National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC

What National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC does

The National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC (Nationales Testinstitut für Cybersicherheit NTC) is an independent, non-profit association under Swiss law, founded in December 2020 and headquartered at Baarerstrasse 53 in Zug, Switzerland. Its core function is independent cybersecurity testing of networked digital products, applications, hardware, IoT/OT systems, cloud environments, and critical infrastructure, conducted according to standards such as OWASP ASVS/MASVS, IEC 62443, and EN 18031. The organization operates a state-of-the-art testing laboratory in Zug and combines in-house experts with an international Competence Network of cybersecurity specialists.

NTC delivers its work through three modalities: Commissioned Projects for critical infrastructure operators and public authorities (federal, cantonal, municipal, police, army), Cooperative Projects that pool multiple stakeholders around shared systems, and Initiative Projects that proactively test undertested digital products on its own resources (e.g., analyses of TikTok, Temu, e-mobility charging infrastructure, hospital information systems, and AI in the electricity ecosystem). Findings are disclosed via Responsible Disclosure and through the publicly accessible NTC Vulnerability Hub, which launched in June 2024 with 80+ documented vulnerabilities.

The business model is a hybrid of public-sector funding and contracted professional services. Start-up financing of CHF 7.55 million was approved unanimously by the Cantonal Parliament of Zug on March 31, 2022. Ongoing funding comes from public institutions, foundations, and private donors, supplemented by revenues from cybersecurity testing mandates — the NTC does not test on behalf of product vendors, manufacturers, or private-sector service providers, in order to preserve its independence. The current team comprises approximately 11 staff, with a stated objective of building a permanent pool of around 30 cybersecurity specialists by 2025.

Name

National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC

Legal name

Nationales Testinstitut für Cybersicherheit NTC

Website

https://ntc.swiss

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC is a Swiss non-profit association headquartered in Zug that conducts independent cybersecurity testing of digital products, critical infrastructure, and public-sector systems, serving Swiss authorities, critical infrastructure operators, and the public interest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Other Computer Related Services (541519)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Vulnerability Assessment, Security Audits & Compliance Testing (BPAKAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Application Security Testing (SAST/DAST/IAST/SCA) (HDADACAC), Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity testing services
• Penetration testing
• Vulnerability assessment
• Critical infrastructure security
• IoT OT security testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zug

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cybersecurity Testing Mandates: Revenue from conducting commissioned cybersecurity assessments for critical infrastructure operators and public authorities. The NTC does not test on behalf of product vendors, manufacturers, or private-sector service providers.
2. Public Sector Funding: Funding from the public sector including government grants. The Canton of Zug provided CHF 7.55 million in start-up financing (unanimous decision by Cantonal Parliament, March 31, 2022). The NTC receives ongoing funding from public institutions.
3. Foundation and Private Contributions: Funding from foundations and private donors supporting the non-profit mission of the NTC. New partnerships with public institutions, research institutes, and private donors were secured in 2025.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC is an independent, non-profit association under Swiss law that conducts cybersecurity testing of digital products, applications, connected devices, and critical infrastructure. It offers three testing modalities: Commissioned Projects for critical infrastructure operators and public authorities, Cooperative Projects that pool resources across organizations, and Initiative Projects conducted on its own accord. The NTC also operates the publicly available Vulnerability Hub to disclose discovered vulnerabilities.

Product overview

The National Test Institute for Cybersecurity NTC is an independent, non-profit organization offering cybersecurity testing services rather than a traditional software product. Its core offerings include three testing modalities: Commissioned Projects (testing for critical infrastructure operators and public authorities), Cooperative Projects (joint testing with multiple organizations), and Initiative Projects (proactive self-initiated testing). The NTC also maintains the Vulnerability Hub platform for public disclosure of identified vulnerabilities. Testing services span multiple domains including application penetration testing, IoT/OT security, hardware component analysis, cloud security assessments, open source software analysis, and emerging technology analysis. The organization operates a competence network of international cybersecurity specialists to supplement internal expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NTC Vulnerability Hub: A platform where NTC documents and publishes cyber vulnerabilities discovered through their security testing activities, making them visible to the public.

