Top 28 Penetration Testing Companies for 2025 

Your firewalls, antivirus tools, and employee training are not enough. Cyber threats in 2025 move faster and strike harder, driven by AI-powered attacks and organized crime groups that hunt for a single weak point in your defenses. Believing you are secure is one of the riskiest assumptions you can make.

So, how do you expose weaknesses before attackers do? You hire an expert to break in first. A penetration test is not a checkbox exercise; it is a live test of your defenses, showing how a real-world attacker could breach your systems.

Choosing the right partner is critical, which is why we researched and reviewed penetration testing vendors in detail. This guide features 28 top-tier companies that deserve your attention in 2025.

Top 28 Penetration Testing Companies for 2025 

Let’s look at all the outstanding penetration companies you can trust to safeguard your company: 

Note: This is not a ranked list. The companies are presented in no particular order, and their placement does not imply superiority over others. All of them have solid reputations and should be able to deliver good results.

1. Bright Defense  

Bright Defense provides hands‑on penetration testing grounded in continuous compliance best practices. The team understands that regulatory frameworks often mandate pen testing (e.g. SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA), so they craft tests to satisfy both audit requirements and real‑world risk exposure. With Drata integration, vulnerability findings map directly to compliance automation controls. 

The founders bring deep technical understanding of cloud, MSP and data‑centre environments, so their tests consistently highlight cloud‑specific misconfigurations, API gaps, and emerging threat patterns.

Company Overview

• Name: Bright Defense
• Headquarters: Culver City, Los Angeles, California, United States 
• Year Founded: 2023 
• Global Presence: U.S.‑based firm serving small and mid‑sized businesses (SMBs), SaaS providers and managed service providers nationwide. Team members have deep experience scaling global cloud infrastructure.
• Website: https://brightdefense.com
• Founders: John Minnix, Tim Mektrakarn
• Pen Test Cost Range: $2750 – $9250

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2022 certified provider with certified Lead Auditor and CISSP/CISA staff. 
• Drata Gold Partner and Channel Rising Star Partner, 2024–2025. 
• Frequent use of Drata, KnowBe4, JumpCloud, and industry frameworks such as SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, NIST, and CMMC.

Awards & Honors

• Recognized as #1 “Computer Security Systems and Services in Culver City” by Yellowpages (out of 30 providers).
• Named Drata Channel Rising Star and Gold Partner for continuous compliance leadership.

Penetration Testing Specialties

• External network testing (web endpoints, open ports)
• Web application (OWASP Top 10, input validation, authentication breakage)
• API fuzzing and injection testing
• Internal network and privilege escalation
• Role‑based (admin vs regular user) logic testing
• CVE-based attack mapping
• CVT vulnerability assessment with commercial techniques
• Other optional capabilities include: wireless, social engineering, and physical testing (through partners)

Key Strengths of Bright Defense 

• Compliance‑first methodology: penetration tests map naturally to audit control objectives (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC) and feed into automated tools like Drata. 
• Experienced testing team: Founders hold CISSP, CISA, OSCP and ISO 27001 Lead Auditor certifications; they have led security programs at cloud and MSP enterprises. 
• Fixed, transparent pricing: Clear offerings with defined scope and rate packages, with discount for SOC 2 path customers.
• Integration into broader security program: Tests linked to policy, vCISO cadence, vulnerability tracking and security awareness routines.
• Recognised local leader: Culver City’s most trusted security provider, and visible presence in California SMB market.

Ideal For

• Start-ups & SMBs that need audit‑ready pen testing without hiring a full team. 
• SaaS companies requiring deep testing of web, mobile, and API layers alongside SOC 2 or ISO certification. 
• Managed service providers that serve regulated clients and require packaged compliance‑aligned pen testing. 
• Regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, or defense, which require both pen testing and broader compliance support. 

2. Rapid7

Rapid7 provides managed penetration testing through their Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) platform, which combines skilled human testing with a live portal for continuous results and retesting. Vulnerability information integrates with their Insight Cloud platform, enabling visibility across assets and DevOps workflows. This approach helps teams adopt regular testing as part of release cycles.

The team contributes to open-source tools such as Metasploit and dedicates time to researching new attack techniques. Testers deliver results across network, application, cloud, social, and IoT environments, allowing clients to focus on fixing risks instead of just receiving reports.

Company Overview

• Name: Rapid7
• Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
• Year Founded: 2000
• Global Presence: Serves over 11,000 clients in more than 140 countries with a mix of cloud-based delivery and regional offices
• Website: https://www.rapid7.com/ 
• Founders: Alan Matthews; Tas Giakouminakis; Chad Loder
• Pen Test Cost Range:  $10,000 – $50,000

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001 certified information security management system
• CREST‑listed member authorized for enterprise penetration testing services
• Annual SOC 2 Type II audit on its Insight platform

Awards & Honors

• Recognition as 2023 Best Vulnerability Management and Best Threat Detection vendor by SC Media Awards
• Winner of Best SIEM Solution and Threat Intelligence at SC Awards Europe 2022
• Included in Gartner Magic Quadrant for SIEM as a Leader (2021) and as a Challenger (2022, 2024 edition released in May 2024)

