Penetration Testing
Find out which weaknesses an attacker could actually exploit in your networks, applications and cloud, and get a prioritised list of what to fix first, followed by a retest.
Service Details
Penetration testing shows you which weaknesses an attacker could actually exploit in your networks, applications and cloud services, and what to fix first. A tester works through your systems the way a real attacker would, within agreed rules, then gives you evidence for every finding and a clear order of repair.
It is part of our assessments and engineering services, so the findings feed straight into the work that fixes them. Once fixes are in, we retest and confirm what is closed.
INFO
You get proof of what is exploitable today, not a long list of theoretical issues. Findings are ranked by business impact, so your team spends time on what matters.
What a penetration test tells you
Automated tools find known weaknesses one at a time. A tester looks at how those weaknesses combine: a weak password on one system, an over-permissive role on another, and a path to your customer data that no scanner would flag.
You see the route an attacker would take, how far they could get, and which single fix would break the chain. That gives your board, your auditors and your engineers the same clear picture.
Types of penetration test
External and Internal Infrastructure
Your internet-facing services, then your internal network, tested from the position of an outside attacker and of a compromised device or user.
Web Applications
Logins, sessions, access controls and business logic tested against the OWASP Top 10 and the flaws specific to how your application works.
APIs
Authentication, authorisation and data exposure checked on the APIs your apps, partners and integrations rely on.
Cloud
Microsoft Azure, AWS and Google Cloud configurations reviewed for exposed storage, excessive permissions and weak identity controls.
Mobile Applications
iOS and Android apps tested for insecure data storage, weak communication with back-end services and bypassable controls.
Social Engineering and Red Teaming
Phishing and pretexting exercises that test your people and processes, and longer goal-based exercises that test detection and response.
Penetration test or vulnerability scan?
A vulnerability scan is automated and lists known weaknesses. It belongs in your routine operations, running continuously through threat and vulnerability management.
A penetration test is carried out by a person who tries to exploit what the scan finds, and the weaknesses it misses. You need both: scanning keeps on top of known issues between tests, and testing proves whether your defences hold.
Testing timed around your changes
Penetration testing is most useful at the points where risk changes. That means before a new application or major feature goes live, after a cloud migration or network redesign, and ahead of an audit or a large customer’s security review.
It suits organisations that need independent evidence their controls work, whether for a regulator, an insurer, an acquirer or their own board.
How a penetration test runs
- Scoping — We agree what is in and out of scope, the type of test, and what you want to learn. You get a fixed price before any work starts.
- Rules of engagement — Testing windows, excluded systems, emergency contacts and permissions are signed off in writing, so testing never surprises your operations team.
- Testing — Testers combine automated tools with manual techniques, and raise anything critical with you straight away rather than waiting for the report.
- Reporting and walkthrough — We take your technical team and your leadership through the findings, the risk each one carries and how to fix it.
- Retest — After your team applies fixes, we retest the affected findings and update the report to show what is closed.
What you receive
Every report is written for two audiences: the people who need to understand the risk, and the people who have to fix it.
Executive Summary
A plain-English view of your overall exposure and the few issues that need attention first.
Reproducible Findings
Each issue with its severity, affected systems and the evidence your engineers need to reproduce it.
Prioritised Fix List
Specific remediation guidance ordered by risk and effort, ready to drop into your backlog.
Evidence for audits and regulators
Many frameworks expect independent testing, and a current report with retest results is the evidence auditors look for. PCI DSS requirement 11.4 calls for internal and external penetration testing at least once every 12 months and after significant change, plus testing of any network segmentation you rely on to reduce scope.
ISO 27001 does not mandate penetration testing, but it is a common way to show your technical vulnerability management works. Under DORA, EU financial entities must test their resilience, and some must run threat-led penetration tests. If you are working towards Cyber Essentials, note that Cyber Essentials Plus is a control check, not a penetration test.
Services that work alongside
Testing is most valuable when the findings get fixed and stay fixed. Application security builds secure practice into how your software is written, and threat modelling finds design flaws before there is anything to test. For a wider view of your defences beyond what testing covers, a security posture review assesses your controls, policies and priorities together.
Frequently asked questions
Find out what an attacker would find
Tell us what you need tested and why: a new release, an audit, a customer questionnaire or a board question. You get a clear scope, a fixed price and a test timed around your change windows.