EH Smith Builders Merchants is pleased to announce that we have achieved Cyber Essentials certification, a government-backed accreditation scheme that demonstrates our commitment to protecting our business, our staff, our customers and our suppliers against cyber threats.
Cyber Essentials is widely recognised across the construction industry and is increasingly required by Tier 1 contractors, many of whom work on government projects and pass cyber security requirements down their supply chains. Achieving this certification provides tangible, independently verified evidence that EH Smith meets the required standards, making us a trusted and compliant partner for businesses at every level of the supply chain.
For you, our customers, the thousands of trade businesses, contractors, SMEs, sole traders and individual customers we work with every day, it provides reassurance that EH Smith takes the security of your data and our supply chain relationships seriously and with the highest care at all levels.
"One of the biggest challenges was strengthening security across an established IT environment. This involved reviewing longstanding configurations, introducing new security controls and bringing hundreds of computers and mobile devices onto supported software versions. As technical lead, I’m proud to have led that work and of the effort colleagues across the business put into achieving certification. The process went beyond making technical changes: it also meant developing clear policies and making sure we could maintain those standards in everyday operations. For our customers and supply chain partners, this provides reassurance that we have taken practical, independently assessed steps to reduce common cyber risks. For our employees, it means better protected devices and clearer guidance on the part we all play in keeping the business secure."
Josh Gazzard | Project Technical Lead
Achieving certification is not something we have approached as a tick-box exercise. Working in close partnership with our cyber security partner Thrive Networks, their consultants ensured that the controls and processes we put in place genuinely aligned with the requirements of the scheme rather than simply satisfying an attestation on paper. Cyber security at EH Smith is embedded across the business, with communication, training and management commitment all playing a key role in building genuine resilience.
James Cave, Business Improvement Director at EH Smith and head of the Cyber Security team, commented:
"I’m really pleased to report that we’ve now achieved our Certificate of Assurance to the Cyber Essentials Scheme, certified by our cyber security partner, Thrive Networks. My team has worked diligently alongside consultants from Thrive to ensure our technical estate complies with the requirements of the scheme, putting in place numerous policies, procedures and controls to ensure we remain compliant as we move forward. Achieving this standard demonstrates our commitment to cyber and information security, providing tangible evidence to our customers and suppliers that we are a trusted partner in their supply chain. With the threat landscape continuing to evolve and major retailers increasingly falling victim to significant cyber-attacks, this achievement is not the destination, but a strong foundation from which we can continue to strengthen our security posture and build greater resilience across the business."
James Cave | Business Improvement Director
Customers wishing to verify our certification can do so via the official IASME certificate search portal at iasme.co.uk.
Looking ahead, EH Smith will be working towards Cyber Essentials Plus certification, the next level of the scheme, which involves an independent third party audit to verify that the controls in place match the requirements attested to. This forms part of our ongoing commitment to building a more resilient and secure business for our customers, suppliers and colleagues.
© EH Smith Builders Merchants 2026
