Spirent Earns Global Crest Accreditation, Assuring Highest Standard of Ethical Penetration Testing for Customers Around the World

SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 09, 2017 – Spirent Communications plc (LSE:SPT) and  CREST today announced that Spirent has earned global CREST accreditation for penetration testing. CREST accreditation—considered the gold standard for penetration testing—assures Spirent’s customers in EMEA, the Americas, Asia, and Australasia that Spirent’s penetration testing services meet the highest standards and that the work will be carried out by qualified individuals with skill, competence, and cutting-edge knowledge of the latest vulnerabilities and techniques exploited by attackers.

UK-based CREST is a not-for-profit accreditation and certification body that represents and supports the information security market. CREST accreditation is a prerequisite for suppliers to engage with many public sector and private enterprise customers, including some of the world’s largest public companies. For Spirent, a UK-based security solution provider, CREST accreditation provides confidence to customers who rely on Spirent’s security expertise, including compliance guidance for the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), with enforcement and potential fines starting in May 2018.

“CREST accreditation strengthens Spirent’s commitment to providing best-in-class security solutions for our customers, especially those in highly regulated industries,” said Spirent CEO Eric Hutchinson. “The responsibility continues to grow for organizations like ours to execute ahead of evolving cyber security threats, and CREST provides global customers with a consistent standard to identify qualified vendors. To further strengthen our ability to support customers doing business in the European region, Spirent solutions currently map to GDPR requirements.”

A Need for Global Standards

For CREST, the increasingly borderless digital world of the global economy underscores the need for global accreditation standards for services such as penetration testing, cyber incident response and threat intelligence services. Governments, regulators, and customers in the private sector rely on common standards that span countries and regions. All CREST member companies undergo stringent assessment of their policies, procedures, and working practices, ensuring that CREST-approved organizations deliver consistent service to the global market.

“This is a critical time for the cyber security industry,” said CREST President Ian Glover. “Spirent’s commitment and proactive support of global standards assist with further expansion of CREST’s efforts to drive both the quality and standards of global cyber security providers, with alignment to the needs of enterprises and public-sector organizations. Partnering with our member organizations, we are dedicated to the global importance of setting the bar high and taking a structured approach to validating the capabilities of cyber security companies and their labor force.”

“Cyber attackers continually diversify their tactics, and customers need assurance their security testing is conducted comprehensively, scrupulously, and in line with the current threatscape," said Duncan Brown, associate vice president of European infrastructure and security at IDC. “CREST accreditation provides customers with a clear indication of the quality, experience and standardized methodology of the testing organization and the technical capabilities of their security staff performing the assessment”

About CREST

CREST is the not-for-profit accreditation body representing the technical information security industry. CREST provides internationally recognized accreditation for organizations and individuals providing penetration testing, cyber incident response and threat intelligence services. All CREST Member Companies undergo regular and stringent assessment; while CREST qualified individuals must pass rigorous examinations to demonstrate knowledge, skill and competence. CREST is governed by an elected Executive of experienced security professionals who also promote and develop awareness, ethics and standards within the cyber security market. For additional information about CREST, contact Allie Andrews (Allie.Andrews@crest-approved.org) or visit www.crest-approved.org.