles against newer malware variants. Every managed plan, from £20 per user per month, includes EDR, 24/7 monitoring and cloud backup together, so malware protection isn't a bolt-on feature but part of the same foundation that also gives you certification-ready evidence when it's time to apply.
Malware protection also matters far beyond the certification itself. Ransomware, one of the most common and damaging forms of malware UK SMEs encounter, typically arrives through a phishing email attachment, a compromised remote access account, or an unpatched piece of software, and it can spread through a network faster than most in-house teams are equipped to catch manually. Cyber Essentials' malware protection control exists precisely because it addresses one of the most common entry points for exactly this kind of attack. Treating it as a genuine security measure, rather than a certification formality, is what actually keeps a business running when an attack is attempted.
Cyber Essentials expects malware protection across every in-scope device, configured to update automatically, scan files on access, and prevent connections to known malicious websites. EDR endpoint protection goes further than traditional antivirus by monitoring behaviour rather than just matching known malware signatures, which means it can catch newer or previously unseen threats that signature-based tools would miss entirely. That distinction matters increasingly, because modern malware is often built specifically to evade signature detection.
A common Cyber Essentials gap is malware protection that's present on office desktops but missing or outdated on laptops, home devices and mobile phones with access to company email. We make sure protection is applied consistently everywhere data can be accessed, not just on the machines physically in your office. This matters just as much for a five-person business as it does for a two-hundred-person one — the assessment doesn't scale its expectations down for a smaller headcount, so a small business with three unmanaged laptops in the mix faces exactly the same requirement to bring them into scope as a much larger organisation would.
EDR endpoint protection, 24/7 monitoring and cloud backup aren't optional extras bolted on afterwards — they're included as standard across our managed IT support plans, from £20 per user per month.
Cyber Essentials assessment asks you to describe your malware protection setup accurately, which is much easier when it's centrally managed and reportable. Because our EDR deployment is managed from a single console, we can produce a clear picture of what's protected, what's up to date, and where any gaps exist, rather than relying on guesswork or a spreadsheet nobody has updated in months.
Every managed plan covers these elements as standard, mapped to Cyber Essentials' requirements.
We configure malware protection to genuinely meet Cyber Essentials' expectations — automatic updates, on-access scanning, malicious site blocking — rather than assuming any antivirus product ticks the box.
Every device with access to company data is covered, including remote and mobile devices, so there's no gap for an assessor, or an attacker, to find.
From first review to properly protected, certification-ready endpoints.
We check what malware protection you currently have across every device, including remote and mobile ones.
We roll out modern EDR endpoint protection across every in-scope device, configured to meet Cyber Essentials' requirements.
24/7 monitoring goes live, catching malware activity early and giving you evidence of ongoing protection.
We support your Cyber Essentials application and keep protection current as the certification requires annual renewal.
We built our cyber essentials malware protection around what an assessor actually expects, not just an antivirus subscription installed once and forgotten.
EDR endpoint protection, 24/7 monitoring and cloud backup are included as standard across our managed IT support plans, from £20 per user per month, so protection and certification readiness go hand in hand.
Every plan is backed by a 99% SLA guarantee, giving you a clear, measurable standard behind your protection, not a vague promise. And because monitoring, backup and malware protection sit under one managed plan rather than three separate contracts, there's no ambiguity about who's responsible if something is ever missed.
We support the full Cyber Essentials certification process, so malware protection is only one part of a wider security foundation that also covers firewalls, secure configuration, access control and patch management.
Protection is applied consistently across every device, including remote and mobile ones, so there's no overlooked gap for an assessor, or an attacker, to find.
We also think about what happens if malware protection is ever bypassed despite everything in place. Cloud backup, included in every managed plan, means a genuine recovery path exists even in a worst-case scenario, rather than protection being the only line of defence with nothing behind it.
Beyond the initial deployment, we keep protection current as threats evolve and as your device estate changes — new starters, replaced laptops and additional mobile devices are brought under the same protection automatically, rather than needing someone to remember to add them manually. That consistency is exactly what an assessor is looking for, and exactly what stops a single overlooked device becoming the weak point in an otherwise solid setup.
We treat malware protection as genuine security, not a certification tick-box.
Behaviour-based detection catches threats that signature matching alone would miss.
