CREST Penetration Testing for the UK Public Sector
Test critical public-sector systems with specialists who understand both attacker tradecraft and the assurance expected around sensitive services. Claranet has more than 20 years of security-testing experience, delivering CREST-accredited and CHECK-approved penetration testing across NHS, policing, local and central government and defence-related environments.
Public-sector penetration testing should produce defensible assurance, not just a vulnerability list.
1,000+
Penetration tests delivered annually
20+ years
Of Claranet security-testing experience
CREST + CHECK
Accredited, NCSC-approved testing capability
Use accredited testers for systems where assurance matters
Claranet is a CREST-accredited member company and NCSC CHECK approved provider. That gives public-sector buyers an independently recognised basis for assessing the quality, methodology and handling standards behind the test.
Where an environment requires personnel vetting, Claranet has appropriately cleared testers for relevant engagements, including NPPV and SC-cleared capability cited in its policing practice.
- CREST-accredited penetration testing.
- NCSC CHECK approved provider capability.
- Appropriately cleared personnel for in-scope sensitive systems.
- Peer-reviewed reports and secure engagement processes.
From public-facing applications to sensitive operational systems
Public-sector estates are rarely homogeneous. A single programme may span citizen-facing web services, APIs, mobile apps, internal infrastructure, cloud platforms and specialist operational technology.
Claranet has tested systems across NHS, police and blue-light environments, central and local government, and defence-related organisations. We scope each engagement around the service, information sensitivity and impact of disruption.
- Web application and API penetration testing.
- Mobile application, infrastructure and wireless testing.
- Cloud configuration and attack-path assessment.
- Device/build reviews, social engineering and bespoke scenario testing.
Keep assurance current as systems and threats change
An annual penetration test is a useful point-in-time control. It does not tell you what changed the week after the report was signed off.
Claranet can extend testing into continuous-security programmes, red and purple-team exercises, and retesting through the Claranet Cyber Portal. That creates a clearer line from vulnerability discovery to remediation and evidence of closure.
- Continuous Security Testing for frequently changing estates.
- Red and purple-team exercises to test prevention, detection and response together.
- Retesting to verify remediation rather than assuming the issue is closed.
- Reporting that can support NCSC CAF and wider assurance activity where relevant.
Security testing that stands up to technical, procurement and governance scrutiny
A public-sector test often has several audiences at once: the engineers fixing the issue, the security team managing risk, the programme owner proving readiness and the assurance function asking whether the test itself was credible.
Claranet combines automated discovery with extensive manual testing, exploitation and attack-path analysis. Findings are peer reviewed, CVSS scored and delivered with technical remediation guidance plus an executive view of the risk.
That approach has been used across public-sector environments including NHS services and UK policing, and can be extended into red-team, purple-team and continuous-security-testing programmes where point-in-time assurance is no longer enough.
Need a penetration test that your technical team and assurance function can both trust?
Tell us what you are protecting, the assurance requirement and the operational constraints. We will help you define the scope, testing approach and evidence needed without turning the exercise into a box-tick.
Speak to a public sector pentest specialist
Or call us on 0330 390 0507
Public sector penetration testing FAQs
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Yes. Claranet is a CREST-accredited penetration testing provider and an NCSC CHECK approved provider.
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Claranet states that testers supporting UK policing include NPPV and SC-cleared personnel. The exact clearance required and available should be confirmed during scoping for each public-sector engagement.
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Claranet tests web applications, APIs, mobile applications, internal and external infrastructure, wireless networks, cloud environments and device builds. Red-team, social-engineering and continuous-security-testing services are also available.
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Yes, where relevant the findings and remediation evidence can be mapped to security objectives such as the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework. The specific assurance requirement should be agreed during scoping.
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A CREST penetration test combines tooling with manual expert-led testing, exploitation and contextual analysis. Automated scanning is useful for coverage but does not replace the judgement and attack-path analysis of a qualified tester.
Explore our related services: Managed SOC for the UK Public Sector and Managed Sovereign Private Cloud for the Public Sector, or see all our public sector services.