National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
The UK government body that provides cyber security guidance, incident response, and threat intelligence, operating the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS).
Also known as: NCSC, SERS, Suspicious Email Reporting Service
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
The National Cyber Security Centre is a part of GCHQ and serves as the UK's technical authority on cyber security. Its consumer-facing functions include publishing guidance on recognising and responding to phishing, account compromise, and fraud; operating the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at [email protected]; and issuing real-time advisories when major phishing campaigns or vulnerabilities are detected.
When a suspicious email is forwarded to SERS, NCSC analysts can scan linked URLs, take down malicious domains, and share indicators of compromise with industry partners — often within hours of a campaign being reported. This makes SERS one of the most operationally impactful consumer-reporting channels in the UK.
For businesses, the NCSC's Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification schemes provide a baseline of organisational security controls. The NCSC also coordinates the national response to major cyber incidents affecting UK critical infrastructure or government systems.
Examples
- A consumer receives a convincing HMRC tax-refund phishing email and forwards it to [email protected]; the fraudulent domain is taken down within two hours.
- A company's IT team reports a business email compromise attempt to the NCSC, which provides an indicator package to alert other organisations.
Sources
- FTC — How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam — Federal Trade Commission
- IRS — Tax Scams/Consumer Alerts — Internal Revenue Service
- SSA OIG — Scam Alert — Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General
- FCC — Frauds, Scams and Alerts — Federal Communications Commission