CirrusHQ aids CREST's global exam expansion to 70+ nations

CirrusHQ, a cloud specialist based in Scotland, has facilitated a significant expansion for CREST International's cyber exam delivery, enabling the programme to scale to over 70 countries and 1,000 test centres globally.

CREST International, a not-for-profit organisation representing the cyber security industry, accredits over 400 member companies and certifies individuals through rigorous examinations designed to elevate standards in cyber security services. Its certifications, including theoretical and practical assessments, are highly regarded by governments, regulators, and industry bodies worldwide.

Previously, CREST's operations were supported by a legacy private cloud infrastructure. This infrastructure hosted practical exams and was delivered through manual processes reliant on assessor-led operations. Despite supporting global test centres, the system had limitations in terms of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability.

To overcome these challenges, CREST partnered with CirrusHQ to migrate its exam platform to AWS. CirrusHQ established a secure, scalable, and globally accessible exam platform by creating a foundational AWS Landing Zone, providing a secure and compliant environment for exam workloads.

The new platform featured centralised authentication using AWS IAM Identity Centre, enabling role-based access control and simplifying user management while enhancing the security of sensitive exam data.

Automation was a key component of the transition, with AWS Step Functions, Lambda, and CodePipeline deployed to streamline the creation and deployment of exam environments. This resulted in an 80% reduction in time and effort for CREST Assessors, allowing them to concentrate on innovation rather than manual tasks.

The candidate experience was also enhanced with AWS-hosted machines available for practice and a dedicated file-upload platform. Moreover, integration with Pearson VUE test centres facilitated a substantial increase in geographic reach, broadening accessibility for candidates from three countries to over 70.

In addition to scalability and improved accessibility, the migration reduced costs by 33% by decommissioning expensive legacy data centres.

Mark Grigg, Operations Director at CREST, commented, "Working with CirrusHQ has been a highly positive experience. They quickly grasped our unique needs and demonstrated a deep understanding of our objectives. CirrusHQ consistently went above and beyond throughout the project to ensure successful delivery. Their proactive approach and ability to propose creative, effective solutions to challenges made them a reliable and invaluable partner. The transformation of our exam platform has delivered remarkable benefits and will undoubtedly help us to realise our global ambitions."

James Lucas, CEO at CirrusHQ, reflected on the partnership: "Partnering with organisations who recognise that more is possible when it comes to the cloud never fails to excite me. The results that CREST have had following their migration to AWS with the support of our team are nothing short of impressive. From cost savings, having removed the need to maintain private data centres and the associated operational costs to scaling their exam programme to new markets, it is clear that CREST is on a clear path to growth and innovation. Additionally, all of this will no doubt benefit those enrolled in its exam programme around the world."

Additionally, CirrusHQ supported CREST by automating data integration, which synchronised candidate registration data between Dynamics 365 and Pearson VUE, eliminating manual handling and reducing errors.

CirrusHQ recently achieved Premier tier status in the AWS Partner Network, marking it the first Scottish-headquartered company to gain such recognition.