Penetration Testing Specialties

• External network (servers and internet-exposed services)
• Internal network assessments (privilege escalation, lateral movement simulation)
• Web application (OWASP Top 10, session, injection flaws)
• Mobile app testing
• IoT and internet-aware device testing
• Social engineering (phishing calls and USB drops)
• Wireless network assessments
• Red team attack simulation

Key Strengths of Rapid7

• PTaaS Platform: Live PTaaS portal and a subscription-based platform supports re-testing and shared remediation dashboards
• Research and Contribution: Testers contribute actively to Metasploit while spending ~20% of their time on attacker research and original exploit development
• Engagement Volume: Over 1,000 test engagements annually across global clients and multiple industries
• Insight Cloud Integration: Close integration with the Insight Cloud platform enables clients to track asset exposure, compliance, and test findings from a single interface
• Enterprise Focus: Well-suited for enterprises that need repeatable, scalable pen testing for compliance or internal risk programs

Ideal For

• Mid-sized and enterprise organizations with distributed infrastructure, DevOps pipelines, or regulatory mandates
• Teams that prefer continuous penetration testing and the ability to rebook assessments on demand
• Companies using dev‑wide asset management that want vulnerability findings automatically tied into broader security workflows
• Clients with industries such as finance, healthcare, retail, or critical infrastructure that seek cloud‑ready testing plus advisory services
  

3. Secureworks

Secureworks delivers adversarial penetration testing powered by its Counter Threat Unit (CTU™) threat intelligence. Every assessment reflects real-world tactics from active incidents, with tests delivered by seasoned offensive security consultants.

The team moves beyond simplistic scans, simulating internal and external attacks to map out full kill chains. Tests span cloud, wireless, managed environments, and physical/social engineering scenarios. Findings empower clients with remediation guidance and validation through retesting.

Company Overview

• Name: Secureworks Inc.
• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Year Founded: 1998
• Global Presence: Serves over 4,000 clients across more than 50 countries, including North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America
• Website: https://www.secureworks.com/ 
• Founders / Key Leaders: Originally founded by Michael Pearson and Joan Wilbanks; as of 2025, CEO is Wendy K. Thomas
• Pen Test Cost Range: $5,000 – $50,000 (based on typical network or combined-scope engagements)

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST-accredited penetration tester for enterprise engagements
• ISO 27001 certified across its Taegis security platform
• SOC 2 Type II audited regularly on its Taegis platform

Awards & Honors

• Frequently listed in Gartner peer reviews for strong penetration testing and red team services

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Threat intelligence-driven tests using Secureworks Counter Threat Unit™ for attacker-realistic scenarios.
• Manual, goal-based exploits over automated scans to show actual attack potential.
• Combined external, internal, and phishing tests for multi-vector simulations.
• Cloud breach simulations across AWS, Azure, and GCP, including lateral movement and privilege escalation.
• Internal threat models (rogue insider, endpoint breach) with Remote Testing Appliance for realistic access.
• Wireless, physical, and phishing assessments with tailgating, badge cloning, and lock-picking.
• Red and Purple Team exercises to test both vulnerabilities and detection capabilities.

Key Strengths of Secureworks

• Adversarial Testing Approach: Tests reflect real-world attacker behavior, developed from CTU threat research
• Expert Offensive Security Team: Tests performed by highly certified specialists focused solely on offensive security, participating regularly in global Capture The Flag events
• Engagement Flexibility: Flexible engagement models including remote retesting options (remediation validation within 90 days)
• Compliance Support: Strong alignment with compliance mandates, supporting PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FFIEC, ISO, and more
• Global Intelligence Scale: Threat intelligence drawn from billions of daily events across thousands of clients, enabling wide applicability across industries

Ideal For

• Large enterprises or regulated organizations (finance, healthcare, government) that require offensive testing aligned to compliance profiles
• Companies seeking integrated threat intelligence and rigorous adversarial validation from a global provider
• Organizations that value repeatable testing workflows, retest capability, and detailed remediation tracking

4. BreachLock

BreachLock delivers human-led, AI-enhanced penetration testing via its PTaaS platform. Clients can begin tests within one business day using certified in-house testers supported by automation. Findings are actionable and audit-ready, covering cloud, network, APIs, mobile, IoT, and internal environments.

Unlimited automated re-tests ensure fixes are validated. The platform integrates asset discovery, DevSecOps workflows, and compliance remediations for fast, scalable testing.

Company Overview

• Name: BreachLock
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States (with offices in U.S., UK, Netherlands, India)
• Year Founded: 2019
• Global Presence: Active in 20+ countries serving 1,000+ clients across sectors like finance, healthcare, retail, and technology
• Website: https://www.breachlock.com/ 
• Founders / CEO: Seemant Sehgal (Founder & CEO)
• Pen Test Cost Range: $2,500 – $5,000 for one-time or annual assessments; higher for continuous validation plans

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST-certified pentesting and audit-ready reporting
• ISO 27001 certified and SOC 2 compliant
• 100% in-house team with certifications like OSCP, OSCE, CISSP, CEH, GSNA, CISA, CISM

Awards & Honors

• Gold awards in 2025 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards for PTaaS and continuous penetration testing
• Named Pentest Team of the Year by Cybersecurity Excellence in 2024 for team expertise and delivery quality

Penetration Testing Specialties

• AI-enabled, human-led PTaaS starting within one business day.
• Certified testers (OSCP, CREST, OSCE, CEH, SANS) with 100+ published CVEs.
• Manual testing only, coordinated through a platform for tracking and retesting.
• Fast turnaround: 5–7 business days, next-day report, and included retest.
• Engagement tiers with CREST-certified reports and dedicated PM options.
• Continuous pentesting with real-time tracking, unlimited retests, and DevOps integration.
• Unified platform for pentesting, attack surface management, and red teaming.

