Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats

What Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats does

CREST (Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats) is the UK's hub for commissioning behavioural and social science research into security threats, hosted by Lancaster University and founded in October 2015. It operates as a non-profit consortium of UK universities (including Lancaster, Bath, Cardiff, and Edinburgh) and is primarily funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). CREST does not develop or sell a technology product; instead, it commissions multidisciplinary research across UK universities, synthesises findings into practitioner-facing outputs, and maintains the CREST Security Review magazine as its flagship knowledge-dissemination vehicle. Its research portfolio spans twelve thematic categories including behavioural analytics, beliefs and ideology, counter-terrorism, cyber risk, decision-making, disinformation, extremist actors, interviewing, protective security, radicalisation, risk assessment, and stress and resilience, yielding frameworks such as the STARS Framework, Eliciting Information Framework, Time-Critical Questioning Framework, and Language Style Matching methodology.

CREST's core "products" are open-access guides, reports, systematic reviews, practitioner toolkits, and the CREST Security Review magazine, all distributed freely under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0. It convenes the security research community through the annual BASS (Behavioural Analysis of Security Studies) conference — attracting up to 230 delegates from seven-plus countries — the NABS+ cross-sector network (29 institutions at its 2025 launch), the IAPSS international forum (62 delegates from 12 countries), and CRESTFest showcases for government stakeholders. Notable empirical outcomes include the Sunni and Shi'a Islam guide (67k+ downloads, 225k views, nine years after publication), the Incel-Related Violence research (40k views in one month following the Netflix release of Adolescence), and machine-learning classifiers achieving 80% accuracy in predicting offline protest participation from Twitter behaviour.

CREST's customer and stakeholder base is fundamentally public-sector: UK government departments (Home Office, NPSA, NHS Scotland, NCA, Counter Terrorism Policing, UK CT Negotiation Team), academic researchers across 49+ UK universities, and international counterparts via IAPSS and NCITE USA. CREST research has demonstrably shaped UK counter-terrorism practice — including the PREVENT strategy, Channel risk assessment tools, and NPSA organisational change guidance — and has been cited in mainstream outlets (Financial Times, BBC, LBC, CBC News). Its revenue model is entirely grant-funded through UKRI/ESRC with no commercial product pricing, making it structurally distinct from a venture-backed or publicly traded entity.

Name

Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats

Legal name

Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats

Website

https://crestresearch.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CREST is the UK's publicly funded hub for commissioning behavioural and social science research into security threats, hosted by Lancaster University and funded by UKRI/ESRC. It synthesises academic research into open-access guides, frameworks, and the CREST Security Review magazine for UK government, counter-terrorism, and academic audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory & Assessments (BPAKAHAH), Security Awareness, Training & Compliance Attestation (HDADAIAJ)

Keywords

• Behavioural science research
• Security threat analysis
• Counter extremism research
• Open-access research
• Social science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Lancaster

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grant Funding: CREST is a publicly funded research hub primarily financed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). It operates as a non-profit consortium of UK universities with no commercial revenue model. All outputs are released as open-access resources, primarily under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CREST commissions and synthesises behavioural and social science research into security threats, producing open-access guides, reports, systematic reviews, evidence-based practitioner frameworks, and the CREST Security Review magazine for UK security practitioners, counter-terrorism professionals, and policymakers. It also convenes the research community through the annual BASS conference, the NABS+ network, and the IAPSS international forum, transferring findings into operational practice across counter-terrorism, CVE, cyber risk, protective security, and disinformation domains.

Product overview

CREST operates as a research organisation rather than a product company, providing a portfolio of interconnected research outputs and knowledge-sharing services. The core offering is the CREST Security Review magazine, complemented by downloadable research guides and reports covering 12 thematic categories. Supporting offerings include the annual BASS conference, the NABS+ research network, curated collections of resources, and various research projects spanning behavioural analytics, counter-terrorism, cyber risk, and protective security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CREST Security Review (CSR): A magazine publication exploring behavioral and social science insights for security practitioners, covering topics such as digital behaviours, trust, decision-making, and risk.
• NABS+
• BASS

