What's the difference between Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus?

Cyber Essentials is a verified self-assessment against five security controls. Cyber Essentials Plus tests the same controls with a hands-on technical audit by a licensed assessor. You must hold Cyber Essentials before doing Plus.

Do you do the work, or just assess us?

We do the work. Foresight runs the gap analysis, carries out hands-on remediation, prepares the evidence and liaises with the assessor, so you pass first time rather than paying to re-sit a failed audit.

How much does Cyber Essentials cost?

The IASME assessment fee is tiered by size from around £320 + VAT and includes £25,000 cyber liability insurance for eligible UK businesses. Cyber Essentials Plus is scoped to your estate, typically from around £1,380 + VAT.

AI & Copilot

AI for small business: where do I start?

AI can genuinely help a small business — if you start in the right place. Here’s a practical, no-hype roadmap.

See AI & automation Call 0161 738 1399

Greater Manchester & UK-wide · free, no-obligation advice

Why Foresight

Cyber Essentials Plus certified
Microsoft CSP & Copilot specialists
We reply within one working hour
Plain-English, no jargon

Quick answer

For a small business, the best place to start with AI is the tools you already have — most commonly Microsoft 365 Copilot — used for everyday tasks like drafting, summarising, analysing and tidying up work. From there, automate repetitive processes (quotes, data entry, reporting), and once you’re confident, build simple AI agents for common questions or tasks. The golden rules: start with one real problem, keep a human in the loop, protect your data, and give staff a clear, simple AI usage policy so everyone knows what’s allowed.

The roadmap

Three sensible steps

Stage	What to do
1. Assist	Use Microsoft 365 Copilot for daily tasks — drafting, summarising, analysing
2. Automate	Automate repetitive processes like quotes, reporting and data entry — see AI & automation
3. Agents	Once confident, build simple AI agents for common questions and tasks

The rules

Keep AI useful, not risky

Four simple rules keep AI an asset rather than a liability: start with one real problem (not “AI for its own sake”); keep a human in the loop (check important outputs); protect your data (governance and permissions — see is Copilot safe?); and give staff a simple AI usage policy so everyone knows what’s allowed, which is now part of Cyber Essentials.

How Foresight helps

A safe, practical start

We help small businesses adopt AI the sensible way — Copilot rollout and training, practical automation, and the governance and security to keep it safe. No hype, just the bits that save you time. Talk to us about AI & automation.

FAQs

Common questions

How should a small business start with AI?

Start with the tools you already have — usually Microsoft 365 Copilot — for everyday drafting, summarising and analysis. Then automate repetitive tasks, and later build simple agents.

Is AI affordable for small businesses?

Yes — tools like Copilot are priced per user per month, so you can start small with a few licences and expand as you see value. Automation often pays for itself in time saved.

Do I need an AI policy for my business?

Yes — a simple, clear AI usage policy tells staff what’s allowed and keeps your data safe. It’s also now part of the Cyber Essentials scope.

What are the risks of AI for small business?

The main risks are leaking sensitive data, acting on inaccurate output, and using it with no oversight. Good governance, permissions and a human in the loop address all three.

Can Foresight help us adopt AI?

Yes — we handle Copilot rollout and training, practical automation, and the security and governance to keep it safe, so you get the time savings without the risk.

Start with AI the sensible way

We’ll help you pick the right first step and keep it safe. Talk to us about AI for your business.

See AI & automation Call 0161 738 1399