DSPT Penetration Testing for NHS Suppliers
Get DSPT-ready and pass your CAF-aligned audit with confidence. We are a Cyber Essentials certification body and a CREST-accredited testing team, so your independent penetration test, your certificate and an audit-ready report come from one partner. Fixed quote in 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- Unlimited pre-retesting
- No hidden fees
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
penetration test a year: what the CAF-aligned toolkit’s IT protection guidance keeps for web servers and critical network infrastructure.
The DSPT Changed, and Your Evidence Has To Keep Up
Who completes it. Organisations with access to NHS patient data or systems complete the Data Security and Protection Toolkit every year. NHS Standard Contract General Condition 21.2 requires providers to comply with the mandatory requirements of the DSPT as applicable to their organisation type. NHS DSPT.
Aligned to the CAF. The 2025/26 toolkit is aligned to the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework, with mandatory outcomes per organisation type and an independent CAF-aligned audit for NHS bodies, designated operators of essential services, genomics organisations and relevant IT suppliers. Outcomes need evidence that your security works, not a ticked box. NCSC CAF.
Where testing sits. The toolkit’s Guide 9 (IT protection) keeps an annual penetration test scoped to web servers, vulnerability scans and critical network infrastructure. The CAF’s vulnerability management outcomes look for proof that you find and fix weaknesses, and a test with a retest is the clearest proof.
Who we help. NHS suppliers, clinical software vendors, digital health firms and care providers that handle NHS patient data. If you also sell a product into the NHS, DTAC applies too. New to the toolkit? Read our guide to the NHS DSPT.
SCOPE
What We Test for Your DSPT Evidence
Web Servers & External Infrastructure
Internet-facing hosts, web servers and services: the core of the annual test the toolkit’s IT protection guidance describes.
Applications Handling NHS Data
Patient portals, clinical systems and supplier platforms. Access control, role separation, record-level access and data exposure.
APIs & Integrations
APIs connecting your systems to NHS and third-party services. Object-level authorisation, token handling and integration trust boundaries.
Critical Network Infrastructure
Internal segregation, Active Directory and the network paths to systems that hold patient data.
AWS / Azure / GCP
Cloud configuration for environments holding NHS data. IAM, encryption, logging and exposed services.
Cyber Essentials & Plus
Certificate assessment alongside your test. A current certificate remains a common baseline expectation.
OUR PROCESS
From Scoping to an Audit-Ready Submission
Scope in 24 Hours
Tell us your systems and your DSPT deadline. We return a fixed quote and scope within a day.
Certify & Test
We assess your Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus, and our CREST-accredited UK testers run a focused assessment against the risks that matter to the CAF outcomes and to NHS data.
Report for Audit
A CVSS-scored report mapped to the relevant CAF outcomes, ready for your DSPT submission and independent auditor.
Retest & Confirm
We retest Critical and High findings and issue written confirmation of closure.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a CREST DSPT pen test quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £3,500 for a single-role, single-app scope, agreed up front. Most engagements run £5,000 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonFounder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
Get your fixed pen test quote in 24 hours
Quote request received
We will reply within one business day with your fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
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or book a 20-min scoping call first
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COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Aligned to Every Framework
Findings map to specific control references in each framework, so your audit team submits the report directly without translation work.
NHS DSPT
Evidence for Guide 9 (IT protection) of the CAF-aligned toolkit.
NCSC CAF
Findings tied to the vulnerability management and testing outcomes your auditor reviews.
Cyber Essentials / Plus
Certified directly by us as an IASME certification body.
NHS DTAC
The same test supports DTAC technical security where you also sell a product to NHS buyers.
UK GDPR
Article 32(1)(d) evidence that you regularly test the effectiveness of your security measures.
ISO 27001
Annex A 8.8 technical vulnerability management, once you declare that control applicable.
PRICING
Indicative Engagement Pricing
Your price is scoped in days and fixed before we start, benchmarked against UK market day rates of £1,100 to £1,400. Free retest, executive summary, walkthrough call and letter of attestation included.
