CyFUN, Cyber Essentials & Essential 8Ireland's Cyber Baseline — Explained
Three frameworks. One goal: protect your Irish business from the attacks that are happening right now. This hub organises everything you need to understand CyFUN, implement Cyber Essentials, and apply Essential 8 — in plain English, with no jargon.
Whether you are starting from zero or trying to demonstrate NIS2 compliance to a regulator or enterprise client, this is your starting point.
What is CyFUN?
CyFUN — the Cyber Fundamentals Framework — is Ireland's national cybersecurity baseline, published by the NCSC Ireland. It is built on NIST CSF 2.0 and organises cybersecurity into six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
It is voluntary — but it is the NCSC's recommended path to NIS2 compliance. For Irish SMEs trying to demonstrate that they take cybersecurity seriously to regulators, insurers, or enterprise clients, CyFUN is the most credible starting point available.
The framework works alongside — not instead of — Cyber Essentials and Essential 8. Think of CyFUN as the governance structure, Cyber Essentials as the five technical controls, and Essential 8 as the eight prioritised mitigations. Together, they form a complete baseline.
The Three Frameworks at a Glance
The Six CyFUN Functions
CyFUN organises cybersecurity into six functions. Each function has a dedicated article and a quick-win guide. Start with Govern — everything else depends on it.
Govern
Establish cybersecurity policies, assign accountability, and ensure leadership understands the organisation's risk exposure. This is the foundation — without governance, every other control is optional.
7-Day CyFUN Govern Quick StartIdentify
Know what you have: hardware, software, data, and the people who access it. You cannot protect what you cannot see. Asset inventory is the single most impactful first step for any SME.
Asset Inventory in a DayProtect
Implement the controls that reduce your attack surface: MFA, patching, access management, email security, and staff training. This is where Cyber Essentials and Essential 8 live.
MFA Rollout RoadmapDetect
Know when something is wrong. Logging, monitoring, and alerting are the difference between discovering a breach in hours and discovering it in months — after the damage is done.
Security Monitoring BasicsRespond
Have a plan for when — not if — something goes wrong. An incident response plan does not need to be 50 pages. It needs to answer: who calls who, what do we shut down, and who do we tell?
Incident Response Planning GuideRecover
Get back to business. Tested backups, documented recovery procedures, and a communication plan for customers and regulators. The Essential 8 backup strategy is the gold standard for SMEs.
Backup Basics: Essential 8 RecoveryStart Here: The Three Pillar Articles
New to CyFUN, Cyber Essentials, or Essential 8? These three articles give you everything you need to understand each framework before diving into comparisons and implementation guides.
CyFUN Explained: Ireland's NCSC Cyber Fundamentals Framework for SMEs
What CyFUN is, why the NCSC built it, and how Irish SMEs can use it to meet NIS2 obligations without expensive consultants.
12 min readFoundationCyber Essentials for Irish SMEs: 5 Controls That Will Lock Down Your Business
The UK's Cyber Essentials certification covers five technical controls that block 80% of common attacks. Here's how to implement them in an Irish SME.
10 min readFoundationEssential 8: 8 Australian Cyber Strategies Every Irish SME Should Steal
Australia's ACSC developed the Essential 8 to stop the most common attacks. Every strategy is directly applicable to Irish businesses facing ransomware and phishing.
11 min readNot sure where your business stands on CyFUN?
In a free 20-minute call, we will tell you exactly which CyFUN functions your business already meets, which are gaps, and what to fix first. No sales pitch — just a straight answer.
Book Your Free CyFUN AssessmentFramework Comparisons
Which framework is right for your business? These articles compare CyFUN, Cyber Essentials, and Essential 8 head-to-head — and show you how to combine them for maximum NIS2 coverage.
CyFUN vs Cyber Essentials: Which NIS2 Starter Framework Fits Your Irish SME?
A direct comparison of Ireland's CyFUN and the UK's Cyber Essentials — which is right for your business, and can you use both?
14 min readEssential 8 vs Cyber Essentials: Which Cyber Hygiene Framework Wins for Irish Businesses?
Australia's Essential 8 versus the UK's Cyber Essentials — a detailed comparison for Irish SMEs who want the best of both worlds.
11 min readCyFUN + Essential 8: How to Build a Hybrid Cyber Baseline Under NIS2 Deadlines
The most practical path to NIS2 compliance for Irish SMEs: combine CyFUN's governance structure with Essential 8's technical controls.
13 min readThree Frameworks, One Goal: Mapping CyFUN, Cyber Essentials and Essential 8 to NIST CSF 2.0
A comprehensive mapping of all three frameworks to NIST CSF 2.0 — the international standard that underpins NIS2 risk management requirements.
18 min readQuick-Win Implementation Guides
Ready to act? These guides give you a specific, time-boxed action plan for the highest-impact CyFUN and Essential 8 controls. Each one can be started today.
7-Day CyFUN Govern Quick Start: A Practical Guide for Irish Business Directors
Seven days. Seven actions. A working cybersecurity governance structure for your business — without a consultant in the room.
8 min readPatch Like a Pro: How Cyber Essentials and Essential 8 Patching Rules Cut 80% of Attacks
Unpatched software is the number one entry point for attackers. Here's the patching schedule that both Cyber Essentials and Essential 8 require.
7 min readMFA Rollout Roadmap: From Essential 8 Maturity Level 1 to CyFUN Protect
A step-by-step MFA implementation guide for Irish SMEs — from enabling it on email to achieving Essential 8 Maturity Level 2.
9 min readBackup Basics: How Essential 8 Recovery Meets Irish Ransomware Reality
The 3-2-1-1-0 backup rule, tested recovery procedures, and why most Irish SME backups would fail when they're needed most.
8 min readRelated: NIS2 Compliance Resources
CyFUN is Ireland's recommended path to NIS2 compliance. These resources explain the regulation and what it means for your business.
NIS2 Compliance Guide for Irish SMEs
A plain-English overview of NIS2 obligations, timelines, and penalties.
DORA vs NIS2: Which One Applies to Your Business?
Many Irish businesses are in scope for both. Here's how to tell.
NIS2 Fines: The Numbers That Should Keep Directors Awake
Up to €10M or 2% of global turnover. The penalties are real.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to implement CyFUN in your business?
Most Irish SMEs are closer to CyFUN compliance than they think. In a free 20-minute call, we will map your current controls to the six CyFUN functions, identify your biggest gaps, and give you a prioritised action plan — at no cost and no obligation.
We have helped businesses in Donegal, Sligo, and across Ireland implement CyFUN, achieve Cyber Essentials controls, and demonstrate NIS2 compliance to regulators and enterprise clients.