HUNDREDS of security alarm companies face being struck off a police-approved list in just less than two months, a Hampshire expert has warned.

Hannah Wallis, of compliance specialist Hantec Systems, said security firms that fail to complete the Cyber Essentials certification by the end of March could be removed by police.

That would meaning officers would no longer attend their alarm calls.

The Eastleigh-based company said there are severe implications for thousands of businesses that could find their insurance policies are no longer valid if their security company is not police-approved.

Ms Wallis said it was vital that businesses using an alarm company check with their provider to ensure they were fully compliant with Cyber Essentials certification.

“We understand there are hundreds of security alarm companies that have yet to start their Cyber Essentials certification and they risk being caught out by the March deadline,” she said.

“The clock is now ticking for security companies and it is ticking very loudly. Police nationally have warned that any companies not compliant as of the end of March face being struck off from the police approved list.

“Ultimately, if your alarm is triggered by an intruder, the police may not send a response unit to the property or building. The implications for business insurance policies are significant.”

Cyber Essentials is a UK certification which ensures an organisation has the minimum level of protection in cyber security. A company is certificated through annual assessments to maintain certification.

Hantec Systems security specialist Andy Carver said: “We are already working with a number of our clients to ensure they are Cyber Essentials compliant.

“March 31 will come around very quickly so it is important that security alarm companies get started on their Cyber Essentials certification as soon as possible.”

The Cyber Essentials scheme is run by the National Cyber Security Centre, which unveiled several updates to the certification earlier this year.

Many of the changes relate to cloud services, home working, multi-factor authentication and password management.