How to Choose the Right Penetration Testing Company.

Choosing the proper penetration testing firm for your organization might be difficult. There are several alternatives to select from, each with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The penetration testing companies that offer the best value often have teams of skilled penetration testers that can perform both internal and external penetration tests.

To assist you in making this crucial selection, we’ve created a simple tutorial with helpful advice on what to look for when selecting a good penetration test firm.

What to Look for in a Penetration Testing Company?

1. Do they offer penetration testing or red teaming?

Many penetration testing companies claim to be able to perform penetration tests, but few can actually provide the same level of service as a dedicated red team. Penetration test services are often too slow and cumbersome for actual penetration testers who need lightning-fast responses during engagements. Red teams specialize in high-intensity engagements that will give your business real-world attack simulations against skilled attackers.

Only penetration testing companies with active, professional security consultants should be considered when choosing which company to work with!

2. How long have they been around?

When looking at penetration testing vendors, you want one that has experience working with other clients just like yours – especially if their claims match what you’re asking them to do on behalf of your company.

Penetration testing companies that have been around for a few years or more are usually where you want to start looking, as they’ve had time to build up strong network penetration testing methodologies and work with other clients in the same industry – which will give them insight into how to best solve your unique problems!

3. What penetration tests do they offer?

When choosing a penetration testing vendor, it’s vital that you make sure their penetration tests align with what kind of vulnerabilities exist within your infrastructure. If an attacker wants access to privileged accounts on our network, but all penetration testers provide is external vulnerability scans, then what good could come out of this engagement? Look for penetration testing vendors who understand your business’ unique pain points so that together, you can set penetration testing goals that help to solve your specific problems.

4. What penetration test methods do they use?

Penetration tests are generally divided into two broad categories: external and internal penetration testing. External penetration tests involve attacks against the outside world, such as website vulnerabilities or social engineering campaigns. Internal penetration tests take place on devices behind firewalls; these typically include gaining access to systems with sensitive information like databases or authentication credentials.

Depending on what your business is trying to protect, knowing which type of penetration testing methodology will give you more value is very important! For example, if most of your assets are stored externally but require low-level network permissions for access – a full penetration test of your entire infrastructure would be a waste of time! Be sure to look for penetration testing vendors who understand the types of penetration tests that are right for your business.

5. What kind of customer service do they provide?

When choosing what penetration testing company will work best with you, it’s important to know exactly how their model works and what is included in each engagement type. Penetration testing services typically fall into one of two categories: automated or manual penetration tests.

Many larger penetration tester companies use an “on-demand” service where they have skilled security consultants on call for when clients need them – but this can make setting up engagements take weeks if not months! Look instead for penetration testers who offer standard hours so that you aren’t waiting around for penetration test results. Make sure that if you’re looking at penetration testing vendors, their customer service model aligns with what your goals are!

6. Do they have a penetration testing methodology?

When choosing which penetration tester to work with, look for companies that have well-documented and proven penetration test methodologies – the process by which an organization formally defines how it conducts its business.

Penetration testers should be able to tell you exactly how many phases of engagements exist in each project type (e.g., internal vs external). The more transparent a company is about its penetration tests, the better off you’ll both be when working together on these important security projects. And remember: just because one vendor offers everything does not mean he or she is the best penetration tester for you. Be sure to look at penetration test methodologies when choosing your penetration testing company!

7. What are their reporting methods?

For many organizations, getting access to evidence of a penetration test engagement is very important – it’s how they confirm whether or not any vulnerabilities exist within their infrastructure and what needs to be prioritized for patching in order to keep security teams happy.

Make sure that when looking over penetration testing companies, you understand exactly which types of reports will be included in each project type so there isn’t any confusion later down the line about data gathering/reporting standards. The more transparent an organization is with its methodology, reporting systems, etc., then the better off you’ll both be during future penetration testing projects.

8. How do penetration testers communicate with clients?

For many penetration tests, it’s important to have a high level of communication between the security consultant and client – this is how we can ask questions about specific systems or gather more data when needed! Make sure that you know exactly what types of communications your penetration test vendor will be provided for each project type so there isn’t any confusion later on down the line. The better penetration testers are at communicating during engagements, the less likely they’ll miss something crucial to keep both sides happy throughout future penetration testing projects.

Conclusion:

The decision of ‘which penetration testing company I can choose’ can be a difficult one, as there are many factors involved. However, if you know what those factors are and how they apply to your situation, it becomes much easier.

Choosing the proper penetration testing firm has a significant influence on a company’s success. This is why it’s important to do your research before making this decision and find the right fit for the company.