FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Halberd certify my clients?
No. Halberd is a readiness aid and does not issue or guarantee Cyber Essentials certification. Certification is awarded by an IASME-licensed certification body after assessment. Halberd helps you find and fix gaps before you apply.
Can Halberd change anything in a client's tenant?
No. It requests read-only Microsoft Graph permissions only, and its code blocks any request that is not a read.
Who needs to approve access?
A Global Administrator (or Privileged Role Administrator) of the client's Microsoft 365 tenant, using a one-click consent link. You can open it yourself if you administer their tenant.
What licences does the client need?
Halberd works with any Microsoft 365 business plan. Some checks need Entra ID P1 (for example sign-in logs and inactive accounts) or Intune (device patching). When data is unavailable, Halberd marks the check "Needs evidence" and explains why — it never fails silently.
Does Halberd cover everything in Cyber Essentials?
No tool can check everything through Microsoft 365. Firewalls, routers, on-premises servers, non-Microsoft apps and malware protection appear as manual checklist items with guidance and evidence upload.
Does Halberd use AI on our data?
No. All checks are transparent, deterministic rules. Client data is never sent to AI services.
How long is data kept?
Scan results are kept for 13 months by default (you can change this), except that each client's latest scan is always kept. Evidence files are kept until you delete the client. Halberd never stores Microsoft access tokens or raw sign-in logs.
Can I put my own branding on reports?
Yes — your logo, brand colour and footer appear on every PDF report. The Halberd disclaimer is always included.
Important: Halberd is a readiness aid and does not issue or guarantee Cyber Essentials certification. Certification is awarded only by an IASME-licensed certification body after assessment. Halberd is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NCSC or IASME.
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