Question 1

What is HASC?

Accepted Answer

HASC (High Assurance Security Centre) is a not-for-profit centre of excellence for high assurance security professionals. Built by security practitioners, for security practitioners, we provide a unified platform serving defence, nuclear, and critical national infrastructure (CNI) sectors — strengthening resilience against advanced threats across cyber, physical, technical, and personnel domains. Formally, we are High Assurance Security Centre C.I.C., a community interest company registered in England and Wales under company number 16702198. A CIC is a company that exists to benefit a community rather than to enrich shareholders, and it is regulated by the Office of the Regulator of Community Interest Companies. In practice that means two things. Our purpose is fixed to the community benefit we were incorporated to serve — strengthening security across the UK’s critical sectors. And our assets are subject to a statutory asset lock : they cannot be distributed to members or shareholders, and if HASC were ever wound up they would have to pass to another asset-locked body with a similar purpose. Membership income funds the platform and the work, and cannot be taken out as profit.

Question 2

Who is HASC for?

Accepted Answer

HASC is designed for security professionals and organisations operating in the UK's critical sectors, including defence, nuclear, and critical national infrastructure. Whether you're an individual practitioner or part of a larger organisation, our platform provides the tools, training, and resources to support your work.

Question 3

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

Getting started with HASC is straightforward: Sign up using your company email address via Microsoft — HASC uses Microsoft Entra for secure sign-in If your organisation already has a HASC membership, your company email domain will be automatically recognised and you will receive member access immediately after signing up — no manual approval needed If your organisation is not yet a member, browse our publicly available insights and HAST training courses, then apply for a membership plan to unlock the full platform For help setting up access for your team, contact us at contact@hasc.org.uk .

Question 4

What can I access without a membership?

Accepted Answer

Without a membership, you can browse our published insights, view details of HAST training courses listed on the platform, and contact our team. Full access to Assured Products, the Policy Navigator AI assistant, exclusive reports, member-discounted HAST training, and advisory services requires an active membership.

Question 5

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and HASC is Cyber Essentials Plus certified. Our Privacy Policy sets out the controls in full.

Question 6

What membership plans are available?

Accepted Answer

Membership is for organisations. There are three corporate membership options, determined by the size of your organisation: Enterprise, Medium and Small. Contact our sales team to find out more: memberships@hasc.org.uk Individuals are welcome to create a free HASC account. A free account is not a membership: it gives you access to our publicly available material and updates, while member-only resources, briefings and the platform tools are available through corporate membership.

Question 7

What's included in a membership?

Accepted Answer

All membership tiers include: Access to our curated catalogue of assured security products Policy Navigator — AI-powered security guidance, with a monthly question allowance Exclusive reports and insights 15% discount on all HAST training courses Invitations to exclusive networking events Advisory services

Question 8

How does team access work?

Accepted Answer

Membership covers your whole organisation. Once your membership is active, colleagues can sign up with their work email address and get member access automatically. Your company representative can manage who has access.

Question 9

Who manages the membership?

Accepted Answer

The company representative who set up the membership can manage the plan, including upgrading, downgrading, or cancelling. Individual team members do not have access to change or cancel the organisation's membership.

Question 10

Can a membership be cancelled?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The company representative can cancel the membership at any time from their account settings. Access for all team members will continue until the end of the current billing period.

Question 11

What is the Assured Products catalogue?

Accepted Answer

Our catalogue is a centralised, searchable record of security products certified under recognised assurance schemes. It helps you find products that meet your security requirements without checking each scheme separately. “Assured” here means the product holds a current certification under one of the schemes we track, and every entry names the scheme and certification it comes from so you can verify it at source. The schemes we cover, and what each one certifies, are set out on Schemes & Product Types .

Question 12

How can I search and filter products?

Accepted Answer

The catalogue includes advanced filtering and search tools so you can narrow results by product type, assurance scheme, manufacturer, and more. Each product listing includes detailed specifications and certification information.

Question 13

Can I request a product that's not listed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If you can't find what you're looking for, use the product request feature on the catalogue page. Our team reviews all submissions and works to add relevant products.

Question 14

Do I need a membership to access the catalogue?

Accepted Answer

Yes, full access to the Assured Products catalogue is a member-only benefit. This ensures our curated listings are available to verified security professionals.

Question 15

Who delivers HASC training courses?

Accepted Answer

All HASC training courses are delivered by HAST (High Assurance Security Training) , an independent training partner operating under an exclusive licence from HASC. HAST is a separate company with no cross shareholding, and it designs, schedules and delivers the full suite of courses listed on the HASC platform. When you book a course, your contract for that training is with HAST. You can reach HAST directly at training@hastacademy.co.uk or visit www.hastacademy.co.uk for more information.

Question 16

What training is available through HASC?

Accepted Answer

HASC lists specialist-led training courses delivered by HAST, covering areas such as corporate counter intelligence, insider threat, personnel security, physical security, and more — designed for professionals working in defence, nuclear, and critical national infrastructure. Each course page includes full details on duration, delivery method, curriculum, and pricing.

Question 17

How do I request or book a training course?

Accepted Answer

Browse courses on our Training page , select a course, and submit an expression of interest. Your enquiry is passed to HAST, who will follow up to confirm availability and booking details. If you're logged in to HASC, the expression of interest form will be pre-filled with your profile details.

Question 18

Do members get a discount on training?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Active HASC members receive a 15% discount on all courses delivered by HAST. Member pricing is shown automatically on course detail pages when you're logged in with an active membership. Mention your HASC membership when contacting HAST directly.

Question 19

What delivery methods are available?