Products and services

• Commissioned Projects Cybersecurity testing conducted on behalf of critical infrastructure operators, public authorities, police, and army when the highest level of independence and objectivity is required. Tests are carried out according to transparent guidelines free from manufacturer or political influence.
• Cooperative Projects Combined security testing where NTC connects organizations facing similar challenges, pools resources, and initiates joint security tests and risk analyses of systems utilized by several stakeholders such as hospital information systems or energy management systems.
• Initiative Projects Proactive, independent testing of digital products and applications that have not been adequately tested in Switzerland due to lack of legal requirements or economic incentives. NTC conducts these tests on its own initiative with its own resources, with results disclosed via Responsible Disclosure.
• Application Penetration Testing Security testing of applications whether web, mobile, desktop, or APIs including code review according to recognized standards such as OWASP ASVS.
• Mobile Application Penetration Testing Security testing of mobile applications for Android and iOS according to recognized standards such as OWASP MASVS.
• Security Testing of IoT and OT Systems Assessment of connected devices (Internet of Things) and industrial control systems (ICS/SCADA/DCS) in accordance with standards such as IEC 62443.
• Testing of Hardware Components Analysis of physical devices and embedded systems including control units, sensors, and chips. Includes reading and reverse engineering firmware images and attacks on debugging interfaces according to standards such as EN 18031.
• Cloud-Security Assessment Assessments of cloud environments and SaaS platforms for misconfigurations, insufficient access controls, or vulnerabilities in hybrid cloud scenarios from hyperscalers such as Azure, AWS, or GCP.
• Security Analysis of Open Source Software Testing of open source software and libraries widely used and relevant in Switzerland to identify critical vulnerabilities such as Log4j or XZ Utils backdoors.
• Analysis of New Technologies Analyzing emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning systems, charging infrastructure for electric mobility, smart grids, and quantum computers to identify vulnerabilities and raise awareness of new risks.
• Client/Server Infrastructure Assessments Security assessments of clients (Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, VDI), servers (Windows, Unix), virtualization solutions (VMware, Hyper-V), and container technologies (Docker).
• NTC Vulnerability Hub Public platform where NTC documents and publishes identified cyber vulnerabilities with descriptions, impact assessments, and mitigation recommendations. Contains over 80 documented vulnerabilities at launch.
• NTC Competence Network International pool of cybersecurity specialists from Switzerland and abroad that NTC contacts when additional expertise is required for testing assignments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 vulnerabilities documented in the NTC Vulnerability Hub as of June 2024 launch.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCSC is a key strategic partner. NTC was commissioned by NCSC to audit the Swiss Covid certificate system in June 2021. NCSC supports NTC initiative projects and collaborates on open source software security analysis. NCSC references NTC contributions in its National Cyber Strategy implementation reports.
• Federal Office for Cyber Security (BACS / VBS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBACS is a strategic partner collaborating on cybersecurity testing initiatives. The Impulse Event in Ticino (January 2026) was organized in cooperation with BACS and the Federal Office of Communications (BAKOM).
• Swiss Academy of Technical Sciences (SATW)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaphael Reischuk, NTC founding member, also serves on the SATW Cybersecurity Advisory Board, facilitating collaboration with the technical sciences community.
• Zug Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndreas Umbach, President of the Zug Chamber of Commerce, was part of the management delegation for the Zug Cyber Initiative that led to the founding of the NTC.
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (Departement Information Technology)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Dr. René Hüsler, Director of the Department of Information Technology at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, led one of the working groups in developing the concept for the NTC as part of the Zug Cyber Initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Regional players

• Schwachstellenmanagement Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI): German federal cybersecurity agency performing independent testing and vulnerability disclosure for national critical infrastructure — closely comparable in mandate and structure to NTC, but operating in Germany rather than Switzerland.

Direct peers

• Oneconsult AG: Swiss cybersecurity firm specializing in penetration testing, red teaming, and incident response — the most directly comparable Swiss peer, and notably the previous employer of NTC's Head of Test Experts Tobias Castagna.
• SEC Consult Group: European cybersecurity consulting firm offering penetration testing, red teaming, secure code review, and IoT/hardware security assessments across multiple verticals including critical infrastructure, directly overlapping NTC's testing capabilities.
• Compass Security: Switzerland-based penetration testing and security advisory firm with deep expertise in application, network, and ICS/OT security testing, serving European enterprises and public-sector clients with comparable technical services.
• NVISO Security: European cybersecurity consultancy focused on application security, penetration testing, and security assessments with strong public-sector and enterprise client base, comparable to NTC's service mix and target segments.

Emerging players

• SANS Institute: Global cybersecurity training and research organization that performs independent vulnerability research and testing, partially comparable to NTC's knowledge-transfer and public-facing testing/research mission, though primarily focused on training.

Broad incumbents

• NCC Group: UK-listed global cybersecurity services firm offering application security testing, hardware/IoT assessments, and managed security services at much larger scale, including government and critical infrastructure clients across Europe.
• Orange Cyberdefense: European cybersecurity services division of Orange operating a large testing practice including ICS/OT and IoT security assessments, serving large enterprises and government agencies across multiple geographies.
• TÜV Rheinland (Cybersecurity Services): German-based global testing, inspection, and certification firm with cybersecurity testing services for IoT, industrial systems, and critical infrastructure under similar third-party independent testing positioning, including government and regulated industry clients.

Others

• Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft - National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): Swiss federal cybersecurity authority that commissions and collaborates with NTC on cybersecurity testing initiatives; not a direct competitor but a key counterpart and commissioning counterpart for national cybersecurity testing work in Switzerland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ntc_swiss
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NTC_swiss
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ntc-swiss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Test Institute for Cyber Security NTC