Key Strengths of BreachLock

• Hybrid human/AI PTaaS: Combines certified manual testing with NLP-driven automation for speed, accuracy, and scalability
• Fast‑start onboarding: Can launch tests within one business day via unified cloud platform
• Unlimited retesting & support: Automated re‑tests for fixes plus manual follow-up and remediation validation
• Unified platform with ASM: Attack surface discovery, vulnerability reporting, dashboards, and DevSecOps integrations in one portal
• Certified, in‑house team: Avoids crowdsourced testers; team active in responsible disclosure with hundreds of CVEs reported

Ideal For

• SMBs and startups conducting vendor security assessments, product launches, or SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance tests
• Organizations needing continuous or monthly pentesting across APIs, cloud, and IoT platforms
• DevSecOps teams wanting integration with CI/CD workflows (e.g. Jira, Slack, Trello)
• Regulated industries (finance, healthcare, retail, technology) looking for audit-ready, cost-effective penetration testing tied to compliance frameworks

5. Cobalt

Cobalt offers human-led penetration testing delivered via a cloud-native Pentest as a Service (PtaaS) platform. Clients can begin testing in roughly 24 hours, engage directly with certified testers, and view findings in real time.

Unlimited retesting remains available until confirmed fixes close each issue. The platform syncs with dev tools and scales across modern CI/CD and compliance workflows. This approach bridges deep human analysis and automated asset scanning.

Company Overview

• Name: Cobalt Ltd (also known as Cobalt.io)
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Year Founded: 2013
• Global Presence: Fully remote staff with client deployments across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; offices in Boston and Berlin support global coverage
• Website: https://www.cobalt.io/ 
• Founders: Jacob Hansen, Esben Friis‑Jensen, Jakob Storm, Christian Hansen
• Pen Test Cost Range: $14,000 – $35,000 USD (based on asset complexity)

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2022 certified management system
• SOC 2 Type II at the platform level
• CREST‑accredited pentesting programme

Awards & Honors

• Recognized as the founding company of the modern PtaaS model
• Featured in analyst and security media for maturity in pentesting automation

Penetration Testing Specialties

• PTaaS model with tests launched within 24 hours.
• Access to 450+ vetted, certified pentesters via Cobalt Core.
• Real-time findings with Slack, Jira, and Azure DevOps integration.
• Continuous testing for code-to-cloud environments.
• AI/LLM application penetration testing alongside web/API.
• Goal-based tests with audit-ready attestation reports.

Key Strengths of Cobalt

• Rapid Deployment: Pentests can begin within one or two business days after scoping
• Real-Time Reporting: Live interface lets clients view findings and submit retests until resolution
• Expert Testing Team: All Cobalt Core members are credentialed professionals screened for tool proficiency and ethics
• Workflow Integration: Built-in connectors to Jira, GitHub, Slack, and REST API for remediation tracking
• Credit-Based Pricing: Clients buy credits (1 credit = 8 pentesting hours) that may be redeemed throughout the year; unused credits often carry over or refund at year-end

Ideal For

• DevSecOps or product engineering teams that ship often and need tight testing cycles
• SaaS and tech firms undergoing SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA compliance
• Organizations that need experienced pentesting support but prefer not to hire in‑house staff
• Enterprises that seek predictable pricing and easy management across multiple pentests and assets

6. CrowdStrike

CrowdStrike offers adversary emulation and red team services through the Falcon® platform and its CTU® threat intelligence unit. The team recreates real‑world attacker methods such as nation‑state breaches, lateral movement and privilege abuse.

Clients access findings in a portal where unlimited retests remain available until objectives conclude. CrowdStrike draws on global telemetry to model attacks against cloud, identity and endpoint systems and assess detection and response readiness. 

Company Overview

• Name: CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.
• Headquarters: Austin, Texas, United States
• Year Founded: 2011
• Global Presence: Serves customers in over 170 countries with regional offices across North America, EMEA, Asia-Pacific and Latin America
• Website: https://crowdstrike.com
• Founders: George Kurtz, Dmitri Alperovitch, Gregg Marston
• Pen Test Cost Range: approximately $10,000–$85,000 depending on scope and duration (enterprise red team engagements often fall in this range) 

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2022 certified across Falcon product line 
• SOC 2 Type I and II audited on corporate operations and Falcon platforms
• CSA STAR Level 2 for cloud assurance

Awards & Honors

• Leader in Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Endpoint Protection Platforms in 2024 (fifth year in a row) and 2025 (sixth year)
• Winner of Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Global Customer Value Leadership Award for Best Practices in Cloud Security 
• Took home more category awards than any vendor at SC Awards Europe 2024: Best Cloud Security, Endpoint, AI, Threat Intelligence and Incident Response 

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Adversary tool simulation driven by proprietary threat intelligence.
• Full cyber kill chain emulation for multi-phase attacks.
• Red Team testers with 10+ years’ experience and 95% mission success rate.
• Red/Blue Team exercises to train defenders and improve detection.
• Internal, external, web/mobile, insider threat, and wireless testing.
• Recognized as a “Cyber Catalyst” for adversary emulation capability.