Depends on service + scope
A single application or external infrastructure test for a smaller NHS supplier, with a report written for your DSPT submission.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on service + scope
Application, API and external infrastructure, plus Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus and a remediation retest. The usual DSPT evidence pack.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on service + scope
A multi-system estate with cloud and internal network in scope, for larger NHS suppliers facing an independent audit.
Get a fixed quoteWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From DSPT Penetration Testing
Six concrete differentiators competitors don’t all match.
CREST-Certified Testers, Verifiable
Every test by a CREST-certified pen tester (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF where applicable). Verify our company status at crest-approved.org.
24-Hour Startup, Where Required
From signed scope to active testing in a single business day for incident response, audit deadlines, or regulator-driven timelines.
Live Findings, Not 4-Week PDFs
Critical issues reported during testing through your client portal. Your team remediates while testing continues.
Audit-Ready Reports
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores and explicit framework mappings (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, FCA SYSC).
Free Retests, Standard
Verify remediation of every finding before close-out. Letter of attestation for audit submission included. Most competitors charge £1,500-£3,000 per retest.
UK-Based CREST Testers
Every engagement performed by vetted, UK-based CREST-certified testers, matched to your needs, security clearance, and compliance scope.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
Does the DSPT require a penetration test?
The CAF-aligned toolkit’s Guide 9 (IT protection) keeps an annual penetration test scoped to web servers, vulnerability scans and critical network infrastructure. We deliver a CREST test and a report written for your DSPT submission.
What changed when the DSPT moved to the CAF?
The DSPT shifted from a checklist to an outcome-based model. Instead of asserting that controls exist, you show evidence that they work, including testing your systems and showing you act on the findings.
Is the DSPT mandatory?
For organisations with access to NHS patient data or systems, in practice yes. The NHS Standard Contract (GC21.2) requires providers to complete an annual assessment and comply with the mandatory requirements of the DSPT as applicable to their organisation type, and many NHS contracts and data-sharing agreements make a satisfactory DSPT a condition.
Who needs an independent DSPT audit?
Under the 2025/26 toolkit, NHS bodies, designated operators of essential services, genomics organisations and relevant IT suppliers face an independent CAF-aligned audit.
Do I need Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus for the DSPT?
A current Cyber Essentials certificate is a common baseline expectation, with Cyber Essentials Plus often asked for on higher-risk systems and certain contracts. We are a certification body for both and will advise honestly on the level you need.
How does the DSPT relate to NHS DTAC?
The DSPT assures that your organisation is fit to handle NHS patient data, renewed every year. DTAC assures that one product is fit for purpose before an NHS buyer adopts it. Both look for penetration testing evidence. See our NHS DTAC penetration testing page.
What about DCB0129 and DCB0160?
Those are clinical risk management standards covering clinical safety, a separate discipline from cyber security. Our remit is the technical security evidence: penetration testing and Cyber Essentials.
What’s in the report?
Executive summary (board-ready), technical report with CVSS 3.1 scores, reproduction steps, screenshots, specific remediation guidance, findings mapped to CAF outcomes, and a 60-minute walkthrough call. Letter of attestation issued after free retest.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. We sign client-supplied NDAs as standard. Engagement data is protected under our ISO 27001 (BSI-audited) information security management system.
How quickly can you start?
From signed scope to active testing in 24 hours where required. Standard pipeline is 3-5 business days from initial scoping call to test start.
Are your testers UK-based and what certifications do they hold?
Every engagement is performed by vetted UK-based CREST-certified testers matched to your engagement based on security clearance, compliance scope, and sector specialism. Testers hold CREST certifications relevant to their discipline (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF, CCSAM).
20+ CREST-accredited testing services in one place
Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get your DSPT evidence ready before the deadline
Audit deadlines do not move. Lock in a fixed quote in 24 hours, with a CREST tester on the other end.
