What are the four types of penetration testing?

External and Internal Pentesting, Social Engineering, and Red-Teaming. External pentesting simulates a cyberattack that originates from the outside of your company. Internal pentesting checks security controls against an attacker who has gained a foothold in your network. Social Engineering examines the human factor, such as staff security awareness. Red Teaming examines your cyber defense Blue Team.

How much does a penetration test cost?

We charge only for the time we spend doing the job. There is no extra cost because of how big your business is or how much money it makes. Project prices vary from 5000 to 15000 USD, the average being roughly 8500 USD. All our customers get a free retest of all the vulnerabilities. We offer a discount for recurring services and a volume discount to regular clients.

How long should a penetration test take?

The penetration testing duration depends solely on the scope size: how many systems, networks, applications, or employees there are to pentest. A typical penetration testing project takes about 2-3 weeks to complete. The report with the penetration test conclusions, vulnerabilities, and recommendations comes during the following week.

Do you guarantee that the penetration test will not harm my business?

We provide penetration testing insurance from outages caused by our actions by having our pentesting services covered by professional liability insurance. We never used it since we had started in 2014 as only experienced security experts conduct all activities. All risky exercises, such as initial exploitation or intensive security scanning, are performed under close control of the customer.

What penetration testing tools do you use?

We use various pentesting tools. From the open-source, such as NMap and John the Ripper, to the best commercial pentesting software, such as Burp Suite. We develop our own tools, too, for instance, an assets discovery system that combines the best reconnaissance and OSINT tools. We have also created a unique pentesting platform that automates our project activities and implements the best pentest report generating tool.

What penetration testing framework or methodology do you use?

We use OWASP, NIST, PTES, and other frameworks, but we select pentesting methodologies depending on the tasks. In our work, it is crucial to maintain up-to-date knowledge of tools, techniques, and methods. We achieve that by promoting and teaching them in the professional community.

Is penetration testing outsourcing necessary?

An internal pentesting team is a good practice of enterprise cyber security, but hiring a third-party pentesting firm might be necessary for several reasons. Cyber security compliance standards require a third-party service provider to ensure system owners and pentesters have no conflict of interest. And sometimes, companies do not have the necessary resources on board, as hiring security experts might be too expensive.

What is better: vulnerability assessment or penetration testing?

Vulnerability assessments identify potential vulnerabilities, while penetration tests find and validate those vulnerabilities to gain access to networks, systems, and sensitive data. Unlike penetration tests, vulnerability assessments are highly automated by vulnerability scanners, produce false positives, and miss the areas that require human professional judgment.

Penetration Testing Services | Results in 2–3 Weeks

Penetration Testing Services

External Pentesting Services

External Penetration Testing for organizations prepared for a real-world cybersecurity test. Our external pen tests assess your defenses using expert techniques and advanced penetration testing tools. Verify if your security investments deliver results!

Internal Pentesting Services

Internal Penetration Testing lets you assess your operating system, network, and corporate software security against an attacker with internal access. Evaluate your defenses against persistent threats.

Social Engineering Pentesting

Social Engineering Penetration Testing extends beyond traditional network testing. Instead of brute force or exploits, experts conduct phishing campaigns and other social engineering attacks.

Red Team Assessment

Red Team security testing simulates real-world adversaries targeting your organization. Our red team engagements test your detection and response capabilities by emulating sophisticated attack scenarios.

Cloud & Infrastructure Pentesting

Security assessment of AWS, Azure, GCP environments, Kubernetes clusters, and container infrastructure. We test IAM configurations, network segmentation, storage permissions, and cloud-native services for misconfigurations and vulnerabilities attackers exploit.

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Why Choose BSG for Penetration Testing?

Qualification

7+ years conducting penetration tests, 200+ projects for 100+ customers globally.

Free retests

Free remediation testing to verify all fixes within 90 days of report delivery.

15% discount

Save 15% on recurring penetration tests and security training programs.

Certified professionals

Offensive security experts holding OSCP, CISSP, CISA, eCPPT, CEH, and eJPT certifications.

Professional insurance

Worldwide professional liability coverage protecting your testing engagements.

Manual assessments

Intelligence and expertise over automated scanners.

FAQ

What are penetration testing services?

Penetration testing services act as cybersecurity vaccines, strengthening your defenses against real-world cyber threats. Unlike malicious hacking, ethical penetration testing is a controlled process that minimizes business risks and delivers a detailed pentest report.

What is a penetration test?

Penetration testing is a specialized security assessment that helps organizations evaluate cybersecurity through controlled attack simulations. Skilled security professionals conduct pentests to minimize business risks. Various certifications validate the expertise of pentesting professionals. For an unbiased assessment, companies typically engage external penetration testing service providers.

What are the main types of penetration testing?

External and Internal Penetration Testing, Social Engineering, and Red Teaming. External penetration testing simulates cyberattacks from outside your organization. Internal penetration testing assesses defenses against attackers with internal access. Social Engineering evaluates human vulnerabilities, including staff security awareness. Red Teaming tests your cybersecurity by challenging the Blue Team’s defense capabilities.

What is the cost of a penetration test?

We charge solely for the time spent on testing, with no extra fees based on company size or revenue. Project costs range from $5,000 to $15,000, averaging around $8,500. Every client receives a free retest for all identified vulnerabilities. We also offer discounts for recurring services and bulk engagements.

What is the typical duration of a penetration test?

The duration of penetration testing depends entirely on the scope, including the number of systems, networks, applications, or employees involved. A typical project takes 2–3 weeks, followed by a detailed report with findings, vulnerabilities, and recommendations within the next week.

Can a penetration test impact my business operations?

We provide penetration testing insurance to cover any outages caused by our actions, backed by professional liability insurance. Since 2014, we’ve never needed to use it, as all tests are conducted by experienced security professionals. Risky activities, such as initial exploitation or intensive scanning, are always performed under the customer’s close supervision.

Which tools are used for penetration testing?

We use a variety of pentesting tools, from open-source solutions like Nmap and John the Ripper to top commercial software like Burp Suite. Additionally, we develop custom tools, including an asset discovery system that integrates leading reconnaissance and OSINT tools. Our proprietary pentesting platform automates project workflows and features an advanced pentest report generation tool.

Which frameworks and methodologies are used in penetration testing?

We use OWASP, NIST, PTES, and other industry-standard frameworks, selecting methodologies based on specific testing requirements. Keeping our expertise current is essential, and we actively contribute to the cybersecurity community by promoting and teaching modern tools, techniques, and best practices.

Is it necessary to outsource penetration testing?

An internal pentesting team enhances enterprise cybersecurity, but third-party penetration testing is often essential. Compliance standards mandate independent assessments to prevent conflicts of interest. Additionally, many organizations lack in-house expertise or find hiring security professionals too costly.

Which is more effective: vulnerability assessment or penetration testing?

Vulnerability assessments detect potential security weaknesses, while penetration tests validate and exploit them to assess real-world risks. Unlike penetration tests, vulnerability assessments rely heavily on automated scanners, may generate false positives, and often overlook areas requiring expert analysis.

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