SMB1001 Bronze · Level 1

Prove the cyber security basics are in place

Bronze is the first SMB1001 tier: seven foundational controls that stop the most common attacks, confirmed by a director and certified for 12 months.

Bronze
SMB1001 Bronze
Level 1 of 5
Requirements
7 of 39
Checked by
Director-attested
Certificate valid for
12 months
Typical time
Usually a few weeks

Is Bronze right for you?

Three questions before you commit

What Bronze is for, what it asks of you and what you’ll need to show.

Who needs Bronze?

Small businesses that already do the basics but have never had to prove it, or that have been asked for a certificate for the first time.

What does it ask of you?

Seven practical controls covering devices, updates, passwords, backup, training and having an IT professional to call.

What proof is needed?

Settings and reports from your devices and tools, staff training records and a description of how your backup is kept separate.

Requirements

What Bronze adds, in plain words

The seven foundation controls of SMB1001.

A technical support specialist

Access to a qualified IT professional or managed service provider who can put the other controls in place and help when something goes wrong.

Firewall in place and configured

A firewall installed, switched on and set up properly, with default passwords changed.

Antivirus on all devices

Current anti-malware protection on every work computer, laptop and phone, with apps installed only from official stores.

Automatic updates and patching

Operating systems, applications and browsers updated automatically, and anything that can’t update itself patched on a regular schedule.

Strong password practices

Unique passphrases for every account and device, default passwords changed, and passwords reset promptly after a known breach.

Backup and recovery

At least one backup of critical data kept separate from your main systems, with restores tested so you know it works.

Cyber security awareness training

Every staff member trained to spot threats and know what to do, with records kept.

How we get you there

Your path to SMB1001 Bronze

Run by the same team that manages your IT, with nothing handed back to you to figure out.

01

Assess

We check your controls against Bronze and every tier below it, and show exactly what’s missing.

02

Fix

As your IT provider, we close the gaps, from device settings to policies and plans.

03

Evidence

We prepare the evidence in the form CyberCert expects, ready for director sign-off.

04

Certify and renew

We submit for certification and plan the renewal so your certificate stays current each year.

Included in our managed services

Small Business Protect includes annual director-attested SMB1001 Bronze certification for businesses with up to 20 staff.

FAQs

Common questions

Anything else? Book an assessment and we’ll talk it through.

Yes. You don’t have to certify at Bronze first. If someone has asked for Silver or Gold, we can take you straight there, as long as everything in the tiers below is also in place.

No. Bronze is director-attested: a director confirms the controls are in place, backed by evidence that we prepare and submit to CyberCert.

It depends on who is asking. Bronze shows the basics are covered. Many professional services firms are asked for Silver or Gold, so check the requirement before you choose.

Compare the tiers

All five SMB1001 tiers

Requirement counts are cumulative: each tier includes everything below it.

Talk to us

Ready to certify at Bronze?

Book an assessment and we’ll show you how close you are to SMB1001 Bronze, what to fix first and how long it will take.