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CREST Penetration Testing Services

CREST is the international not-for-profit certification body whose accreditation is the most widely recognised quality mark in penetration testing. CREST-member companies and CREST-certified testers operate under audited methodology, ethical standards, and quality requirements that go far beyond unaccredited providers.

RedSecLabs is a CREST-member company. Every penetration test we deliver follows CREST methodology, is led by senior testers holding CREST CRT or CCT certification, and produces reports formatted to the standards CREST-aware buyers (financial services, government, enterprise security teams) expect to see.

CREST certification is increasingly required in UK government tenders, financial services threat-led testing programmes, and high-assurance enterprise procurement. RedSecLabs delivers across all these contexts.

CREST Certified Pen Test Provider ISO Certified OSCP Certified Industry Certification

Free Security Quote

Just a few questions to scope your project. We respond the same business day.

✓ UK-based CREST member · ✓ QSA-aligned methodology · ✓ Same-day scoping response · ✓ Executive + technical reports · ✓ Retest included
Who this is for

This service is a fit if you’re..

1
Regulated procurement
Suppliers to UK government, financial services, and enterprise where CREST status is a procurement gate.
2
Customer security reviews
Vendors where prospects specifically ask "are you CREST-certified?" in their security questionnaire.
3
Cross-border testing
Multi-region engagements where CREST methodology is the recognised quality signal across UK, EU, GCC.
CREST
Member company
CRT & CCT
Senior tester certs
CREST
Member company
48h
Scoping turnaround

What is CREST penetration testing?

CREST (the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers) is the international accreditation body for technical cybersecurity providers. CREST-member companies operate under an audited quality framework covering methodology, technical competence, ethical conduct, complaint handling, and ongoing professional development.

CREST certifies individual testers across specialisms: CREST Registered Tester (CRT) for general infrastructure testing, CREST Certified Tester (CCT) for advanced infrastructure and applications, CREST Registered Penetration Tester (CRPT), and specialist certifications for simulated attack (CSA) and threat intelligence (CCTIM). Together these set the global standard for penetration testing professionalism.

What CREST-led testing delivers:

Audited methodology recognised by UK government and financial regulators

Senior testers under continuous CREST professional development requirements

Reports formatted to CREST standards that withstand auditor scrutiny

Eligibility for CREST-accredited testing

Documented ethical conduct framework and complaint procedures

Confidence in quality without bespoke vendor due diligence

For organisations subject to financial regulator oversight, defence procurement, or high-assurance enterprise security reviews, CREST accreditation is increasingly the minimum bar for any penetration testing engagement.

Why CREST matters

Penetration testing is unregulated in most jurisdictions, anyone can call themselves a penetration tester and many providers do. CREST exists specifically to provide a recognised quality signal that buyers can rely on without running their own competency assessments on every vendor.

For regulated sectors, CREST has effectively become a procurement requirement: UK financial regulators expect CREST accreditation for threat-led testing programmes; defence procurement (DEFCON 658) often mandates CREST or equivalent; enterprise security teams use CREST as a vendor pre-qualification filter.

Without CREST-grade testing, organisations face:

Disqualification from financial sector threat-led testing programmes

Failed enterprise security reviews requiring CREST evidence

Variable test quality across providers without quality framework

Compliance audit findings on penetration testing rigour

Reduced confidence in test results from board and audit committees

Inability to evidence ethical conduct framework to regulators

CREST accreditation is the cheapest way to remove a major variable from your vendor selection, and the strongest external signal of testing quality.

Who needs CREST-certified testing?

CREST is most valued in sectors where audit, regulatory, or procurement contexts demand external quality assurance:

Financial services (CREST)

UK government and defence (DEFCON 658)

Payment and fintech infrastructure

Healthcare and NHS suppliers

Enterprise SaaS and cloud providers

PCI DSS-scoped organisations

Higher education and research

Listed and regulated enterprises

If your audit committee, regulator, or customer security team will read the penetration test report, CREST accreditation removes the question of whether they should trust the provider.

Our CREST Testing Methodology

A CREST-aligned methodology integrating recognised frameworks (OWASP, NIST SP 800-115, OSSTMM, MITRE ATT&CK) with the rigour CREST member-company status requires.

01

Scoping & Rules of Engagement

Detailed scoping aligned to CREST guidance, in-scope and out-of-scope targets, testing windows, escalation contacts, deconfliction procedures, all documented before activity starts.

02

Reconnaissance & Enumeration

OSINT, asset discovery, service enumeration following CREST methodology, establishing the target footprint without disruption.

03

Vulnerability Identification

Automated and manual identification of vulnerabilities across the in-scope estate, with appropriate depth for each asset class.

04

Manual Exploitation & Validation

Senior CREST-certified testers manually validate findings, false positives removed, true impact demonstrated, attack chains constructed where they exist.

05

Privilege Escalation & Lateral Movement

Where in scope, demonstration of post-compromise activity to assess realistic blast radius and segmentation effectiveness.

06

CREST-Format Reporting

Executive summary, technical findings with exploitation evidence, CVSS plus exploitability prioritisation, structured to CREST reporting standards.

07

Findings Review Workshop

Live walk-through with your technical team confirming findings, validating reproduction steps, and agreeing remediation paths.

08

Remediation Retest

Retest of remediated findings to validate fixes, included in scope and documented for compliance evidence.

All testing under CREST methodology with senior CREST-certified testers leading every engagement. We never sub-contract testing to junior staff or non-CREST testers.