Protection is configured specifically to meet what an assessor expects, not left to chance.
Remote, mobile and office devices alike are protected consistently, with no overlooked gap.
Malware activity is watched for around the clock, not just during business hours.
Tested backup is included in every managed plan, in case protection is ever bypassed.
We help with the whole Cyber Essentials application, not just the malware protection control.
A clear, measurable service standard behind your protection, not a vague promise of best efforts.
From £20 per user per month, with no hidden fees for the protection that underpins certification.
Cyber Essentials requires annual re-certification, and we keep protection current so renewal isn't a scramble.
A handful of issues come up repeatedly when a Cyber Essentials application stalls on malware protection. Protection installed on office desktops but missing from laptops and mobile devices used remotely is the most common gap. Close behind it is antivirus software that's technically present but configured with automatic updates disabled, or on-access scanning switched off to reduce a minor performance impact. Devices that were replaced or added since the last review, with protection never extended to them, are another frequent culprit. None of these require a sophisticated attacker to exploit — they simply require a gap nobody noticed, which is exactly what a proper review catches before an assessor does.
Bring-your-own-device policies are another common source of gaps, especially in smaller businesses where staff use personal laptops or phones for work email without much formal oversight. Cyber Essentials expects these devices to be brought into scope if they can access company data, which often means a conversation about acceptable use policy alongside the technical deployment of protection itself. Getting this right before an application is submitted avoids the frustrating experience of failing an assessment over a device nobody thought to include.
We deliver cyber essentials malware protection to businesses across the UK, remotely from our base in the City of London, with EDR endpoint protection deployed and monitored across every device regardless of where your team is based. Whether you're a single office or a business with staff working from home across the country, the same protection standard applies consistently, giving you a genuine, defensible answer when a client, insurer or assessor asks how malware protection is handled.
Sector doesn't change the underlying requirement much — a professional services firm handling client documents, a retailer running point-of-sale systems, and a manufacturer with a mix of office and shop-floor devices all need the same disciplined coverage across every device that touches company data. What differs is the practical detail of the rollout, and we scope that during an initial review rather than assuming one setup fits every business identically.
Malware protection is one of five technical controls Cyber Essentials assesses, alongside firewalls, secure configuration, user access control and patch management. Getting this one control right is necessary but not sufficient — a genuinely secure setup addresses all five together, which is why we support the full certification process rather than treating malware protection in isolation.
Getting started: a free consultation is the first step, whether you're applying for Cyber Essentials for the first time, renewing a lapsed certification, or simply want an honest check on your current protection.
Already certified elsewhere? If you're renewing with a different provider or bringing IT support in-house from an existing certification, we can review what's in place and bring it up to standard without disrupting whatever's currently working.
Coverage
From £20 per user per month, with EDR, monitoring and backup wherever your business is based.
cyber essentials malware protection
Malware protection configured to meet Cyber Essentials' technical control requirements, with EDR endpoint protection deployed across every in-scope device.
cyber essentials certification support
Full support through Cyber Essentials certification and annual renewal, covering all five technical controls, not just malware protection alone.
Got questions about Cyber Essentials malware protection? We've answered the most common ones below. If you need more detail, get in touch.
Malware protection that's properly configured, kept up to date automatically, scans files on access, and is applied consistently across every in-scope device, including remote and mobile devices with access to company data.
It can be, provided it's properly configured and applied consistently. Many businesses find modern EDR endpoint protection easier to keep certification-ready, since it offers centralised monitoring and management that basic antivirus typically lacks.
It's included as standard across our managed IT support plans, from £20 per user per month, alongside 24/7 monitoring and cloud backup.
Yes, any device with access to company data or systems is typically in scope, so malware protection needs to be consistent across home and remote devices, not just office equipment.
Traditional antivirus mainly matches known malware signatures, while EDR monitors device behaviour, which lets it catch newer or modified threats that signature matching alone would miss.
Yes, we support the full certification process, covering all five technical controls Cyber Essentials assesses, not just malware protection in isolation.
Yes, certification is valid for twelve months, so protection needs to be kept current and re-assessed annually, which we support as part of our managed plans.
Cloud backup, included in every managed plan, provides a tested recovery path even if malware protection is ever bypassed, so a single incident doesn't become a business-ending one.
Limited time offer — valid until 31/05/2026
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