Mersek Cyber · UK
Keeping your business safe, certified and trusted.
I help small UK businesses get ready for Cyber Essentials and stay secure after that. Everything is explained in plain English. Most of the work happens remotely, so I can help wherever you are in the UK.
The five Cyber Essentials technical controls:
Stops strangers on the internet reaching your computers, like a locked front door.
Removes default passwords and switches off things you don't use, so there are fewer ways in.
Fixes known holes in your software quickly, before attackers can use them.
Each person only gets the access they need, with two-step sign-in.
Stops viruses and ransomware running on your devices.
The five basics behind Cyber Essentials. Tap one to see what it does.
The problem
Then a client, an insurer or a tender asks for Cyber Essentials. Or someone asks whether your email is set up properly, and nobody is quite sure.
The good news is that most of what matters is basic. Strong sign-ins, up-to-date software and sensible settings go a long way. You need someone to check it, fix it and explain it without the jargon.
Your business, protected
Tap a threat to see what it is and what it looks like in real life.
Threat 1 of 6
Mersek closes this gap for you.
Threat 2 of 6
Mersek closes this gap for you.
Threat 3 of 6
Mersek closes this gap for you.
Threat 4 of 6
Mersek closes this gap for you.
Threat 5 of 6
Mersek closes this gap for you.
Threat 6 of 6
Mersek closes this gap for you.
Services
Get ready for the government-backed Cyber Essentials certificate. I check your systems against the five controls, give you a clear fix plan and help you with the questions.
The certificate itself is issued by an IASME-licensed Certification Body, not by Mersek.
A plain-English review of how secure your business is today. I look at your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace setup and what your business shows to the internet. You get a short report with the biggest risks first.
You know what needs fixing but have no time to do it. I make the agreed changes for you, remotely and only with your written approval.
Security slips as staff come and go and settings change. Each month I check your domain and email, watch for leaked passwords and tell you when something needs attention.
Pricing
Every business is different. You'll get a fixed quote after the free 20-minute call, before any work starts.
Cyber Essentials certificate fee: paid separately to the Certification Body, from £320 + VAT for 0 to 9 staff. Eligible micro and small businesses may get 75% off. See the full breakdown.
No VAT is charged on Mersek's fees. Monthly protection has no long contract, cancel with 30 days’ notice.
For law firms
If your Legal Aid Agency contract came into force on or after 1 October 2025, you must hold Cyber Essentials, or an equivalent standard the LAA agrees, for the life of the contract.
This comes from version 5 of the LAA’s Provider Data Security Requirements. Contracts that started before 1 October 2025 follow earlier versions, so check your own contract documents to see what applies to you.
Under the 2025 Standard Crime Contract, you need a valid certificate from your service start date. You must also send the LAA evidence of renewal on each anniversary of your first certificate. A Cyber Essentials certificate lasts 12 months, so plan for renewal every year.
I can help you get ready for your first certificate and keep your records in order for each renewal.
Book a free 20-minute callHow it works
A free 20-minute video call about your systems and any deadline you are working to.
You sign a short scope and authorisation. Then I check your setup and write up what I find in plain English.
You make the changes using my plan, or I make them for you with the Fix Pack.
If you need Cyber Essentials, you submit your assessment to the Certification Body. Monthly protection then keeps things on track.
Founder, Mersek Cyber
About Piotr
I’m Piotr Zareba, and Mersek Cyber is my business. I’m 20 and work as an infrastructure and security apprentice. I have 3+ years of hands-on IT experience. I’m also a degree apprentice on the BSc Digital and Technology Solutions at Manchester Metropolitan University, and I’m currently studying for the CompTIA SecAI+ certification.
I’m based in Liverpool and work with businesses across the UK, mostly remotely.
I started Mersek because small firms are often told security is complicated or scary. Most of it is neither. It is about getting the basics right and keeping them right. I’ll tell you plainly what matters, what can wait and what it will cost before any work starts.
You deal with me directly. I only ever work on systems you have authorised in writing.
FAQ
No. Mersek does not issue the certificate. An IASME-licensed Certification Body does. IASME is the NCSC’s official Cyber Essentials Delivery Partner. I help you prepare so you go into the assessment ready.
If your LAA contract came into force on or after 1 October 2025, yes. You must hold Cyber Essentials, or an equivalent the LAA agrees, for the life of the contract. Older contracts follow earlier versions of the LAA’s requirements, so check your own contract documents.
It is the minimum standard of cyber security recommended by the UK Government. It is built around five technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection. The certificate lasts 12 months.
Both cover the same five controls. Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment checked by an independent assessor. Cyber Essentials Plus adds a hands-on technical audit of your systems by the Certification Body.
Yes. Since 27 April 2026, new assessments use version 3.3 of the requirements and the Danzell question set. The five controls are the same, but the marking is stricter. If a cloud service offers multi-factor authentication and you have not turned it on, you now fail automatically. The same applies if critical or high-risk security updates are not installed within 14 days.
The assessment fee is set by IASME, not by Mersek. It starts at £320 + VAT for organisations with 0 to 9 staff and £440 + VAT for 10 to 49 staff. UK micro and small businesses that have not held Cyber Essentials in the last four years may get 75% off, subject to eligibility and available funding. You must register and buy the assessment by 31 March 2027 to claim it. My readiness support is priced separately, from £695 for 0 to 9 staff.
No. Monthly protection rolls month to month, so there is no long contract. You can cancel with 30 days’ notice.
No. I’m based in Liverpool, but almost everything I do happens remotely. I work with businesses across the UK.
Only what the job needs, and only after you have signed a written authorisation. For most reviews I ask for read-only access, so I can look but not change anything.
Book a call
Tell me what you need, or the deadline you are facing. I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help and what it will involve.
Book a free 20-minute call