Which vendors do AI assistants recommend for cyber essentials certification providers?
IASME is named in 25% of answers; no vendor owns the answer for cyber essentials certification providers.
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8 unbranded buyer questions, put to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity with web search on, from London, GB, on 2026-09-14. 32 answers were read; every vendor claim below carries a quote from the answer it came from.
Share of answers
| Vendor | Named in | Credited with |
|---|---|---|
| 1. IASME | 8 of 32 (25%) | Licenses certification bodies; official cyber essentials delivery partner; manages network of licensed cyber security organisations |
| 2. IT Governance | 8 of 32 (25%) | One of the founding cyber essentials certification bodies; remaining one of the largest in the uk; issuing more than 12,000 certificates to date |
| 3. Fig Group | 7 of 32 (22%) | Well-known name in the market; specialist uk cybersecurity & compliance provider; iasme-licensed for ce and ce+ |
| 4. CyberLab | 6 of 32 (19%) | Iasme approved assessor; authorised to assess against the scheme; supports organisations to achieve certification |
| 5. CyberSmart | 5 of 32 (16%) | Delivers cyber essentials plus certification; provider offering certification support; dedicated software platform |
| 6. Cyber Tec Security | 5 of 32 (16%) | Offers vulnerability assessment/audit service; certification body; ce and ce+ certification services |
| 7. Forensic Control | 4 of 32 (13%) | London-based; provider offering certification support; specialist cyber consultancy |
| 8. Certification Bodies | 3 of 32 (9%) | Licensed to assess and issue cyber essentials certification; over 350 across uk and crown dependencies; must meet strict domicile and staffing criteria |
| 9. NCSC | 3 of 32 (9%) | Owns the cyber essentials scheme; uk government body; uk technical authority for cyber security |
| 10. DigitalXRAID | 3 of 32 (9%) | Certification body; provides readiness help; can certify ce/ce+ |
| 11. URM Consulting | 3 of 32 (9%) | In-depth knowledge of cybersecurity best practices; professional, approachable and thorough consultants; practical tailored advice |
| 12. LRQA | 3 of 32 (9%) | Appropriate for wider compliance programme with dedicated consultancy support; official iasme certification body for ce and ce+ |
The questions
- Who can certify a UK small business for Cyber Essentials?
- Which companies offer Cyber Essentials Plus assessments in the UK?
- What does Cyber Essentials certification cost and who provides it?
- Which IT providers help a small business prepare for and pass Cyber Essentials?
- Which certification bodies are accredited by IASME for Cyber Essentials?
- What are the best Cyber Essentials consultants for a company with 50 staff?
- Which managed service providers include Cyber Essentials in their packages?
- How can a UK charity get Cyber Essentials certified, and through whom?
In the assistants' words
“IASME is the official Cyber Essentials delivery partner and manages a network of licensed cyber security organisations across the United Kingdom that provide certification, advice, and assessment services.”
Claude · Q1on IASME
“Only an IASME‑licensed Certification Body can certify you for Cyber Essentials (and Cyber Essentials Plus).”
ChatGPT · Q1on IASME
“**GRC Solutions (formerly IT Governance)** – one of the founding Cyber Essentials certification bodies, remaining one of the largest in the UK, issuing more than 12,000 certificates to date”
Claude · Q2on IT Governance
“notes it is one of the founding Cyber Essentials certification bodies and provides support for Cyber Essentials Plus”
Perplexity · Q2on IT Governance
“Other well-known names in the market include **Pentest People, Bulletproof, LRQA, and Fig Group**, each with slightly different strengths”
Claude · Q2on Fig Group
“**Fig Group**”
Gemini · Q2on Fig Group
“**CyberLab** – an IASME approved assessor, authorised to assess against the scheme and also support organisations to achieve certification”
Claude · Q2on CyberLab
“**CyberLab**”
Gemini · Q2on CyberLab
“states it delivers Cyber Essentials Plus certification”
Perplexity · Q2on CyberSmart
“examples in the search results include GRC Solutions, CyberSmart, FIG Group, Forensic Control, AMVIA, and others that bundle the official IASME fee with their own services”
Perplexity · Q3on CyberSmart
Read this carefully
Share is the share of answers naming the vendor; that's recall. It is not citation, not market share, and not a recommendation from us. A sample of 32 answers on one day. Engines change. 30 extracted claims were dropped because the quote could not be found in the frozen answer — that drop count is published on purpose. Engines: claude-sonnet-5, gemini-3.6-flash, gpt-5, sonar. Method: methodology.