Why Hereford businesses choose Fresh Tech
Cyber City Expertise
Working alongside Hereford's cyber security cluster, we bring genuine security knowledge to every certification.
15-Min Response
Our Leominster-based engineer provides rapid hands-on remediation support across Hereford.
Professional Services
Specialist support for solicitors, accountants, and financial services firms meeting compliance requirements.
Guaranteed Pass
Every Fresh Tech client to date has passed first time - we fix everything before formal assessment.
Cyber Essentials, in plain English
Cyber Essentials is the UK government's baseline cyber security scheme. It checks five things. Your firewall. How your devices and cloud services are set up. Who can log in and what they can do. Anti-malware. And how quickly you patch software when fixes come out.
Get those five right and you've blocked most of the everyday attacks that hit small firms. The badge proves to clients, insurers and tender panels that the basics are in order.
There are two levels. Basic is a self-assessment - you fill in a long questionnaire and an assessor reviews it. Plus is the same scope but with a hands-on external audit and a scan of your kit. Plus carries more weight with MOD primes and bigger buyers. Some defence contracts specifically require Plus. We'll tell you honestly which one fits your situation.
Why Hereford firms are getting certified
The defence community is the biggest single driver here. With the SAS just down the road and a busy cluster of defence-adjacent firms around the city, supply chain contracts increasingly demand the badge. Many ask for Plus specifically.
The professional services scene is the other big one. Solicitors meeting SRA guidance. Accountants protecting client records. Financial advisers showing duty of care. We also see growing demand from farms and food producers - bigger supermarket suppliers are starting to ask, and insurers reward it.
Local help, not a distant call centre
Our engineer is based in Leominster - 15 minutes from Hereford city centre. When fixes need doing in person, we drive over. This isn't a remote-only service run from a glass office in Birmingham.
Our process, step by step
First, we run a gap analysis. We look at your current setup and write down exactly where you fall short.
Second, we fix the gaps. The trade calls this 'remediation', which just means putting things right. Patching old software. Tightening firewalls. Cleaning up old admin accounts. Turning on multi-factor login. We do the work, not just hand you a list.
Third, we prepare your answers, submit the application, and get you certified. With our Cyber Essentials service every fix is included in the fixed quote.
Why our pass rate is 100%
We never submit until the gaps are closed. You pay one fee. You pass first time. That's the deal.
Staying certified year after year
Cyber Essentials needs renewing every twelve months. If you're on our Managed IT Support the controls stay in place all year. Renewal is paperwork, not a panic.
Want a free, honest check of where you stand? Book a gap check with us. No hard sell.
Hereford's proximity to the UK's cyber security community at Skylon Park means local businesses are increasingly aware of the need for proper security credentials. We've helped professional services firms, defence-adjacent businesses, and growing companies across Hereford achieve and maintain Cyber Essentials certification.
Common questions
Cyber Essentials for Hereford businesses
20 minutes. No sales pitch. We'll tell you honestly whether we're a fit.