In short: The Cyber Essentials logo, or badge, is available to certified organisations, who download it from the assessment portal with IASME's branding guidelines. It may only be used while the certificate is current and for the level held. It must not be altered, recoloured, stretched or cropped, and buyers should still verify the certificate itself.
How you get the badge
The badge is not something you download from a public website or make yourself. After you pass, the badge files are available to download from the assessment portal you used for certification, together with branding guidelines that explain how they may be used.
There are separate badges for the two levels. Organisations holding Cyber Essentials use the Cyber Essentials badge; those holding Cyber Essentials Plus use the Plus badge. Use the one that matches your current certificate.
If you cannot find the files, ask your Certification Body or IASME rather than copying the image from another website, which may be an old or altered version.
Badge dos and don'ts
IASME's branding guidelines, supplied with the badge files, are the authority on how the badge may be used. The points below sum up the essentials and the common-sense practice that goes with them.
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Use the badge files supplied through the assessment portal | Recreate, redraw or copy the badge from another site |
| Follow the branding guidelines that come with them | Alter, recolour, stretch, squash or crop the badge |
| Show the badge for the level you actually hold | Show the Plus badge if you hold the entry level |
| Use it only while your certificate is current | Keep it on your website after the certificate expires |
| Make clear what was certified if you certified a sub-set | Imply the whole group is certified when only part of it is |
Taking care here matters. A misused badge can mislead customers, and buyers who check and find no current certificate are likely to question everything else in your submission.
Where certified organisations use it
- Website footer or trust page, often with the certificate number so visitors can verify it
- Tender and proposal documents, alongside a copy of the certificate
- Email signatures for sales and account teams
- Supplier portals and questionnaires that ask for evidence of certification
Pair the badge with your certificate number, or a statement of the level and scope, so customers can check it quickly. When your certificate is renewed, nothing changes in the artwork, but make sure your renewal is completed before expiry so the badge never appears on an out-of-date certificate.
What a badge does and does not prove
For a buyer, the badge is a claim, not evidence. It does not tell you the issue date, whether the certificate has lapsed, which legal entity holds it or what was in scope.
To verify a supplier, use IASME's public certificate search, which lists certificates issued in the last 12 months by organisation name or number. Under the Danzell question set, digital certificates also carry a detailed scope description. Our guide on how to check a Cyber Essentials certificate sets out what to look for, and Cyber Essentials for supply chain assurance covers building checks into procurement.
Why you will not see the badge on this site
Forever Systems Ltd prepares organisations for Cyber Essentials and works alongside an IASME-licensed Certification Body. We are not a Certification Body, we do not issue certificates and we do not award the badge. So that nobody mistakes this site for an official scheme website, we do not display the Cyber Essentials logo or recreate it here, and we never show customers' logos.
The scheme itself is run by the NCSC with IASME as its delivery partner; for official information, see the NCSC Cyber Essentials pages.
Getting certified so you can use it
If you want the badge for a tender, website or customer request, the route is certification. Our Cyber Essentials checklist and gap analysis find what needs fixing, and the certification process page explains the steps from there. Contact us to get started.
How Forever Systems helps you get certified
Most organisations fail Cyber Essentials for the same handful of reasons: unsupported operating systems left in scope, missing multi-factor authentication on cloud services, default passwords on routers and firewalls, and security updates that sit for longer than the 14 days the scheme allows. We find those gaps before an assessor does, then help you fix them.
- Readiness review and gap analysis of your devices, cloud services, firewalls and user accounts against the current question set
- Remediation: patching, configuration hardening, MFA roll-out, firewall changes and device management with tools such as Microsoft Intune
- Support through assessment with an IASME-licensed certification body, for both Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus
- Supply chain and sector requirements: help when a customer, a public-sector contract or a framework asks for certification as a condition of working with them
- Staying compliant all year, so renewal is a formality rather than a scramble
Forever Systems Ltd is an IT and cyber security provider. We prepare you for certification and work alongside a licensed certification body, which carries out the assessment and issues the certificate.
Want to know how close you are to passing Cyber Essentials?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Where do I download the Cyber Essentials logo?
Certified organisations download the badge from the assessment portal used for their certification, along with branding guidelines. It is not available for general download, and you should not copy it from another website.
Can I use the Cyber Essentials logo before I am certified?
No. The badge is for organisations that hold a current certificate. Using it before certification, or saying you are working towards it with the badge on show, risks misleading customers.
Can I keep using the badge after my certificate expires?
No. You should only display the badge while your certificate is current. If it lapses, remove the badge until you recertify.
Is there a different logo for Cyber Essentials Plus?
Yes. There are separate badges for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus. Use the badge for the level you currently hold.
Can I change the colour of the Cyber Essentials badge to match my brand?
No. The badge must not be altered, recoloured, stretched or cropped. Follow the branding guidelines supplied with the badge files.