4-Academy MAT Achieves Cyber Essentials Across All Sites in 30 Days
A multi-academy trust in the East Midlands with 85 endpoints spread across three counties passed Cyber Essentials within 30 days of deployment — after a previous failed attempt — while saving £5,760 per year.
One IT manager. Four academies.
This 4-academy multi-academy trust in the East Midlands had a single IT manager as its entire cyber security strategy — and a DfE deadline for Cyber Essentials compliance fast approaching.
Single point of failure
One IT manager was responsible for cyber security across all four academies. There was no dedicated security team, no SOC, and no out-of-hours monitoring.
Approaching DfE deadline
The Department for Education required Cyber Essentials certification, and the deadline was weeks away. A previous assessment attempt had already failed.
No visibility into BYOD or remote working
Student BYOD devices and staff remote working were completely invisible to the trust. There was no way to detect threats coming from unmanaged devices.
Four academies. One security umbrella.
The trust deployed SOC in a Box Large (100 assets) with concierge on-site support and DecoyPulse honeypots across all network segments.
Concierge on-site deployment
On-site concierge support at the main academy site, with virtual appliances deployed at the three satellite academies — ensuring full coverage across three counties.
DecoyPulse honeypots
DecoyPulse honeypots were deployed on each network segment, creating early-warning tripwires that detect lateral movement before attackers reach critical systems.
SOC in a Box Large (100 assets)
24/7 monitoring, vulnerability scanning, dark web monitoring, awareness training, Cyber Essentials certification support, and incident response — covering all 85 endpoints.
From failed assessment to full certification.
Cyber Essentials passed in 30 days
The trust achieved Cyber Essentials certification within 30 days of deployment — after a previous failed attempt. Guided remediation made the difference.
12 unpatched machines remediated
Twelve machines with missing critical patches were identified during the first vulnerability scan and remediated before they could be exploited.
Shadow IT discovered across 2 sites
Unauthorised software and services were discovered running across two academy sites — completely invisible to the IT manager until SOC monitoring went live.
£5,760 per year net saving
A net saving of £480 per month compared to the cobbled-together tools previously in use — totalling £5,760 per year with vastly superior coverage.
The numbers that matter.
To Cyber Essentials
Covered
Endpoints monitored
Net saving per year
Client Testimonial
“We passed Cyber Essentials on the first attempt — after failing the year before. Our IT manager can finally focus on infrastructure projects instead of firefighting security issues.”
— COO, Multi-Academy Trust, East Midlands
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