Our Certifications
We prove IT.
Anyone can say they take security and service seriously. IT Live Northland – a managed IT & security provider with teams in Whangārei, Auckland, Wellington & Wanaka – backs it with independent certifications and top-tier partner accreditations you can verify for yourself.
SMB1001 Gold Certified
Cyber security is the number one risk facing NZ businesses – and increasingly, your insurers, suppliers and customers want proof you’re protected, not promises. IT Live is certified to SMB1001:2026 Level 3 (Gold), the international cyber security standard built for small and medium business.
What it means for you: the company looking after your systems has been independently assessed across 27 security controls – from MFA and backups to incident response. When your insurer or a big customer asks “is your IT provider secure?”, the answer is a certificate, not a shrug. And IT Live can take your business through the same certification.
Who can certify your business for SMB1001 in New Zealand?
IT Live takes New Zealand businesses through SMB1001 certification end to end, as a licensed SMB1001 assessor for the New Zealand market. The certificate itself is issued through CyberCert, the standard’s official certification platform – no IT company can issue one itself – so the work IT Live does is the whole process around it: a gap assessment against the 27 Gold controls, closing the gaps, then certification issued via CyberCert in your own name. Best for businesses of roughly 5–100 staff being asked for proof by an insurer, tender or larger customer – and if Bronze or Silver honestly covers what you need, IT Live will say so rather than sell you Gold. Details and process: SMB1001 certification (LiveSecure Gold).
Microsoft Solutions Partner – Security
Your business runs on Microsoft 365 – email, files, Teams, identity. Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security is not a badge you can buy: it requires proven customer security outcomes, certified engineers and demonstrated performance across identity, device and data protection.
What it means for you: the people configuring your MFA, Conditional Access and threat protection are recognised by Microsoft itself as being at the pointy end of best practice – so your M365 environment is set up the way Microsoft’s own security team would want it.
One NZ Principal Partner
Connectivity is the heartbeat of a modern business – when mobile or internet goes down, everything stops. As a One NZ Principal Partner, IT Live sits in the top tier of One NZ’s partner programme, with direct access to their business teams, priority support channels and partner-only pricing.
What it means for you: one call to us covers your mobile fleet, broadband and voice – with the buying power and escalation paths of a Principal Partner behind it. No waiting in the consumer queue when something matters.
Certification questions, answered
Straight answers on what IT Live is certified for, what certification costs a New Zealand business, and where it is honestly not worth it.
What does SMB1001 Gold certification cost in New Zealand?
The SMB1001 Gold certificate itself costs $500. The bigger line is assessor time – gathering and checking your evidence against the 27 Gold controls – which for a typical NZ SMB lands in the low thousands depending on your size. If IT Live already manages your IT, much of the groundwork is already running, so the work is evidencing and closing gaps rather than building from scratch. Full detail: SMB1001 Gold for NZ SMBs.
How long does SMB1001 Gold certification take?
Most New Zealand SMBs go from “let’s find out where we are” to certificate in hand in three to six months. A business already on Microsoft 365 with MFA everywhere, managed endpoint protection and a working backup may only have three or four controls left to close. A business starting from ad-hoc backups and shared passwords is looking at three to six months of steady work.
Do you need Gold, or is Bronze or Silver enough?
Bronze usually satisfies cyber insurance up to around $1M of cover, and Silver clears most SME insurance and supplier requirements. Gold is what larger customers and bigger insurance policies typically ask for. If Bronze or Silver covers what you are actually being asked for, IT Live will tell you that rather than sell you Gold.
Is IT Live SMB1001 Gold certified itself?
Yes. IT Live is certified to SMB1001:2026 Level 3 (Gold), independently assessed across 27 security controls covering identity and access, devices and network, data and email, people and process, and insurance. It would not be right to sell a standard IT Live does not hold itself.
What does Microsoft Solutions Partner for Security mean for a client?
It means the people configuring your MFA, Conditional Access and threat protection are recognised by Microsoft against proven customer security outcomes, certified engineers and demonstrated performance across identity, device and data protection. It is not a badge that can be bought.
Where does IT Live deliver certification work?
Across New Zealand, from five offices – Whangārei, Auckland North Shore, Auckland Mt Wellington, Wellington / Kāpiti and Wanaka. The starting point is the free 2-minute self-check, which covers 13 of the 27 Gold controls, or a call on +64 9 280 1780.
Want IT proven, not promised?
Talk to the team that holds itself to the same standards it recommends – the cyber security audit company that will measure your business against them.