Every business is different. These briefs are written around the problems we're most often asked to solve — find yours and see exactly how we'd approach it.
// Get security right from day one — not retrofitted later
Most founders treat security as something to fix later. The problem is that "later" usually means after a contract is lost, an investor due diligence surfaces a gap, or an incident forces the issue. The cost — financial, reputational, and operational — is always higher when it's reactive.
We work with new businesses to build the right security foundation from the start. That means deploying a properly hardened cloud environment, establishing baseline policies, achieving the certifications your customers and partners will expect, and embedding security into the way you operate — not bolted on as an afterthought.
We understand the constraints of an early-stage business. Our approach is proportionate to your stage and budget — giving you what you need now, and a clear path to scale as you grow.
shadowlink, a newly launched dual-use defence tech company, had a fully hardened Microsoft 365 environment live on day one and Cyber Essentials certification within the week.
Read the case study →// The most common starting point — and the biggest unmanaged risk
Microsoft 365 is where most businesses run: email, documents, collaboration, identity. It's also where most cyber incidents start. Default configurations leave significant attack surface exposed — phishing, identity compromise, lateral movement, and data exfiltration all flow through a poorly secured M365 tenancy.
The problem isn't usually a lack of tools — Microsoft 365 includes powerful security capabilities at most licence levels. The problem is configuration and ongoing management. Most IT providers aren't security specialists, so these settings sit at default — or get configured once and never reviewed.
We assess your current M365 posture, identify the highest-risk gaps, harden your configuration against Microsoft and NCSC best practice, and then manage it continuously — updating controls as your environment changes and as new threats emerge.
// Security-by-default isn't the same as security-by-design
Google Workspace is a secure platform — but that doesn't mean your configuration is secure. Default admin settings, over-permissioned third-party app integrations, weak MFA enforcement, and unmonitored sharing permissions leave most Workspace tenants significantly more exposed than their administrators realise.
We assess your Workspace environment against Google and NCSC best practice — reviewing identity controls, admin policies, app permissions, data sharing settings, and device trust configurations. We then harden the environment and establish ongoing monitoring so you have visibility of what's happening inside your tenancy.
For businesses running Workspace alongside other infrastructure, our ATLAS SIEM/SOAR service can ingest Workspace logs alongside other data sources — giving you a unified view across your whole estate.
// Meet the MOD's requirements — and prove it
Winning defence contracts requires demonstrating you meet the MOD's Cyber Security Model (CSM v4) and, increasingly, Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) at the appropriate level. These requirements apply across the supply chain — prime contractors, sub-contractors, and specialist suppliers alike.
Understanding what's required at each Cyber Risk Profile level, which controls you already have in place, and what gaps need closing is where most businesses get stuck. The framework is detailed, the requirements are technical, and the consequences of getting it wrong range from losing a bid to failing a contract audit.
Our AEGIS service is specifically designed for this. Our team includes experts who contributed to building the MOD's own cyber security requirements — we understand the framework from the inside, which means we help you navigate it efficiently without over-engineering your compliance posture.
// The certification customers, insurers and government buyers require
Cyber Essentials is the UK government's baseline cyber security certification — and increasingly a non-negotiable requirement for public sector contracts, supply chain onboarding, and cyber insurance. Cyber Essentials Plus adds an independent technical assessment layer, required for higher-assurance contexts including many government and defence engagements.
The certification tests five technical controls: firewalls and internet gateways, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and patch management. Getting there isn't just about answering a questionnaire — it's about having those controls properly in place and evidenced.
// Recovery, closure, and making sure it doesn't happen again
A cyber incident — whether ransomware, business email compromise, data breach, or account takeover — leaves three things behind: operational disruption, unanswered questions, and a security posture that's no longer fit for purpose.
Most businesses in the immediate aftermath are focused on getting back up and running. The harder questions come later: what exactly happened, how did they get in, what did they access, and what do we need to change? Without answers to those questions, the conditions that allowed the incident remain in place.
We support post-incident recovery by helping you understand what happened, closing the gaps that were exploited, and building a security posture that's hardened against recurrence. We don't just restore what you had — we help you build something better from the position you're now in.
If you're dealing with an active incident, email us directly at asksecurity@nova-blue.net and mark your message urgent. We'll respond as a priority.
// Clarity on where you are, where you need to be, and how to get there
Cyber security programmes drift. Tools accumulate, policies go stale, team structures change, the threat landscape evolves. What made sense two years ago may no longer reflect your actual risk — and a board or investor audience increasingly demands evidence that it does.
A strategic review gives you a structured, evidenced picture of your current security maturity against a recognised framework — and a prioritised, actionable roadmap to close the gaps. It's not a compliance exercise. It's a practical tool for making better security decisions and communicating your posture with confidence.
Our EXPERTIS advisory service is delivered by former GCHQ, MOD and military cyber experts. We've operated at the highest levels of government security — which means we bring a different calibre of judgement to what "good" actually looks like, and what matters most for organisations at your stage.
Tell us where you are and what's driving the need. We'll tell you honestly what we'd do — and whether we're the right fit.
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