The UK’s Sport Relief is back, and we’re thrilled to be their technology partner once again

Comic Relief, which is a UK-based charity, has raised more than £1.3bn since it was established in 1985, helping to change millions of lives as a result.

The charity provides funding grants to UK and international projects to tackle the root causes of poverty and social injustice.

Through Sport Relief and Red Nose Day fundraising campaigns, the charity handles millions of pounds worth of donations from members of the public, with a huge amount of exposure and publicity backed by many well-known celebrities and media outlets.

Due to its high-risk profile, the charity must provide assurance to key stakeholders that its IT systems and software applications are robust.

We’ve been working with Comic Relief for the last 11 years, conducting a range of security testing on its applications and supporting infrastructure. We carry out a robust and thorough programme of penetration and security testing in order to highlight any potential security risks and educate the charity’s staff on how to mitigate attacks.

“As with any organisation that handles sensitive information, we want to make sure we have the very best security in place. NCC Group makes sure that our systems are as safe and secure as it’s possible to be. They’re the absolute best at what they do, and we’re extremely proud to have them on board, doing it for us,” says Daniel Boff, Head of Sport and Technology Partners.

This year, in the lead up to Sport Relief, a team of four security consultants have been working tirelessly over the last four weeks providing pro-bono penetration testing on the charity’s public facing websites.

Will Davison, one of the security consultants working with the charity believes providing pro-bono testing for Comic Relief has been a fantastic opportunity to give something back to a cause that does great work.

Will says: “Having just finished the graduate scheme here at NCC Group it has also given me a chance to put my Web App hacking knowledge to the test. It means a lot to me that NCC Group engages in work like this as it allows us to help secure important services which might not otherwise receive the assurance they need.”

Neill Frith, relationship owner, comments on what working with the charity means to him: “I consider it a privilege to work with Comic Relief. As a business we have helped them for over 11 years, but I have been directly involved with the team for just over three years. Having benefited from the projects during my childhood it's a pleasure to be able to contribute. The work they support benefits so many people in so many places that even being a small cog in a big machine makes me feel proud.”

Inspiring the nation to raise life changing amounts of money, Sport Relief takes on some of the world’s most pressing problems, through the power of sport.

Viewers in the UK can watch Sport Relief on BBC One from 7pm on 13 March.