NCC Group achieves NCSC Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) assurance for Red Team services

NCC Group, a global cyber security company, has achieved assurance under the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) scheme. The scheme recognises the technical expertise of NCC Group’s Red Team specialists and its ability to deliver realistic, intelligence-led attack simulations to NCSC standards. 

What is the NCSC Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) scheme? 

The NCSC’s CyAS scheme helps organisations identify assured cyber security providers capable of testing their resilience against realistic cyber attacks. 

Providers approved under the scheme are assessed against the NCSC's defined methodology and standards for delivering cyber adversary simulation engagements. 

These exercises replicate the techniques and behaviours of sophisticated threat actors, allowing organisations to evaluate how effectively their people, processes and technology can prevent, detect and respond to cyber attacks. 

The scheme is particularly relevant to large organisations, critical national infrastructure operators and government organisations seeking to strengthen their cyber resilience. 

Independent assurance of NCC Group's Red Team expertise 

Red Team exercises go beyond traditional security testing by simulating realistic attack scenarios to assess how an organisation's security controls, detection capabilities and incident response processes perform against sophisticated threats. 

Through these engagements, organisations can: 

• Test their cyber resilience: Understand how effectively their organisation can prevent, detect and respond to realistic cyber attacks. 
• Identify security weaknesses: Uncover potential gaps across people, processes and technology. 
• Validate detection and response capabilities: Assess whether security teams can identify and respond to sophisticated attacker activity. 
• Inform security improvements: Use findings to prioritise remediation, strengthen defences and support cyber risk management decisions. 

Damien Childs, CTO at NCC Group, said: 

"Achieving assurance under the NCSC's Cyber Adversary Simulation scheme is an important recognition of the technical expertise and capabilities of our Red Team. 

"Crucially, this isn't simply about demonstrating our ability to simulate sophisticated cyber attacks. It's about providing organisations with independent confidence that our approach meets the standards set by the NCSC. 

"As cyber threats continue to evolve, organisations need to understand not just where their vulnerabilities lie, but how effectively they can detect and respond to a determined attacker. Realistic adversary simulation plays an important role in identifying those gaps and helping organisations build stronger, more resilient defences." 

Frequently asked questions 

What is the NCSC Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) scheme? 

The CyAS scheme is an assurance programme developed by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre. It identifies providers assessed as capable of delivering realistic cyber adversary simulation engagements in accordance with the NCSC's defined standards and methodology. 

What does NCC Group's CyAS assurance mean? 

It means NCC Group's Red Team capability has been evaluated and confirmed as meeting the NCSC's requirements for delivering cyber adversary simulation services under the scheme. This provides organisations with independent assurance of the capability being offered. 

How does cyber adversary simulation help organisations? 

Cyber adversary simulation tests an organisation's ability to prevent, detect and respond to realistic cyber attacks. It helps identify weaknesses in security controls, validate monitoring and detection capabilities, and improve incident response arrangements. 

Who can benefit from CyAS services? 

CyAS services are particularly relevant to large organisations, operators of critical national infrastructure and government organisations with established cyber security capabilities seeking to test their resilience against sophisticated threats. 

Find out more 

Learn more about the NCSC Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) scheme and how assured cyber adversary simulation services can help organisations strengthen their resilience.