CREST, a global not-for-profit membership body representing the global cyber security industry, has offered significant discounts to small businesses in lower-income countries to help improve standards and grow capacity.

Following on from a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2021, CREST is offering a 50% discount on associated membership and accreditation fees across all disciplines. This discount applies to eligible new member applicants and renewal for current members.

CREST members operate in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, and the announcement yesterday builds on the organisation's work carried out in 2021.

Qualification for the discount depends on company location and income. The applicant organisation’s headquarters must be in a country deemed a ‘lower middle’ or ‘low-income economy’ by the World Bank classifications. The company must also have an annual income of less than $6.1 million.

CREST offers internationally recognised accreditations for organisations providing penetration testing, STAR, cyber incident response, threat intelligence, vulnerability assessment services, and Security Operations Centre services.

The discount offer comes as hiring and retaining cybersecurity talent is becoming a daunting prospect for businesses globally.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Cyber Security Outlook 2023 warned that the shortage of skilled cyber security experts is a threat to businesses and societies, with key sectors − such as energy utilities − reporting a 25% gap in critical skills.

This talent crunch, WEF cautioned, is a challenge for managing cyber resilience, and action is needed to increase the flow of cyber security talent into the workforce.

"This initiative is a vital element of our ongoing mission to grow global capability, capacity, consistency and community in the cyber security industry. We recognise the importance of driving cyber standards across the globe regardless of wealth, and this discount will give many companies in lower-income countries access to the myriad benefits of CREST membership for the first time,” said Nick Benson, CEO, CREST.