Cyber Essentials Platform Transition: What the July Deadline Means for You

The Cyber Essentials scheme is transitioning from its Willow platform to the new Danzell version, with a go-live date now set for 6 July. Noel Bradford cuts through the noise to explain what this extension actually means for small businesses holding or pursuing certification. If you are mid-assessment, you need to check with your certification body about completion requirements. If you are planning a new assessment, you will be working under the updated Danzell question set, which brings tightened wording and updated evidence requirements across the five core technical controls. Businesses often hear the word ‘extended’ and relax, but your certificate expiry date has not changed. Contract requirements remain in force. This episode walks through the practical steps you need to take now, whether you are renewing, starting fresh, or supporting clients through the transition. The platform update reflects real shifts in how small businesses operate, from cloud services to remote working. Prepare properly, read the updated guidance, and do not wait for your assessor to chase you.

Chapters

• Welcome Noel Bradford introduces the topic: the Cyber Essentials platform transition, a shifted deadline, and why businesses need to update their plans accordingly.
• Platform Transition Explained The Cyber Essentials scheme is moving from Willow to Danzell, with a new go-live date of 6 July. Noel explains what each platform is, who runs the scheme, and why the word ‘extended’ does not mean businesses can relax. He covers what the transition means for mid-assessment businesses, those starting fresh, and the practical differences in the Danzell question set. The five core technical controls remain, but wording, scope questions, and evidence requirements have been updated. Noel warns against reusing old templates, stresses the importance of checking your certificate expiry date, and highlights the risk of confusing the platform delay with your personal compliance deadline. He also addresses MSPs and IT support businesses, urging them to communicate the change to clients now rather than waiting for panic calls later.
• Outro Noel summarises the key actions: talk to your certification body if you are mid-assessment, get the Danzell guidance if you are planning a new assessment, and check your certificate expiry date today. The extension is not a problem; ignoring it is.