---
title: UK NCSC launches the Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) scheme to assure red-team providers for critical organisations | ctxsec
url: https://ctxsec.com/items/ncsc-cyber-adversary-simulation-cyas-scheme-launch-critical-organisations
description: "The NCSC has launched CyAS, an Industry Assurance scheme that assesses commercial adversary-simulation providers against an NCSC-defined standard. Providers must do their own reconnaissance of the customer's technology and exposure and build customer-specific attack plans, rather than follow purchased threat intelligence or set TTP lists. The scheme complements the Cyber Assessment Framework and Cyber Resilience Audit scheme, was built with regulators and lead government departments, and starts as a minimum viable product."
status: "official (NCSC news, Nov 11, 2026)"
published: 2026-11-11
---

> The NCSC has launched CyAS, an Industry Assurance scheme that assesses commercial adversary-simulation providers against an NCSC-defined standard. Providers must do their own reconnaissance of the customer's technology and exposure and build customer-specific attack plans, rather than follow purchased threat intelligence or set TTP lists. The scheme complements the Cyber Assessment Framework and Cyber Resilience Audit scheme, was built with regulators and lead government departments, and starts as a minimum viable product.

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official (NCSC news, Nov 11, 2026)

2026-11-11 11:37 AM ET

### UK NCSC launches the Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS) scheme to assure red-team providers for critical organisations

- **Who it's for:** large organisations, critical national infrastructure, government, and the Cyber Oversight Bodies that need evidence of resilience.
- Assured providers are listed on the NCSC's 'Find a Provider' page.

Sources: [NCSC: NCSC scheme will help critical organisations test their cyber defences (Nov 11, 2026)](https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/news/ncsc-scheme-help-critical-organisations-test-their-cyber-defences)