BNS Cyber, C3IA Solutions, Evolve Secure Solutions, Info-Assure, OCF IT Security Consultancy and Stratia Consulting are the six companies certified to provide consultancy to government and industry on security architecture, risk assessment and risk management. Most of the firms are small businesses.

Public sector customers can procure cyber consultancy services from these companies using Crown Commercial Service’s Cyber Security Services agreement. CESG said this “central route to procurement will make the procurement process quicker and easier”.

CESG said the firms had been “rigorously assessed” against its high standards and is “confident that they can be trusted to act on its behalf by providing customers with consistent, quality advice”.

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It added that the UK faces increasing numbers of sophisticated and complex cyber threats at a time when industry, government and citizens are more reliant on technology and the internet to do business and carry out their daily lives.

Following consultations with customers and industry experts, CESG moved certification from individuals to companies when it launched the scheme in June 2015.

CESG said the new approach wold make it easier to “scale capacity to meet demand and supports the formation of teams with the right combination of skills to tackle more complex customer needs”.

Ciaran Martin, GCHQ's director general for cyber security, said; "I’m pleased that we have certified these six companies. This is just the start of an ongoing process to build a wide pool of trusted cyber security advisors for our customers."

Liam Maxwell, the government’s Chief Technology Officer, said the initiative will ensure “government and industry have the right cyber security consultancy services to protect their information and do business safely online”.