What Is CAF? Understanding the CAF Framework and Why Your IT Provider Needs to Be CAF Regulated
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If you’re a business owner in the UK, you need to know about the CAF framework – and more importantly, why it matters when choosing your IT support provider.
The Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) is changing how managed service providers (IT Companies) operate in the UK. If you’re working with an IT company that hasn’t mentioned CAF, you might be taking a bigger risk than you realise.
What Is the CAF framework? CAF Meaning Explained
CAF stands for Cyber Assessment Framework. It’s a comprehensive set of standards developed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to assess and improve cyber resilience in organisations – particularly those that handle sensitive data or provide critical services.
Think of CAF as the professional qualification system for cybersecurity.
Just like you wouldn’t hire an unqualified accountant or an unregulated solicitor, the government has recognised that IT and cyber security providers need proper standards too.
The CAF framework establishes clear benchmarks for:
How IT providers must manage security risks
What protective measures must be in place
How threats should be detected and monitored
How quickly and effectively providers must respond to incidents
Why MSPs Are Now Being Regulated: The 2026 Deadline
Here’s what’s changing: the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, coming into force in 2026, will require managed service providers to demonstrate CAF-regulated cybersecurity practices.
This isn’t a suggestion; it’s becoming law.
What the 2026 Legislation Means
The new regulations will require measures like:
24-hour incident reporting for significant cyber events
Mandatory cyber resilience measures across all service providers
Regular compliance audits with enforcement powers
CAF framework alignment for all MSPs handling business-critical systems.
For professional services firms – law practices, accountancy firms, financial advisors, and property businesses – this is crucial. Your IT provider will need to prove they’re operating to government-backed standards.
this is a huge win for those of us that have been doing it all along, we now have the ability to prove our ability and stand tall above lesser providers who win clients on price alone.
Understanding CAF Security: The Four Core Objectives
CAF security is built around four fundamental objectives that every CAF regulated IT service provider must demonstrate:
Objective A: Managing Security Risk
Your IT provider must systematically identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks. This means: - Conducting thorough security assessments - Understanding your specific threat landscape - Implementing risk-based security controls - Regularly reviewing and updating security policies.
What this means for you: No more guesswork. Your IT provider must have documented processes for understanding and managing your risks.
Objective B: Protecting Against Cyber Attack
CAF regulated cybersecurity requires providers to implement effective protective measures:
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) properly configured
Legacy authentication vulnerabilities closed
Automated patching and vulnerability management
Web filtering and DNS protection
Endpoint security optimisation
Centralised device management
What this means for you: Your IT provider must actively prevent attacks, not just clean up afterwards.
Objective C: Detecting Cyber Security Events
The CAF framework mandates real-time threat detection and monitoring:
24/7 security monitoring (not just business hours)
AI-driven threat detection systems
Real-time security alerts and analysis
Continuous configuration monitoring
Proactive threat hunting.
What this means for you: Threats are identified and blocked before they impact your business.
Objective D: Minimising Impact
CAF security standards require proven incident response and recovery capabilities:
Immutable backup systems (can’t be encrypted by ransomware)
Daily backup monitoring and testing
Documented disaster recovery procedures
Proven incident response capability
Business continuity planning and support
What this means for you: When something goes wrong, your provider must have tested and documented procedures to get you back up and running quickly.
The 14 Principles and 41 Outcomes of CAF
The CAF framework isn’t just four broad objectives – it includes 14 detailed principles and 41 specific outcomes that organisations must demonstrate.
These cover everything from:
Asset management and configuration control
Identity and access management
Data security and information protection
Logging and monitoring capabilities
Incident management procedures
Supply chain security - Staff security awareness and training.
It’s comprehensive, rigorous, and designed to ensure that CAF regulated IT service providers are genuinely capable of protecting your business, not just claiming they can.
What Is CAF Compliance? Why It Matters to Your Business
When you ask “what is CAF?” you’re really asking:
“How do I know my IT provider is actually qualified to protect my business?”
CAF compliance is the answer.
A CAF regulated cyber security provider must demonstrate:
Systematic Risk Management – Not reactive firefighting, but proactive identification and mitigation of threats before they become problems.
Documented Processes – Everything from how they configure your security to how they respond to incidents must be documented and repeatable.
Continuous Monitoring – 24/7 threat detection and security monitoring, not just automated alerts that nobody reads.
Tested Recovery – Backup and disaster recovery systems that are regularly tested and proven to work.
Measurable Outcomes – Clear metrics and reporting so you can see the value you’re getting.
Accountability – When something goes wrong, there are clear procedures and responsibilities.
Why Most IT Providers Aren’t Ready for CAF
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most managed service providers in the UK are not prepared for CAF framework requirements.
Many IT companies still operate on a reactive, break-fix model:
They respond when you call with a problem
They don’t have 24/7 monitoring capabilities
Their backup systems aren’t tested regularly
They don’t have documented incident response procedures
They can’t demonstrate systematic risk management
When the 2026 regulations come into force, these providers will face three choices:
1. Invest heavily to meet CAF standards (and raise prices significantly)
2. Exit the market because they can’t afford to comply
3. Continue operating below standard and put their clients at risk
How to Know If Your IT Provider Is CAF-Ready
If you’re currently working with an IT provider, ask them these questions:
About CAF Framework:
Are you working towards CAF compliance?
Can you explain what the CAF framework means for your service delivery?
How are you preparing for the 2026 regulations?
About Security Monitoring:
Do you provide 24/7 security monitoring?
Is it automated alerts only, or do you have a dedicated security team?
How quickly do you detect and respond to threats?
About Backup and Recovery:
Are your backups immutable (protected from ransomware)?