What you receive

Every CREST penetration test with RedSecLabs includes:

  • Signed rules of engagement aligned to CREST guidance
  • Executive summary for board and management consumption
  • Detailed technical findings with exploitation evidence
  • CVSS-rated and exploitability-prioritised findings
  • Practical remediation guidance for every issue
  • CREST-format compliance attestation for audit evidence
  • Live findings walk-through with your technical team
  • Remediation retest of critical and high findings

Industries We Serve

We deliver this service across these industries:

Financial Services
Healthcare
SaaS & Technology
E-commerce & Retail
Defence & Government
Cloud & Managed Services
Education
Professional Services

Why RedSecLabs for CREST testing

Every CREST member company differs in how it delivers within the framework. We staff every engagement with senior CREST-certified testers, never juniors operating under loose supervision, and our reports are explicitly structured to the standard CREST-aware buyers expect. The result is testing that withstands the audit-committee, regulator, and enterprise-security scrutiny our clients put it under.

CREST member company under continuous audit
CREST CRT and CCT certified testers
Manual testing, not automated scan output
CREST-format compliance-ready reports
Remediation retest included
CREST member company

Get CREST-Grade Testing

Book a free 30-minute scoping call. CREST-format proposal within 48 hours, engagement starts within 1-2 weeks.

Book a Scoping Call Contact Us

Where to next

Related services and industry packages worth exploring.

Penetration Testing UK

Red Team Assessment

Frequently Asked Questions

CREST audits member companies against a quality framework covering methodology documentation, tester competence (mandatory CREST-certified individuals), ethical conduct, ongoing professional development, complaint handling, and operational quality. Membership is reviewed periodically and can be withdrawn. It is the strongest single quality signal for penetration testing providers.

CREST Registered Tester (CRT) is the entry-level individual certification, passed after demonstrating practical infrastructure testing competence. CREST Certified Tester (CCT) is the senior level requiring substantially more experience and a harder examination, separated into Infrastructure and Applications specialisms. CCT testers lead the most complex engagements.

Methodologically, both should look similar. The differences are: tester certification (CREST member companies must use CREST-certified testers), audited quality framework (CREST audits members), ethical conduct framework (formal CREST code), and report quality expectations (CREST-format reports are recognisable to enterprise security teams). For regulated buyers, CREST removes the need to assess these things yourself.

CREST testing typically runs 10-25% above unaccredited equivalents reflecting the cost of certified-tester staffing and quality framework. External infrastructure tests £4,500-£11,000; web application tests £6,500-£20,000; threat-led testing engagements £45,000+. Fixed-fee quotes within 48 hours of scoping.

Yes. Every penetration test we deliver follows CREST methodology and is led by CREST-certified testers, there is no "CREST-lite" or non-CREST option from RedSecLabs. Other services like vulnerability assessment and red teaming follow their own appropriate methodologies (CREST also accredits red teaming under STAR).
What you receive

Every engagement includes

  • ✓ Scoping call. A 30-minute call to define scope, timeline, and authorisation boundaries.
  • ✓ Test plan. Written test plan covering targets, methodology, and rules of engagement.
  • ✓ Technical report. Detailed findings with reproduction steps, evidence, and remediation guidance.
  • ✓ Executive summary. Board-ready 1-2 page summary with risk ratings and business impact.
  • ✓ Audit-ready evidence. Findings letter formatted for auditors, customers, and supervisory authorities.
  • ✓ Retest letter. Free retest of remediated findings within an agreed window. Confirmation letter included.
  • ✓ Remediation call. A call with our lead tester to walk through findings and remediation strategy.
How we deliver

Our process, end to end

  1. 1
    Scoping call & fixed-scope quote
    A 30-minute call. We define scope, targets, timeline. You get a fixed-scope quote within one working day. No surprise invoices.
  2. 2
    Test plan & authorisation
    Written test plan covering methodology, targets, and rules of engagement. Authorisation letter signed before any testing begins.
  3. 3
    CREST-aligned execution
    Senior tester runs the engagement. Critical findings flagged immediately during testing. Daily updates if you want them.
  4. 4
    Technical + executive report
    Detailed technical findings with reproduction steps. Board-ready executive summary. Delivered within agreed working days.
  5. 5
    Remediation call & retest
    Walkthrough with our lead tester. Retest of remediated findings within the agreed window. Confirmation letter for your auditors.
Engagement scope

What shapes the quote

Small scope
Single app, focused scope, smaller surface. 5-7 working days.
Medium scope
Multi-role platform, several user types, integrations. 8-12 working days.
Enterprise scope
Complex environment, multiple targets, compliance evidence. 12-25 working days.
Fixed-scope quote within 1 working day
No surprise invoices, no scope-creep. We commit to a number before you commit to us.
Sample report
See exactly what we deliver
Download a redacted RedSecLabs penetration test report. Same format, same depth, same clarity as the report your team will receive.
Download sample report
Why RedSecLabs

Grounded reasons clients choose us

⚑
UK-based team
Testers based in the UK. Data stays within UK/EU jurisdiction for sensitive engagements.
❄
CREST member company
CREST-aligned methodology. Senior testers hold CREST CRT or CCT certifications.
⚙
Manual testing, not scanner-only
Automated scanners catch the obvious. Our human testers find the issues that matter.
✎
Clear executive reporting
Reports your board can read and your developers can act on. No jargon padding.
♚
Compliance-aware delivery
PCI, SOC 2, ISO 27001, DORA, GDPR. We map findings to your compliance framework.
↺
Retest support included
Free retest of remediated findings within agreed window. Confirmation letter for auditors.
Related services

Often paired with this engagement

Web App Pentesting →
CREST methodology applied to applications.
Network Pentesting →
CREST methodology for infrastructure.
Red Team Assessment →
CREST-aligned adversary simulation.
DORA TLPT →
For DORA-regulated financial entities.
SWIFT CSP →
For SWIFT-connected financial institutions.
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