Key Strengths of CrowdStrike

• Realistic Adversarial Testing: Adversarial testing reflects real attacker behavior discovered in CTU research, not just simulated scans
• Falcon Platform Integration: Integration with Falcon allows test results to feed into security operations, threat hunting, and compliance streams
• High-Caliber Testers: Testers with deep forensic and incident response experience achieve a success rate above 95% for reaching objectives
• Recurring Testing Model: Supports frequent assessments, retesting, and validation without renegotiation
• Global Enterprise Reach: Large industry footprint and mature global operations enable teams to scale engagements consistently for regulated enterprise clients

Ideal For

• Enterprises or mid‑sized firms with broad, distributed infrastructure or cloud deployment
• Organizations needing continuous adversary simulation aligned to compliance frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001 or NIST
• Security operations teams who want visibility into attack techniques and the ability to build detection response logic
• Clients already using Falcon for endpoint, cloud or identity protection who prefer testing tightly integrated with their existing platform

7. NetSPI

NetSPI delivers professional penetration testing under its proprietary Resolve™ PTaaS platform. Clients interact in real time with certified testers, track vulnerabilities centrally, and validate fixes through unlimited retesting.

The firm extends its service to cloud, network, application, IoT/OT, and red‑team simulations for high‑value, audit‑level testing. 

Company Overview

• Name: NetSPI LLC
• Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States 
• Year Founded: 2001 
• Global Presence: Offers testing across U.S., Canada, U.K., and India; serves major financial, healthcare, technology, retail, and cloud provider clients via regional offices and partnership networks 
• Website: https://www.netspi.com
• Founder (KEY Leader): Deke George
• Pen Test Cost Range: $5,000 – $50,000+ (variations exist for enterprise red‑team or full‑scope assessments) 

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST‑accredited tester for enterprise engagements

Awards & Honors

• Regularly named a market leader in independent reviews and recognized by Fortune 500 clients, including 9/10 top U.S. banks, top healthcare organizations, and cloud providers 

Penetration Testing Specialties

• PTaaS platform with real-time dashboards, collaboration, and ticketing integrations.
• 300+ in-house pentesters covering AI/ML, mainframe, blockchain, hardware, and more.
• Human-Driven Automated Pentesting combining DAST with manual validation.
• Cloud-specific tests for AWS, Azure, and GCP with chained attack simulations.
• Security testing for hardware, IoT, OT, medical devices, and automotive systems.
• Platform-based reporting with asset management and trend tracking.

Key Strengths of NetSPI

• Technology-supported testing: Resolve™ connects testing, remediation, and compliance tracking in one dashboard
• Deep technical expertise: team of CREST‑registered testers with real‑world experience across regulated and high‑stakes environments
• Actionable outcomes: custom reporting highlights high-risk impacts, prioritized fixes, and audit-ready documentation
• Scalable delivery: supports one-time and subscription‑based engagements for repeat red‑team validation or pen‑test coverage cycles
• Broad trust footprint: long-standing relationships with major global enterprises and financial institutions

Ideal For

• Mid-to-large enterprises seeking repeatable testing integrated with DevSecOps and compliance workflows
• Regulated industries such as finance, healthcare, or critical infrastructure requiring audit-aligned red‑team services
• Teams that need centralized vulnerability tracking, fix verification, and collaboration across tests
• Organizations looking for a provider that can scale testing with predictable pricing and professional delivery

8. TechMagic

TechMagic provides hands‑on penetration testing aligned with continuous compliance best practice. The team knows that regulations such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS often require pen testing. Their assessments support audit objectives while attacking real‑world risks.

Vulnerabilities feed into DevSecOps pipelines by integrating tools like OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite and Semgrep. Analysts have deep experience in cloud services, software product development, and infrastructure security; their reports surface cloud misconfigurations, risks in APIs, and emerging gaps in modern tech stacks.

Company Overview

• Name: TechMagic
• Headquarters: Kraków, Poland (with offices in Lviv, New York City, London and a global client base)
• Year Founded: 2014 (10+ years in market, over 320 expert team members)
• Global Presence: Active in Poland, Ukraine, the UK and the U.S.; delivered more than 200 software and security projects worldwide
• Website: https://techmagic.co
• Lead Security Figures: Roman Kolodiy (Director of Cloud & Cybersecurity), Ihor Sasovets (Lead Security Engineer)
• Pen Test Cost Range: $4 000 – $15 000 for standard web or cloud assessments; larger, customized projects can exceed $50 000

Certifications & Accreditations

• Undergoes annual ISO 27001 audit and holds CREST certification for penetration testing
• Team includes holders of CEH, eWPT, PenTest+, eMAPT and AWS Security Specialty credentials

Awards & Honors

• Named one of the top penetration testing firms in 2025 based on industry reviews and case results

Penetration Testing Specialties

• CREST-accredited with high-quality reporting for regulated sectors.
• Web, mobile, API, cloud, network, social engineering, and AI system testing.
• Mobile app tests aligned with OWASP MASVS/MSTG and compliance standards.
• AI pentesting targeting model and data pipeline vulnerabilities.
• Manual testing with scans, config reviews, architecture checks, and developer training.

Key Strengths of TechMagic

• Compliance‑first wherever regulations apply, with pen tests tied back to SOC 2, ISO 27001 or PCI DSS control objectives and audit readiness assessment
• Detailed reports packed with proof‑of‑concepts (PoCs), remediation guidance and CI/CD integration suggestions
• Global team with strong software engineering acumen; experienced in cloud, CI/CD pipeline architecture and SRE best practice
• Cost transparency with tiered pricing, fixed‑fee packages for SMBs and scalable support for larger audit scope customers
• Awarded high client satisfaction (>92 NPS) and recognized for delivering fast project starts and low overhead integration

Ideal For

• SaaS providers or startups preparing for SOC 2 Type I or Type II audit
• FinTech or HealthTech teams that require pen testing as part of ISO 27001, HIPAA or PCI DSS programs
• Companies operating cloud-native infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) seeking security assessments from engineers who understand dynamic workloads
• Tech organizations that want pen testing embedded in DevSecOps or continuous security workflows rather than one-off snapshot tests

9. Packetlabs

Packetlabs delivers penetration testing driven by deep threat research and delivered through its Packetlabs Portal.® Its testers follow a 95% manual methodology, leveraging verified frameworks such as SANS, MITRE ATT&CK and NIST SP 800‑115 to expose attack chains that automation misses.

Tests start with reconnaissance and cover legacy infrastructure, cloud environments, APIs, user logic, and adversary simulation. Clients receive prioritized remediation guidance with unlimited re‑tests until validation completes. Their CREST‑accredited team operates across North America, and no testing is outsourced or crowdsourced: all work stays in‑house and zero false positives are guaranteed.

Company Overview

• Name: Packetlabs Ltd.
• Headquarters: Toronto (Mississauga), Ontario, Canada (two headquarters including San Francisco, USA)
• Year Founded: 2011
• Global Presence: Serves organizations across North America, with experience in government, healthcare, retail, finance, and technology industries.
• Website: https://www.packetlabs.net
• Founder / CEO: Richard Rogerson, CISSP‑ISSAP, OSCP, OSCE
• Pen Test Cost Range: $5,000 – $150,000 (depending on scope and depth) 

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST‑accredited (#pen‑test services)
• SOC 2 Type II audited delivery environment
• Annual SOC 2 audit and CIS Security Controls certification available for related assessments

Awards & Honors

• Named one of the top 5 penetration testing firms in 2024 by Clutch, featured on its 1000 list based on client reviews and service quality
• Maintains a 4.9/5 average rating from verified clients; included in Clutch’s top global B2B provider list

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Objective-Based Penetration Testing with 95% manual execution.
• Infrastructure testing across Active Directory, networks, and third-party systems with free retest.
• Cloud pentests for AWS, Azure, and GCP targeting chained misconfigurations and privilege pivots.
• Application and mobile testing using 200+ point OWASP-based manual checklist.
• CREST-certified, SOC 2 Type II–accredited, in-house testing team.

Key Strengths of Packetlabs

• High‑manual, low‑noise testing: 95% of effort is manual exploit research and chaining; automation makes up only 5%
• Certified in‑house team: All testers hold at least OSCP certification; most hold additional expert‑level credentials
• CREST trust badge: Accreditations reinforce global credibility and audit soundness 
• Portal‑driven engagement: Findings arrive in a shared platform with dashboards, remediation tracking and free retesting (until results close successfully) 
• Audit and insurer ready: Reports align with SOC 2, ISO 27001, CIS and cyber insurance control frameworks
• No false positives, full ownership: The founders emphasize closure and impact over reports delivered for compliance checklist satisfaction

Ideal For

• Regulated enterprises in healthcare, financial services, government, and energy that require high-integrity, auditable security testing
• Teams that need repeatable Assumed Breach or red team simulations with deep reconnaissance and attacker‑style compromise paths
• Organizations managing mixed infrastructure: legacy on-premises networks, hybrid cloud assets, and public-facing applications needing aligned compliance and DevSecOps pipelines
• Companies looking to build long-term vulnerability programs backed by reporting platforms, fix validation, and re-test flexibility without renegotiation

10. Rhino Security Labs

Rhino Security Labs delivers hands‑on penetration testing driven by deep internal research. Experts at the firm craft tests mimicking real attacker techniques used in cloud, network, web, and mobile environments.

Testing reports link technical depth with business context, helping teams act with clarity. The company’s founders lead industry research, regularly disclosing critical flaws and building tools used in real assessments.

Company Overview

• Name: Rhino Security Labs, Inc.
• Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, United States
• Year Founded: 2013
• Global Presence: U.S.-based boutique firm serving clients ranging from cloud startups to Fortune 500 enterprises in sectors such as finance, healthcare, tech, retail, energy and hospitality
• Website: https://rhinosecuritylabs.com
• Founders / Key Leadership: Benjamin Caudill (Founder & CEO) and Alexander Sereda (Co‑Founder)
• Pen Test Cost Range: $10,000 – $150,000+, depending on scope (testing often starts around $10,000 and can reach six figures for full‑scale adversarial or red team engagements)

Certifications & Accreditations

• Rhino conducts penetration tests in compliance with standards such as SOC 2, PCI‑DSS, and HIPAA, although formal certifications like ISO or CREST have not been publicly documented. 

Awards & Honors

• Quoted by Mark Cuban as: “I like working with [Rhino Security Labs]. They look to help rather than exploit.”
• There are no widely published awards, but the firm maintains high recognition in security research circles.

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Manual, deep-dive pentests for cloud, network, web/mobile, phishing, and red teaming.
• Proprietary tools and zero-day exploits, including the AWS Pacu framework.
• Research-driven team active in vulnerability disclosures and conferences.
• Dual-audience reports with executive and technical detail plus advisory follow-up.
• Multi-week manual testing with minimal reliance on scanners.

Key Strengths of Rhino Security Labs

• Pure manual methodology: testing relies heavily on skilled human analysts; automated tools handle only preliminary enumeration
• Research-driven approach: leadership maintains in‑house tools and regularly publishes AWS‑specific and cloud research used during engagements
• Strong reporting & operations focus: deep‑dive narratives show full exploit paths with remediation guidance; expert teams walk clients through every stage of the attack story
• Recognized by credible experts: high-profile client endorsements and media coverage reinforce technical reputation
• Context‑aware service: consultants understand compliance needs and industry nuances in healthcare, finance, tech, retail and energy, shaping tests to cover business-critical objectives

Ideal For

• Organizations needing audit‑ready testing that integrates with PCI‑DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2 or other compliance frameworks
• Cloud-native teams (particularly AWS, Azure, GCP) wanting audit-style risk assessments informed by attacker research
• Businesses that operate infrastructure across legacy networks, public cloud, APIs, web/mobile apps and need one provider to cover them all
• Security-conscious SMBs and mid‑sized firms preparing for vendor assessments, red team validation or regulatory gaps
• Teams seeking a high-skill alternative to “checkbox” scanning who value detailed adversarial context in reports

11. Software Secured

Software Secured offers hands‑on penetration testing rooted in manual expertise. The team avoids scattershot automated tools and simulates real threat scenarios often found in fast‑moving SaaS environments, serving enterprises that must satisfy SOC 2, HIPAA or ISO 27001 requirements while operating at pace.

Its Pentest Essentials and Pentest 360 packages include built‑in retests, around‑the‑clock portal access, and reports designed for developer and audit workflows. Security firm founder Sherif Koussa leads a group of full‑time Canadian testers focused on quality and clarity.

Company Overview

• Name: Software Secured
• Headquarters: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
• Year Founded: 2010
• Global Presence: Based in Canada, with most clients in the U.S. Recently expanded into Europe and other regions. Common provider for high-growth SaaS, fintech, and healthcare sectors. About 50% of the customer base is in those industries
• Website: https://www.softwaresecured.com
• Key Leadership: Sherif Koussa (Founder & CEO)
• Pen Test Cost Range: USD $4,000–$100,000+ per engagement. Lower range for basic external apps; higher for complex scopes involving authenticated, mobile, or full cloud audits
• Certifications & Accreditations: No public CREST or ISO 27001 certification. Tests are mapped to SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA. Methodologies follow five standards: OWASP Top 10, SANS Top 25, NIST, ASVS, and WSTG
• Awards & Honors: Rated 5.0 / 5.0 on Clutch across 19+ client reviews, with strong feedback on report quality and responsiveness. Also featured in its own “Top 10 vendors” guide for penetration testing providers

Penetration Testing Specialties

• External network penetration
• Internal network / AD / privilege escalation
• Web application (OWASP Top 10, logic flaws, cross‑tenant)
• API (REST, GraphQL) fuzzer and injection testing
• Mobile app assessments (iOS, Android)
• Secure cloud configuration reviews (AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Secure code review and business‑logic testing (code, workflows, user roles)
• Threat modelling and kill‑chain / red‑team simulations
• Retesting support (1× to unlimited rounds depending on service tier)
• Developer training and technical remediation assistance

Key Strengths

• Manual-First Approach: Testing uses Canadian testers and avoids false positives. Every engagement includes step-by-step verification and peer review
• Compliance-Focused Reporting: Reports are mapped to relevant audit controls and connect findings with frameworks like SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO
• Retest Policy by Tier: Pentest Essentials includes three retests, Pentest 360 adds consultative support, and the continuous PTaaS model allows unlimited retesting
• Purpose-Built Portal: Features include real-time dashboards, output isolation, OAuth-based access, single-tenant encryption, and GRC system integrations
• Predictable and Fast Delivery: Scope is defined upfront, typical quotes arrive within 48–72 hours, and reporting follows within 48 hours after testing
• Industry Focus: Strong engagement in SaaS, AI, and regulated verticals. Clients include healthcare, fintech, and security startups preparing for SOC 2 audits or proving secure product operations. Around 50% of customers come from these sectors

Ideal For

• SaaS startups and scale‑ups readying for SOC 2, ISO 27001 or HIPAA compliance who require manual, audit‑grade testing without building an in‑house team.
• Fintech, healthcare, security and data/AI companies that must pass security questionnaires, demonstrate external pentest results, and accelerate enterprise sales.
• Agile development teams moving quickly across web, mobile and API releases and needing integrated retesting and remediation support.
• SMBs expanding into regulated markets and aiming to prove security governance in formal reviews or board decks.

12. Bishop Fox

Bishop Fox delivers hands‑on penetration testing built on a forward‑defense philosophy and nearly two decades of offensive security expertise. They know regulatory frameworks such as PCI DSS 4.0, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 often mandate or strongly favor pen testing, so they engineer engagements that satisfy compliance goals while exposing real‑world risk vectors. Their Cosmos platform connects vulnerability findings directly to attack simulations and remediation workflows.

Founders and senior staff have led globally scaled offensive security programs across cloud, SaaS, and network environments, which results in specialized coverage of attack paths affecting APIs, misconfigurations, and emerging threat surfaces.

Company Overview

• Name: Bishop Fox
• Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona, United States
• Year Founded: 2005
• Global Presence: Based in the U.S. with support operations across sectors including tech, healthcare, and finance. Experts have led assessments for Fortune 100 companies and worked with global SaaS providers and startups
• Website: https://www.bishopfox.com
• Founders / Leadership: Co-founded by Francis Brown and Vincent Liu (also CEO), with executive expertise in product, application, cloud, and red team security
• Pen Test Cost Range: Custom pricing only; quotes provided upon request through the website (no public rate card available)

Certifications & Accreditations

• Although not public, clients include highly regulated organizations and compliance consultants, suggesting firm alignment with SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and HIPAA frameworks.

Awards & Honors

• Cosmos platform has been ranked a Leader and Fast Mover in the GigaOm Radar for Attack Surface Management.
• Numerous internal and external achievements cited by SC Media, The American Business Awards, and others.

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Cosmos Application Penetration Testing with live updates and attack surface tracking.
• External and internal tests using real-world adversary tactics and attack-path modeling.
• Managed Pentest Service with dedicated program managers and consistent methodology.
• Research-driven team creating open-source tools and security advisories.

Why Choose Bishop Fox?

• Compliance-Aware Testing: Cosmos External Pen Testing (CEPT) supports due-diligence requirements and connects with exposure management and vulnerability automation workflows through the Cosmos Portal
• Elite Tradecraft: Team members hold certifications such as OSCP, CISSP, and CISA, with deep experience in cloud, SaaS, and enterprise IT environments
• Continuous Platform Access: Clients receive real-time reporting, retesting tools, attack surface change tracking, and direct access to expert support
• Hybrid Testing Methodology: Combines automation with manual verification to cut noise, reduce false positives, and focus on actionable issues
• Global Track Record: Over 1,000 clients served and more than 16,000 offensive testing projects completed. Cosmos recognized for innovation and attacker-focused delivery

Ideal For

• Enterprises or SMBs in regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, commerce) that need compliance-aligned testing and audit support.
• Software/SaaS companies requiring robust web, mobile, API layer security in sync with SOC 2 or ISO certification paths.
• Organizations seeking ongoing, continuous threat exposure monitoring rather than one-off manual tests.
• Teams that prefer expert-facilitated testing supported by a robust attack surface management platform over point-in-time assessments.

13. Blaze Information Security

Blaze Information Security delivers all‑manual penetration testing powered by seasoned consultants and tailored for compliance regimes like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, TISAX and DiGA.

Their CREST‑accredited team blends detailed reconnaissance with custom tooling, uncovering business logic flaws, API misconfigurations and attack opportunities often missed by automated scans. Findings feed directly into their VulnKeep PTaaS platform for real‑time remediation tracking.

Company Overview 

• Name: Blaze Information Security GmbH / Blaze Information Security Lda.
• Headquarters: Berlin, Germany (registered in Portugal; offices in Brazil, Poland, and The Netherlands)
• Year Founded: 2016
• Global Presence: Serves over 200 organizations across more than 25 countries, with clients in banking, fintech, energy, e-commerce, healthcare, and tech sectors
• Website: https://www.blazeinfosec.com
• Founders / Key Leadership: Founded by Tiago Ferreira (COO) and Wilberto Filipe de Sousa Filho (CEO), both former security consultants and vulnerability researchers
• Pen Test Cost Range: $5,000–$30,000. Basic engagements typically start around $4,999, while larger enterprise scopes are priced higher

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2022 certified, with operations audited and security-grade controls implemented
• CREST-accredited penetration testing provider
• Compliance coverage includes GDPR, ISO 9001, and Cyber Liability Insurance up to €5 million per claim per year

Awards & Honors

• CREST accreditation recognized internationally as a mark of quality in penetration testing
• Strong client ratings, with a 4.8–5.0 star score on Clutch from verified projects across high-impact sectors

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Manual, script-assisted testing to find flaws missed by scanners.
• Application tests beyond OWASP Top 10, targeting business logic and stack-specific issues.
• Network and cloud tests using PTES and OSSTMM standards.
• Audit-ready reports in under two weeks with free 90-day retest.
• Red team simulations based on MITRE ATT&CK and the kill chain.
• Testing also covers hardware, IoT, and embedded devices.