How often do you test backup recovery?
What’s your documented disaster recovery process?
About Risk Management:
Do you conduct regular security assessments?
How do you identify and prioritise security risks?
Can you show me your risk management documentation?
If your current provider can’t answer these questions confidently, you might be at risk.
Initial IT: Built for CAF From Day One
At Initial IT, we ’ve built our entire service model around the CAF framework principles – not because we had to, but because it’s the right way to protect professional services firms.
We’re already working towards full CAF regulated cyber security compliance, which means our clients benefit from:
CAF-Aligned Security Services
Managing Security Risk:
Comprehensive security assessments for every client
Systematic Microsoft 365 environment hardening
Continuous configuration monitoring
Regular security policy reviews
Protecting Against Cyber Attack:
Properly implemented multi-factor authentication
Legacy authentication vulnerabilities closed
Automated patching across all systems
DNS filtering and web protection
Optimised Microsoft Defender
Centralised device management via Intune
Detecting Cyber Security Events:
24/7 threat monitoring via specialist MXDR team
AI-driven threat detection (Heimdal)
Real-time security alerts and response
Continuous monitoring for security drift
Minimising Impact:
Immutable cloud backups (ransomware-proof)
Daily backup monitoring and testing
Documented disaster recovery procedures
Proven incident response capability
Business continuity support
What Makes Us Different
While other MSPs are scrambling to understand what CAF security means, we’ve been operating to these standards from the start:
24/7 Security Monitoring
Most MSPs only offer business hours support. We have a specialist security team monitoring threats around the clock.
Immutable Backup Technology
Most MSPs use standard backups that ransomware can encrypt. Attackers can’t touch our immutable backups.
Systematic Security Processes
We don’t just fix problems reactively. We have documented processes for every aspect of security management.
Proven Track Record
We’ve helped clients recover from cyber-attacks and server failures. We know what works because we’ve tested it.
Who Needs CAF Regulated IT Service?
The 2026 legislation will all IT Service providers, all businesses should be asking questions about whether there current provider is still the best company to help, particularly professional services firms:
· Law firms handling sensitive client data and legal documents
· Accountancy practices managing financial information
· Financial advisors dealing with investment and personal financial data
· Property professionals handling transaction and client information
· Architects and consultancies protecting intellectual property
If you’re a firm with 10-100 employees in the West Midlands – Lichfield, Birmingham, Tamworth, Walsall, Burton-upon-Trent, and surrounding areas – and you rely on technology but don’t have dedicated IT staff, you need a CAF regulated cyber security provider.
Experience CAF-Ready IT: Try IT Kickstarter Free for 30 Days
Understanding what is CAF is one thing. Experiencing what CAF regulated IT service actually looks like is another.
That’s why we created IT Kickstarter – our 30-day free trial that gives you full access to our CAF-aligned services before you commit to anything.
What You Get in 30 Days
Week 1: Security Assessment & Hardening
Comprehensive security assessment
Microsoft 365 environment lockdown
MFA implementation and legacy authentication closure
24/7 MXDR monitoring activation
Week 2: Support Systems Activation
Global service desk access (UK, Florida, New Zealand)
Team training on how to get support
Automated patching deployment
Backup monitoring setup
Week 3: Protection & Monitoring
Immutable cloud backups active
Security policies enforced
Continuous threat monitoring
Configuration drift detection
Week 4: Full CAF-Aligned Protection
Everything running smoothly
Threats blocked before they reach you
Tested backup and recovery systems
Peace of mind with government-standard security
Why 30 Days?
Because that’s enough time to experience the difference between a CAF regulated IT service and a traditional break-fix IT provider.
You’ll see what it’s like to have:
Proactive security instead of reactive firefighting
24/7 monitoring instead of business-hours-only support
Tested backups instead of hoping they work
Systematic risk management instead of ad-hoc fixes
A qualified, regulated IT partner instead of just a support company.
The Real Cost of Unregulated IT Support
With the 2026 deadline approaching, choosing an IT provider who isn’t preparing for CAF framework compliance is risky.
Unregulated IT providers typically:
React to problems instead of preventing them
Don’t have 24/7 security monitoring capabilities
Use backup systems that aren’t regularly tested
Can’t demonstrate systematic risk management
Have no documented incident response procedures
Won’t meet regulatory requirements when 2026 arrives
When regulations tighten, these providers will either raise prices dramatically, exit the market, or continue operating below standard – putting your business at risk.
The true cost isn’t just the monthly IT fee. It’s:
Downtime when systems fail
Data loss when backups don’t work
Security breaches that could have been prevented
Regulatory non-compliance penalties
Reputational damage from cyber incidents
The stress of not knowing if your IT provider is actually protecting you
Ready to Experience CAF-Ready IT?
Now that you understand what is CAF and why CAF regulated cyber security matters, the question is: is your current IT provider ready?
Try IT Kickstarter free for 30 days and experience what government-standard, CAF framework-aligned IT support actually looks like.
No commitment. No payment details required. Just 30 days to see if we’re the right fit for your business.
Book your free IT Kickstarter consultation today.
We’ll assess your current IT setup, identify security gaps, and show you exactly how CAF-aligned security can protect your business – in plain English, with no jargon.
Because you shouldn’t have to trust marketing claims, experience the difference yourself.
Initial IT – CAF-ready cyber security and IT support for professional services firms across the West Midlands.
📞 Contact us today to book your free IT Kickstart consultation
🌐 Visit https://it.initialit.co.uk/it-kickstarter
Building towards full CAF compliance – because we believe your IT provider should meet the same professional standards as your accountant or solicitor.
