Pentest People review: Cyber Essentials in 2026
A factual review of Pentest People as a Cyber Essentials certification body - their penetration-testing heritage, CE Plus strength, pricing guidance, and where Fig Group differs.
Section 01
Pentest People review: Cyber Essentials in 2026
Pentest People is a Leeds-headquartered penetration testing firm and IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials body. Their strength is pen testing - CREST-accredited team, SecurePortal reporting platform - which makes them a natural fit for organisations buying CE Plus (which requires vulnerability testing) alongside a full pen test. Fig Group differs on the pure-CE buying experience - lowest published price, fastest turnaround, bundled insurance, and a platform-first delivery for Micro / Small tiers.
Section 02
Who Pentest People is
- Founded: 2017, Leeds
- Reputation: CREST-accredited penetration testing, red teaming
- IASME-licensed: yes - on the IASME directory
- Scope: Cyber Essentials, CE Plus, penetration testing (infrastructure / web / mobile / cloud), red team exercises
- Platform: SecurePortal for pen-test reporting
If you need a full pen test and CE Plus bundled from the same supplier, Pentest People's consolidation story is strong.
Section 03
Pricing and turnaround
Pentest People does not publish headline CE pricing. Pen-test-bundled CE Plus sits at a different price point than standalone certification. For current figures, see pentestpeople.com. Turnaround is engagement-based.
Section 04
Where Pentest People makes sense
- You are buying a full infrastructure or web-app pen test. Bundle CE Plus and save on scoping duplication.
- You want CREST accreditation on your pen test. Relevant for some regulated sectors.
- You already use SecurePortal.
Section 05
Where Fig Group positions differently
1. £299.99 + VAT published Micro tier. Pricing.
2. 6-working-hour SLA on clean submissions.
3. £25k cyber insurance bundled.
4. Platform delivery - self-serve + assessor review.
5. Verifiable IASME licence: 325cdf33-3812-4082-bf8d-7dce7ac02977 on the IASME directory.
Section 06
The certificate is identical
Pentest People-issued CE and Fig-issued CE certificates come from the same IASME scheme, same validity, same directory.
Section 07
When to consider Fig
- Stand-alone CE, not bundled with pen testing
- Published, low price matters
- Speed matters
- You want the bundled insurance
Section 08
Bottom line
Pentest People is a credible CREST-accredited pen-test firm with a valid CE practice - a strong fit for CE Plus buyers bundling vulnerability testing. For standalone CE at the lowest published UK price, Fig's Micro tier at £299.99 + VAT is the direct alternative.
Start Cyber Essentials with Fig - from £299.99 + VAT | All pricing tiers | Free readiness check
About the author
Jay Hopkins
Managing Director, Fig Group
Jay Hopkins is the Managing Director of Fig Group and an IASME-licensed Cyber Essentials assessor. He was previously Head of Technology for a global regulated firm. He works with UK organisations across regulated sectors on baseline compliance, supply-chain assurance, and AI-augmented security tooling.
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