Technical Environment Preparation. Audit-ready. No surprises.
The CE Plus technical audit tests your systems directly. IP Four prepares your entire in-scope environment so every control is correctly implemented, evidenced, and ready for the independent auditor. We fix the gaps before the auditor finds them.
100%
Audit Pass Rate
4-6 Wks
Preparation Timeline
5
Controls Fully Implemented
UK-Wide
Remote and On-Site Delivery
Environment preparation capabilities for CE Plus audit readiness.
In-Scope Device Audit
Identify and document every device, server, and cloud service within the CE Plus audit scope, ensuring nothing is missed before the auditor arrives.
Five Controls Implementation
Implement or verify all five Cyber Essentials controls across in-scope systems: firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and patch management.
Configuration Hardening
Harden device and software configurations to remove default credentials, disable unnecessary services, and meet the secure configuration requirements of the standard.
MFA and Privilege Review
Verify that multi-factor authentication is enabled for all administrative accounts and that user privileges are set to the minimum necessary for each role.
Patch Level Verification
Confirm that all in-scope devices and applications are patched within the 14-day requirement, remediating any outstanding patches before the audit window.
Audit Evidence Pack
Compile a comprehensive evidence pack covering all five controls, ready for the independent auditor to review and test against.
From assessment to audit-ready environment.
Scope Confirmation
Confirm the full list of in-scope devices, cloud services, and network segments that the auditor will test during the CE Plus technical audit.
Controls Assessment
Assess the current state of all five controls across every in-scope system and produce a prioritised remediation list.
Remediation Delivery
Implement all required changes to firewalls, configurations, access controls, malware protection, and patch levels across in-scope systems.
Configuration Verification
Verify that every remediation has been applied correctly and that no in-scope system has a configuration that would fail the audit.
Evidence Compilation
Compile screenshots, configuration exports, policy documents, and patch reports into a structured evidence pack for the auditor.
Pre-Audit Sign-Off
Conduct a final internal review of all in-scope systems against the CE Plus technical requirements before the auditor begins testing.
CE Plus environment preparation delivered across the UK.
Challenge: A 120-person financial services company had a mixed estate of Windows, macOS, and cloud services with inconsistent patch levels and no documented firewall rules.
Outcome: IP Four standardised patch management across all platforms, documented firewall rules, and enabled MFA on all admin accounts. The environment passed the CE Plus audit without any findings.
Challenge: A defence supply chain company needed CE Plus within eight weeks to meet a prime contractor requirement. Their environment had legacy systems with outdated configurations.
Outcome: IP Four scoped out the legacy systems that could not be remediated in time, hardened the remaining estate, and prepared a compliant in-scope environment that passed the audit in week seven.
Challenge: A public sector technology supplier had failed a previous CE Plus audit due to open ports on their internet gateway and missing patches on three servers.
Outcome: IP Four closed the open ports, applied outstanding patches, and prepared a full evidence pack. The re-audit was passed first time within four weeks of engagement.
Prepare your environment for CE Plus and pass first time.
We start with a free technical review of your in-scope environment and tell you exactly what needs to change before the auditor arrives. No surprises on audit day.