Quantifiable outcome

• The Sunni and Shi'a Islam guide: 67k+ downloads, 225k views, still topping monthly charts nine years after publication.
• +10 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lancaster UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLancaster University is CREST's host institution. The CREST office and headquarters are located at Lancaster. Contact email [email protected] is hosted by Lancaster University.
• University of BathcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Bath is a core CREST partner institution. Researchers such as David Ellis (Professor in Management Applied Digital Behaviour Lab) and Laura Smith (Professor of Psychology, Deputy Director of NABS+, Director of Bath Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour) are affiliated with Bath and contribute to CREST projects.
• Cardiff UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCardiff University is a core CREST partner institution contributing researchers and hosting collaborative projects and events.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Edinburgh is a core CREST partner institution contributing to the consortium of UK universities that underpin CREST's research commissioning and delivery.
• NABS+ (NetworkPlus for Analytical Behavioural Science)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNABS+ is a cross-sector network on behavioural and social science for security and defence, co-produced by CREST researchers and funded by UKRI. It supports researcher safety (NABS+ sessions, moral injury seminars, ECR wellbeing guides), publishes practitioner-oriented reports, and hosts community events such as the inaugural Crewe event with 29 institutions.
• NCITE USA (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCITE USA co-led the inaugural IAPSS (International Association for the Study of Protest and Security) meeting in London (March 2024) with CREST, connecting 62 delegates from 12 countries and 17 networks to identify shared international research challenges.
• NPSA (National Protective Security Authority, formerly CPNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREST's Organisational Change tools (Searle & Rice) have been adopted by NPSA (formerly CPNI). This represents a direct transfer of CREST research into national protective security guidance for UK organisations.
• NHS ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREST's Organisational Change tools (Searle & Rice) have been adopted by NHS Scotland, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic as essential reading for organisational management.
• Counter Terrorism Policing (UK)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCREST research has directly informed Counter Terrorism Policing training, including Ben Lee's work on Lethal Subcultures and the Extreme Far-Right, and wider research on far-right movements and siege culture.
• UK CT Negotiation TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCREST co-delivered the CREST/CPD Negotiation event in Manchester (November 2021) with the UK CT Negotiation Team, exploring communication, engagement, and influence in negotiations. Five of seven presentations came from CREST researchers.
• Five Country Ministerial (Countering Extremism Working Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMartin Innes's report on Russian Influence Campaigns (2018) was commissioned by the Five Country Ministerial Countering Extremism Working Group (an international government body), demonstrating CREST's reach into international government policy.
• UK Home OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah Marsden's Deradicalisation Programmes research (January 2019) informed Home Office policy and led to Marsden chairing an independent advisory committee. The Community Reporting on Terrorism project (September 2020) became a central element of the UK PREVENT strategy.
• National Crime Agency (NCA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Eliciting Information Framework (Anna Leslie, October 2021) was rapidly deployed during the pandemic and praised as 'one of the best pieces of training in my 40 years of service' by NCA personnel.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• RAN (Radicalisation Awareness Network): EU Commission-funded practitioner network for frontline counter-extremism workers across EU member states. Comparable practitioner-convening model focused on radicalisation and CVE, but serves a different geography than CREST.

Broad incumbents

• Policy Exchange: UK-based think tank producing research that informs Home Office and counter-extremism policy, including on PREVENT strategy. Broader scope than CREST but operates in the same UK policy research space with overlapping government audiences.
• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): UK-based international affairs think tank producing research on security, terrorism, and geopolitics. Broader in scope than CREST but addresses overlapping themes (radicalisation, disinformation, national security policy) with UK government audiences.
• RUSI (Royal United Services Institute): The UK's leading defence and security think tank, publishing research on terrorism, extremism, and national security. Broader in scope than CREST but operates in adjacent space with overlapping practitioner audiences (CT Policing, Home Office, NPSA).

Direct peers

• Global Network on Extremism and Technology (GNET): ASPI-hosted international research network examining the intersection of extremism and technology. Directly comparable as a research-commissioning body producing practitioner reports on online extremism, a thematic overlap with CREST's digital behaviours work.
• VOX-Pol Network of Excellence: Europe-wide academic network focused on violent online political extremism and terrorism. Overlaps with CREST's behavioural analytics and digital behaviour research, sharing comparable cross-sector convening and open-access publication models.
• NCITE (National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism): University of Maryland-based US Department of Homeland Security center of excellence that commissions and synthesises empirical research on terrorism and counterterrorism. Directly comparable as an academic consortium producing practitioner-facing research, and a confirmed CREST partner via IAPSS.
• ICSR (International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation): King's College London-based academic research centre that studies radicalisation and violent extremism. Directly comparable as a UK academic hub producing practitioner-oriented research on extremism and counter-extremism, with overlapping scholar networks.
• ICCT (International Centre for Counter-Terrorism): The Hague-based research centre producing evidence-based counter-terrorism policy and practitioner guidance. Directly comparable as an international research hub focused on translating academic research into operational counter-terrorism insights.

Emerging players

• Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR): US-based research centre focused specifically on the radical right. Thematically overlaps with CREST's extremist actors and far-right research portfolios, serving a similar academic and policy audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CRESTresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats