The problem of cybersecurity never goes away. Every day, your information technology team has to deal with new threats, updated compliance requirements, and other annoying jobs. You want a quick response to the question “How much is a penetration test going to cost me?” when it comes to penetration testing services. But things aren’t always clear-cut. We’ll go over the numerous factors that go into determining a penetration test’s final cost.
Penetration testing: What is it?
Let’s be sure we’re talking about the same thing before moving on to the blog’s budget-spreading section. Penetration testing involves looking at your network, application, device, and physical security from the perspective of someone who has malicious intentions. The goal of penetration testing is to identify a company’s cybersecurity weaknesses.
An specialist in cybersecurity using application penetration testing company Cyrex can find the following:
where a hacker might pick you out
How an assailant might pick you out
How effective are your defenses against an attacker?
What the potential consequences of a breach might be
Application layer defects, network and system-level flaws, and chances to breach physical security barriers are all sought after by penetration testing. While some cybersecurity flaws can be found by automated testing, real penetration testing takes into account the company’s susceptibility to manual attacks.
How Much Do Penetration Tests Cost, though?
The clearest response is “it depends.” But don’t get frustrated by that ambiguity; we still have a lot to say about it. Let’s talk about a few of the numerous factors that will be taken into account when determining the price of your specific penetration test.
What Do You Hope To Achieve With This?
What you want to achieve will determine how much your penetration test will cost.
Do you want to check the physical accessibility of a small, family-run company or a utility that has a number of rural transmission stations?
Do you wish to test IoT devices, networks, applications, or all of these?
Do you also wish to evaluate how resistant your company is to social engineering attacks?
When executing the test, the size of your intended setting will also be a consideration. Additionally, how much data do you provide the testers access to?
Black box testing involves giving testers no information before they start the exam.
To get the test going (white box testing), testers are provided extensive background material.
Scope: What Endpoints and Systems Will Be Tested?
This is the total number of systems or endpoints that will be tested, and it is directly related to the amount of time it will take the testers to thoroughly examine each system. After all, the quantity of parties, networks, IP addresses, apps, and facilities involved strongly influences the price and duration.
Example:
200 IP addresses that simply need to be pinged to confirm whether they are available and online will take longer to analyze thoroughly than a web application running a huge customer-facing web portal with several user roles.
The testers must also take into account any limitations they might run into in the scoped environment when estimating the overall complexity of the testing.
Example:
Does the system work during regular business hours?
How readily available are corporate employees to deal with any possible testing-related incidents?
Approach: Manual vs. Automated Testing and Testing Depth
Penetration Examining vulnerabilities versus testing
Penetration testing can be approached in a variety of ways. Some of the methods don’t really qualify as penetration testing. For instance, some businesses employ automated vulnerability scanners, but stop using them as soon as the scan is finished and the data have been exported. Although a vulnerability scan is a crucial part of a penetration test, it lacks the amount of rigor and human intelligence needed to offer accurate insights about the danger present in your target environment. In other words, a vulnerability scan can help with a thorough examination but is insufficient on its own.
‘Lite’ Penetration Testing
Or, you might obtain a penetration test that looks for entry points and determines whether they can be exploited. The next step is to pinpoint where remediation is needed.
Penetration Testing in Depth
The most thorough method of pentesting, which is also the most expensive, looks for entry points and exploits them while also attempting to use those vulnerabilities to see what else a malicious actor might be able to achieve. Compared to a straightforward vulnerability scan, our testing is more thorough. The distinguishing factor that enables firms to appreciate the genuine impact of recognized hazards and assist in prioritizing their remediation operations is the extra time and attention.
Team of Certified Industry Professionals with Experience
You pay for competent assistance, just like with any other service. Paying for a penetration tester or team of testers with relevant industry knowledge and the necessary testing skills will ensure that the test is done thoroughly.
For instance, the penetration testers at RedTeam Security are highly skilled and possess a number of industry credentials. Additionally, most of our employees are familiar with both sides of the issue. This indicates that they are capable of both creating and destroying networks and software.
Retesting After Correction
You find weaknesses when you run a penetration test. After all, that is the purpose of the test. What happens next, though? Retesting is crucial to make sure the issue has been resolved after remedial efforts have been made to address the reported problems.
No matter which company you decide to partner with for your subsequent penetration test, it’s critical to take into account how the expense of remedial retesting will affect the project’s overall budget. After all, a crucial step in lowering your total risk exposure is confirming remedial efforts through testing. Within six months of the project’s completion, RedTeam Security offers remediation retesting for up to six findings at no additional cost.
Service Fees for Penetration Testing
It is usually advisable to pay for pen testers who can explain what is happening and talk about practical remedial techniques. Although using a so-called “security testing mill” may be less expensive, you won’t have the benefit of speaking with a person who will assist your efforts to get it right and stop future hacks.
What does a penetration test typically cost, then? For a small, non-complicated business, the typical cost of a penetration test is $4,000; for a large, sophisticated one, it might be over $100,000.
The following variables can affect penetration testing costs:
business size
Size and difficulty
live IP addresses count
Methodology
The test’s objectives
the kind of test
Applications categories
Data sensitivity overall