Accepted Answer

Courses delivered by HAST are available in a range of formats, including in-person, online, and hybrid options. Delivery methods are listed on each course page so you can find what works best for your team.

Question 20

Are HAST courses suitable for people leaving the armed forces?

Accepted Answer

Yes. HAST course content is built for people moving into defence industry security roles, and that includes personnel leaving service who want to apply their military experience and existing clearances in a civilian setting. Contact HAST at training@hastacademy.co.uk or HASC at contact@hasc.org.uk to talk through which courses fit where you are heading.

Question 21

What is Policy Navigator?

Accepted Answer

Policy Navigator is our AI-powered digital advisor, available at any hour to all active members. It provides instant, context-aware security guidance by drawing on the HASC knowledge base — helping you find answers, navigate standards, and make informed decisions without waiting for a human response. Each member has a monthly allowance of questions, which resets at the start of every month; you can see what you have left while you use it.

Question 22

Do I need a membership to use Policy Navigator?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Policy Navigator is an exclusive benefit for active members. It's available across all corporate membership tiers.

Question 23

What kind of questions can I ask?

Accepted Answer

Policy Navigator can answer questions on a wide range of security topics, including: Security best practices and standards Compliance and regulatory guidance Insider threat, personnel security, and physical security advice General security queries and professional guidance Policy Navigator draws on trusted HASC sources and provides cited responses so you can verify the information.

Question 24

How do I use Policy Navigator?

Accepted Answer

Once logged in with an active membership, navigate to the Policy Navigator page . You can: Start a new conversation using the New Chat button Type your question in the message box and press Enter or click Send Review the response — cited sources are shown where available Continue the conversation with follow-up questions Access previous conversations from the chat history panel

Question 25

Is there a limit on how much I can use Policy Navigator?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each member account has a monthly token allowance that resets on the 1st of every month. A token represents a unit of text processed by the AI — both your questions and the responses count towards your usage. Your current usage is shown in the Policy Navigator interface. When you are approaching your limit, a warning will appear. Once the limit is reached, you will need to wait until the monthly reset to send further messages. If you regularly reach your limit and need a higher allowance, please contact us at contact@hasc.org.uk .

Question 26

How accurate is Policy Navigator?

Accepted Answer

Policy Navigator draws on the HASC knowledge base and provides source citations with its responses. While it is designed to give accurate, relevant guidance, it should be used as a support tool rather than a substitute for professional judgement. Always verify critical decisions with a qualified security professional.

Question 27

What cookies does HASC use?

Accepted Answer

Two kinds, and only one of them needs your permission: Strictly necessary — sign-in with Microsoft Entra, ending an idle session, and remembering the cookie choice you made. Without these the site cannot sign you in, so they are always on. Analytics and advertising, only if you accept — Microsoft Clarity, which shows us how pages are used and can replay a session so we can see where something is broken or confusing, and Google Ads, which tells us which of our adverts lead to enquiries. We also store a few preferences on your own device when you use a feature that needs them, such as saving a news item or picking your sector. We do not sell your data. The full list, including cookie names and how long each lasts, is in the cookies section of our privacy policy .

Question 28

Do I have to accept cookies?

Accepted Answer

No. Rejecting non-essential cookies costs you nothing — every part of the platform, including sign-in, Policy Navigator and training, works exactly the same. Only our analytics and advertising are switched off, which means we lose some insight into which pages need improving and which of our adverts are worth running. The strictly necessary cookies stay either way, because the site cannot sign you in without them.

Question 29

What happens if I close the cookie banner without choosing?

Accepted Answer

Nothing non-essential is stored. Closing the banner is not treated as consent — analytics and advertising stay off, and we will ask again the next time you visit. The banner only stops appearing once you have actually chosen Accept or Reject.

Question 30

How do I change my cookie choice later?

Accepted Answer

Select Cookie preferences in the footer at the bottom of any page. The banner reopens showing the choice you made and when you made it, and you can switch it either way. If you withdraw consent, we stop analytics and advertising loading and clear the Clarity and Google entries we can reach from this site. Cookies that Microsoft and Google set on their own domains can only be removed through your browser settings or their own privacy controls. We ask again after six months in any case, so a choice never sits unreviewed indefinitely.

Question 31

Who can see how I use the platform?

Accepted Answer

If you accept analytics and advertising, Microsoft Clarity records how you interact with pages — clicks, scrolling and navigation — along with your IP address, browser and device. Microsoft may use that information for its own purposes as well as ours, so it is not acting solely on our instructions. Clarity runs on www.hasc.org.uk only. Google Ads, if you accept, tells Google which page you viewed and may set cookies, so it can tell which of our adverts led to an enquiry. Google may use what it collects for its own purposes as well as ours, so it is not acting solely on our instructions. It never receives anything after a ? or # in the address, and nothing is requested from Google unless you accept. Separately, and regardless of your cookie choice, we use Sentry to collect error reports so we can diagnose faults. Those contain technical details such as the page address, browser and error trace; Sentry sets no cookies and stores nothing on your device. Questions you put to Policy Navigator are processed in HASC's own Microsoft Azure subscription and are not sent to a public AI service or used to train foundation models.

Question 32

How can I contact HASC?

Accepted Answer

You can reach us in several ways: Visit our Contact page and send us a message Email us directly at contact@hasc.org.uk For training enquiries, email training@hastacademy.co.uk Use the Feedback button available on every page

Question 33

What are your support hours?

Accepted Answer

Our team is available Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM UK time. We aim to respond to enquiries as quickly as we can during UK business hours.

Question 34

How can I report a bug or suggest a feature?

Accepted Answer

Use the Feedback button on any page and select "Bug Report" or "Feature Request". We review all submissions and appreciate your input in helping us improve the platform.

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