CREST launches new community supporter initiative

5 July 2023

CREST, the international not-for-profit, membership body representing the global cyber security industry, is offering organisations and bodies the opportunity to support CREST’s mission to build trust in the digital world by becoming a CREST Community Supporter.

Rowland Johnson, CREST president, says: “As a not-for-profit servicing the whole cyber community, it is a key part of our strategy that we better collaborate with all elements of the ecosystem. We aim to develop and engage with the global cyber security community to leverage our shared knowledge and capabilities for the benefit of all.

“The need for cyber security permeates every aspect of society, so as a sector-representing organisation, we realise we must work harder to engage with as many stakeholders as possible. In the next three years, we plan to better engage with and influence governments, regulators and organisations with large supply chains to drive consistency of approach, aiding our members to operate cross-border with minimum friction.”

Organisations and bodies that don’t fit the definition of a CREST member often show an interest in supporting CREST’s goals and activities, as well as being part of CREST’s wider community. CREST members are professionals or companies that meet the rigorous criteria and standards set by CREST. They are recognised as trusted and competent providers of cybersecurity services, such as penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and incident response. Being a CREST member signifies a commitment to upholding high ethical standards and expertise in the field of cybersecurity.

Now, the new CREST Community Supporter initiative will enable government and international organisations, regulators, not-for-profits, grant givers and other organisations with a shared interest in cyber security to better engage with and support CREST’s ever-growing membership.

As Nick Benson, CREST CEO puts it: “You don’t have to be a cyber service provider or a CREST member to contribute to our mission to build capability, capacity, consistency and collaboration in the global cyber security industry.”

The primary aim of the new scheme is to form closer ties to these community members, in turn enabling greater CREST influence with regulators and increased awareness of CREST and its aims in the buying community, in support of members.

A CREST Community Supporter believes in the CREST mission and wants to support the organisation’s overall goals and objectives in a tangible way. There are three annual supporter levels, Silver, Gold and Platinum, which offer a wide range of benefits from inclusion on the CREST website and social media channels, to the chance to advertise job vacancies within the community and the chance to attend the annual CRESTCon member conference with free tickets.

Benson adds: “We will also offer community supporters the opportunity to speak at CRESTCon, and attend our prestigious Leader’s Dinner, hosted the night before CRESTCon, where they can meet the cybersecurity sector’s movers and shakers. We would also like to extend an invitation to Community Supporters to attend a CREST Regional Council meeting as a guest, and to become involved in our exam development discussions.”

There is also the opportunity to take advantage of CREST’s vast knowledge bank, attend a CREST Buyers’ Forum and receive quarterly ‘state of the market’ updates.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of the CREST Community Supporter programme go to: https://www.crest-approved.org/about-us/crest-community-supporters/

About CREST

CREST is a not-for-profit accreditation and certification body representing the technical information security industry. CREST provides internationally recognised accreditations for organisations providing technical security services and professional level certifications for individuals providing vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, cyber incident response, threat intelligence and security operations centre (SOC) services. CREST Member companies undergo regular and stringent assessment, whilst CREST certified individuals undertake rigorous examinations to demonstrate the highest levels of knowledge, skill and competence. To ensure currency of knowledge in fast changing technical security environments the certification process is repeated every three years.

For more information on CREST: www.crest-approved.org

For media enquires contact: Allie Andrews, [email protected]