Cambridge University Press & Assessment

Cambridge University Press (CUP), also known as Cambridge University Press & Assessment, is a scholarly publishing organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom. It produces academic books, peer‑reviewed journals, educational resources, and reference works that support teaching, learning, and research across disciplines. Its catalogue spans subjects such as science, technology, medicine, humanities, and social sciences. The press serves a global market that includes universities, colleges, libraries, professionals, and individual scholars.

As a department of the University of Cambridge, CUP operates under the governance of one of the world’s oldest universities and benefits from close ties to its academic community. This relationship enables the press to draw on expertise from Cambridge scholars when developing content and ensures a strong alignment with academic standards. The organisation’s publishing activities are guided by a commitment to disseminate knowledge that advances education and scholarship worldwide. Its output is distributed through both traditional print channels and digital platforms.

A distinguishing attribute of Cambridge University Press is its focus on rigorous peer review and editorial quality, which has earned it a reputation as a trusted source of scholarly information. The press also holds a notable position in the sector as a major publisher of English language teaching materials and academic monographs. In addition to journals, it publishes major reference works such as the Cambridge Histories and the Cambridge Companions series. These specialisations help differentiate CUP from commercial publishers that prioritize profit over academic rigor.

Structurally, Cambridge University Press is not an independent company but a constituent part of the University of Cambridge. Following recent organisational changes, it operates under the combined banner of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which integrates publishing with the university’s assessment functions. This structure places the press within a charitable, non‑profit framework that reinvests surplus into the university’s mission. Ownership remains with the university, and any governance decisions are made in accordance with its statutes.

In June 2024, Cambridge University Press & Assessment experienced a cybersecurity incident that was publicly attributed to the INC Ransomware group. The attack involved the theft and encryption of sensitive documents, including supplier invoices and service contracts, and the attackers employed double extortion tactics threatening to release the stolen data. As a precaution, certain internal systems were taken offline, leading to temporary email access loss for employees, while most customer‑facing platforms remained operational and ongoing exams were unaffected. The organisation responded by engaging external IT and forensic experts and cooperating with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre to investigate and restore services.

The press continues to fulfil its core mission of advancing knowledge.