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The Department for Education has signed a specialist firm to a three-year contract to provide “IT health check” services and support for cybersecurity programmes.

The deal with Fidus Information Security came into effect on 22 February and will be worth £1.33m per year. Details of the services to be provided are scarce, but the DfE indicated that the company will be expected to deliver services to both cyber professionals and the wider departmental workforce.

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“[This is a] framework contract to provide security services for the data security team and colleagues across the DfE,” it said. “[And] to acquire security resources to support the delivery of their projects.”

Founded in 2017 and based in Cambridge, Fidus describes itself as a “penetration and security testing consultancy”.

It has regularly provided “IT health check” services for Government Digital Service products, and has also worked with other public-sector customers including Ofsted, the Valuation Office Agency, and the Money and Pensions Service.