Trust
Clients trust us with sensitive environments, evidence and business-critical assurance programmes. We earn that trust through honesty, consistency and clear advice, and by doing what we say we will do.
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About Meta Defence Labs
Expertise, integrity and experienced assessor involvement.
A UK cybersecurity assurance and certification organisation, founded in 2015 by Chani Simms and Clive Simms.
Assurance for organisations with complex responsibilities.
Meta Defence Labs supports organisations through Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus and Defence Cyber Certification, with technical guidance that connects assessment requirements to the realities of operating a business.
Our proposition is the experience of the people involved: understanding scope, working through evidence and helping stakeholders make informed decisions. We maintain the integrity of certification while providing a clear, practical route forward.
Cybersecurity frameworks should improve security, not become tick-box exercises. We believe quality matters more than volume, and that good assurance starts with accurate scope, honest advice and controls that work in practice.
Our values
Trust. Integrity. Commitment.
These values shape how MDLabs assesses, advises and works with clients. They are practical standards for how we handle evidence, make decisions and support organisations through business-critical assurance programmes.
Integrity
We apply frameworks properly, give transparent advice and say clearly what we believe needs attention. We do not look for shortcuts simply to achieve a certificate.
Commitment
We take our contribution to a client's success seriously. We work alongside teams to resolve issues, maintain momentum and complete assurance programmes properly.
Meet the leadership.
Chani Simms
Managing Director and co-founder. Cybersecurity assurance, Cyber Essentials and Cyber Advisor experience.
View Chani’s profile →
Clive Simms
Chief Executive Officer and co-founder. Cyber Essentials Plus assessment and technical assurance experience.
View Clive’s profile →
Nisa Vithana
Regional Head (South East Asia). Cybersecurity and operations specialist with Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001 and operational resilience experience.
View Nisa’s profile →Clear credentials. Specific claims.
Meta Defence Labs is a Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus Certification Body. The NCSC lists the organisation under its Cyber Advisor scheme and names Chani Simms as a qualified Cyber Advisor.
Verify the NCSC Cyber Advisor listing ↗Our Defence Cyber Certification capability covers Level 0 and Level 1. Contact us to discuss the appropriate assessment route for your organisation.
Social impact
Building capability beyond client engagements.
SHe CISO Exec. is a global training and mentoring initiative in information security and leadership, founded by Chani Simms and managed by Meta Defence Labs. It was created to help train and empower a new generation of diverse, emotionally intelligent cybersecurity leaders.
The initiative reflects a wider commitment to inclusion, mentoring and developing the cyber profession alongside the commercial assurance work delivered by MDLabs.
Visit SHe CISO Exec. ↗Discuss your assurance requirements
Tell us about your organisation, scope and target timeframe. Start with a conversation with an experienced assessor.