NCC Group joins Cyber Scheme accredited company programme

NCC Group has been recognised under The Cyber Scheme Accredited Company Programme, which links company accreditation to workforce standards aligned with the UK Cyber Security Council's Chartered Cyber Security Professional framework.

The recognition places the cyber security consultancy within a UK scheme designed to assure buyers of cyber services by confirming that participating companies employ staff whose skills meet an established professional benchmark.

The programme was created to support member organisations, widen access to new talent and open commercial opportunities across the UK cyber sector. For NCC Group, the recognition also formalises a relationship with The Cyber Scheme that has developed over several years through assessment and standards work.

Its inclusion reflects a continued focus on independently assured cyber security services and industry-wide professional standards. The scheme is intended to raise standards in cyber security testing and related technical disciplines.

Standards focus

The Cyber Scheme operates as a training and assessment body for the UK's technical cyber security market. Its work includes NCSC-certified training and assessments used in government-related schemes, alongside activity in incident response, red team management, and operational technology and internet of things security.

It is also licensed to assess individuals for professional titles across several disciplines, from Associate to Chartered level. The Accredited Company Programme extends that framework from individual practitioners to employers by examining whether a company's workforce aligns with recognised standards.

The recognition builds on collaboration that has included support for the development of red team examinations. NCC Group has also contributed to initiatives adopted across the sector, including by financial institutions.

That work reflects a broader push within the cyber market to create clearer benchmarks for technical competence at a time when public and private sector buyers face a crowded supplier landscape. Accreditation and professional registration schemes have become one way to distinguish between training, assessment and practical experience in a market where services can be difficult to compare.

Industry role

NCC Group has also worked with industry bodies including the UK Cyber Security Council to help define and promote professional standards. The council's chartered framework has become a UK reference point for measuring cyber security professionalism across specialisms.

The recognition comes as cyber employers continue to grapple with skills shortages and pressure to show that teams meet externally validated standards. Programmes that tie organisational recognition to individual professional benchmarks are increasingly used to support both recruitment and buyer confidence.

The Cyber Scheme assesses and certifies hundreds of testers each year, with certifications intended to support applications for professional titles in the security testing specialism. It also runs training and mentoring courses for practitioners ranging from entry-level staff to experienced specialists.

In addition, the organisation serves as an assessment provider for the Cyber Advisor Scheme in partnership with IASME and works with bodies including the UK Cyber Security Council, the National Cyber Security Centre, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and academic institutions.

For NCC Group, the latest recognition provides another formal marker of its standing in the UK assurance market, where customers increasingly look for evidence that technical claims are backed by third-party assessment. The company has presented the move as part of its role in supporting consistency and professionalism across the industry.

A factual statement accompanied the announcement.

"Our participation in The Cyber Scheme Accredited Company Programme underlines NCC Group's commitment to setting the standard for independently assured cyber security services. It reflects both the strength of our technical expertise and the active role we play in shaping the future of professional standards across the industry," said Duncan McDonald, UK lead technical assurance services, NCC Group.