Cyber Essentials • Security Audits • Penetration Testing for SMEs
43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months (NCSC / DSIT Cyber Security Breaches Survey). Fifth Ace helps small and medium businesses achieve Cyber Essentials certification and delivers security audits and penetration testing — remotely, efficiently, with a report ready in 5 working days.
We specialise in cybersecurity for law firms, accountancies, and e-commerce companies with 10–100 employees.
End-to-end support: from gap analysis and penetration testing to security policy implementation, team training, and ongoing monitoring. For businesses with EU clients or operations, we also offer a separate, separately priced NIS2 review.
Who is this for
10–100 employees
You need confidence that your business meets recognised UK security standards (Cyber Essentials), without hiring a full-time security specialist — and if you have EU clients or operations, we offer a separate, separately priced NIS2 review.
Law firms and accountancies
You process sensitive client data and face strict legal obligations. A single security incident can destroy years of reputation.
E-commerce and startups
You're scaling fast and collecting customer data. Security needs to grow with you — before the first serious incident occurs.
The readiness audit for basic Cyber Essentials costs £799 and assesses five controls: firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and security update management. It also includes a prioritised remediation action plan. Preparation for Cyber Essentials Plus is priced separately after the scope is agreed. The NIS2 review is a separate, separately priced service and is not included in the £799 fee. A Cyber Essentials readiness assessment is not a full NIS2 compliance assessment.
Realistic attack simulations for applications, networks, and cloud environments, followed by a report and remediation plan.
I will review basic risks on a laptop and home network.
Practical security hygiene setup for small teams.
Home network security review and baseline configuration.
Fast technical assistance for teams, environment administration, and continuous infrastructure care.
Technical portfolio
Every service we offer is grounded in hands-on experience, not just theory. Below are selected security labs we document publicly on GitHub — penetration testing, threat detection, and vulnerability analysis, mapped to recognised security standards (Cyber Essentials and NIS2).
Simulated a ransomware attack on Windows 11 and detected it in real time using entropy analysis and file-integrity monitoring.
View code on GitHubFull penetration-testing workflow — reconnaissance, vulnerability scanning, and a report with 7 findings rated by risk.
View code on GitHubBuilt a custom CA, signed a server certificate, and configured HTTPS end to end following security best practice.
View code on GitHubA 5-minute NIS2 self-assessment for SMEs — 12 questions, an instant result, and a PDF checklist sent to your inbox.
We created dedicated service pages so Fifth Ace can be found more easily for search terms such as security audit, pentesting, IT support, or laptop security hardening.
Cybersecurity
A page focused on account security, email protection, laptops, backups, and baseline security processes.
Open pageSecurity audit
Audit scope, common weaknesses, and an action plan for a small business or freelancer.
Open pagePentesting
Details about web app, API, internal network testing, and re-tests after remediation.
Open pageIT support
Administration, helpdesk, workstation maintenance, backups, and business continuity support.
Open pageLaptop and Wi-Fi
Windows hardening, router review, MFA, Defender, and a fast security check for home or small business environments.
Open pagePricing
For freelancers and 1–10 person businesses. Quick review and baseline security hardening.
For businesses with 10–100 employees. Basic Cyber Essentials readiness assessment and a prioritised remediation action plan.
Preparation for Cyber Essentials Plus is priced separately after the scope is agreed. The NIS2 review is a separate, separately priced service and is not included in the £799 fee.
Virtual CISO for businesses needing continuous security support and compliance.
Fifth Ace is not a certification body and does not issue Cyber Essentials certificates. Certification is carried out by IASME-licensed Certification Bodies — Fifth Ace prepares your business for certification.
Day 1: Intake call, environment review, and business priority mapping. Scope is agreed before any work begins.
Days 2–4: Vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, risk assessment, and organisational impact mapping.
Day 5: PDF report with prioritised findings. Debrief call, remediation support, and re-test confirmation.
This section answers questions that people often type into Google when they look for practical cybersecurity support.
A security audit helps review laptops, accounts, backups, email access, Wi-Fi configuration, and baseline risks before an incident happens.
Penetration testing is worth scheduling before a new application launch, after major network changes, or whenever a company wants to verify the resilience of its systems and services.
Yes. Fifth Ace offers Windows 10 and 11 hardening, router configuration review, Microsoft Defender settings, baseline firewall review, and support for building secure backups.
The fastest services to start are a laptop security check, a home network security review, a cyber hygiene setup for a small team, and a baseline security audit.
Contact Fifth Ace and let's plan a safer infrastructure.
[email protected]