Key Strengths of Blaze Information Security

• Manual-First Approach: Expert testers dedicate over 95% of their time to validation and purpose-built exploit chains, which helps reduce false positives and unnecessary noise
• Compliance-Linked Reporting: Every finding is mapped to audit controls across SOC 2, GDPR, TISAX, ISO 27001, and others. Free validation retests are available for up to 90 days after testing
• Integrated PTaaS Platform (VulnKeep): Offers real-time dashboards for vulnerabilities, remediation tracking, and integrations with DevOps workflows
• Global Reach with Boutique Experience: The team has grown from under 50 staff and brings strong credentials in banking and tech security, with consistent delivery across jurisdictions
• Strong Risk Coverage and Fidelity: Reports include walkthroughs for clients, live proof-of-concepts, and a contextual threat narrative suitable for executive and board-level audiences

Ideal For

• Startups, scale‑ups and fintechs requiring vendor-grade pentests to satisfy SOC 2, TISAX or DiGA audit paths
• Enterprises or legal/insurance review teams seeking top‑tier testing aligned with EU/North America compliance & M&A scrutiny
• DevSecOps or agile development teams needing repeatable pentests integrated into CI/CD pipelines
• Firms handling sensitive customer data (healthcare, finance, SaaS) that require audit-verified security validation
• Organizations aiming for continual risk reduction via rolling test subscription rather than one-off engagements

14. LRQA Nettitude

Nettitude delivers manual and threat‑led penetration testing as part of LRQA’s cyber risk portfolio. Assessments unfold from reconnaissance to real attack‑chain simulation across cloud, web growth, network, and physical/social scenarios.

Clients receive prioritized findings mapped to audit control objectives and progress tracking through online dashboards. Penetration results feed seamlessly into threat intelligence, incident response advice, and continuous assurance programs. 

Company Overview

• Name: Nettitude (now LRQA Nettitude)
• Headquarters: Warwickshire (Leamington Spa), England; North American operations based in New York City
• Year Founded: 2003
• Global Presence: Offices in the UK, U.S., Singapore, and Spain. Clients span Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and other regions
• Website: https://www.lrqa.com/
• Key Offering: Penetration testing, threat intelligence, incident response, and GRC services
• Pen Test Cost Range: £4,000 to £35,000 (approximately USD $5,000 to $50,000 depending on scope)

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST-accredited with CRT, CCT INF, CCT APP, and CCT Red Team certifications
• Certified under the UK Government CHECK scheme for regulated testing
• PCI DSS QSA, ASV, and P2PE-QSA certified for payment and financial compliance
• SOC 2 Type II audited for cloud security operations and test delivery
• First cybersecurity team globally to hold the complete CREST accreditation suite

Awards & Honors

• Winner of Best Penetration Testing Product or Service at the TEISS Awards 2024
• Runner-up for Cyber-Security Company of the Year (SME) at the TEISS Awards 2025
• Two Security Excellence Awards 2024 in Enterprise Threat Detection and Cloud Security

Penetration Testing Specialties

• CREST-certified team with CHECK, CBEST, STAR, and ISO 27001 credentials.
• Risk-focused reports with clear remediation priorities.
• Testing for web, mobile, cloud, network, IoT, blockchain, and social engineering.
• Expertise in SCADA/ICS, connected vehicles, wireless, and blockchain systems.
• Global delivery in 55+ countries with large specialist team.

Key Strengths

• Testing is driven by human expertise backed with in-house threat intelligence, not basic scanning
• Manual verification and peer review remove false positives and help deliver actionable results
• Findings are clearly mapped to compliance frameworks including SOC 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and GDPR
• Secure delivery portal supports status tracking, retests, and transition into remediation workflows
• Strong experience supporting large enterprises and financial regulators across multiple regions and compliance environments

Ideal For

• Large or regulated organisations (finance, critical infrastructure, government) that require test reports tied to audit frameworks
• Clients seeking manual‑first penetration testing backed by global accreditations and research‑driven findings
• Enterprises looking to integrate testing into cyber risk or secure development lifecycles rather than one‑off assessments
• Teams operating hybrid setups, legacy on‑prem AD mixed with cloud architecture and needing evidence‑grade answers for M&A or insurer reviews

15. Invicti Security

Invicti delivers automated web application and API testing in real‑time through its cloud platform. Instead of manual pentests, it uses combined dynamic (DAST) and interactive (IAST) scanning to simulate penetration testing outcomes across hundreds of applications.

Tools emit exploit‑proof confirmations and scan in dev/staging/production pipelines. Invicti integrates well with CI/CD, ticket systems and compliance workflows for continuous detection and remediation.

Company Overview

• Name: Invicti Security (formerly Netsparker / Acunetix)
• Headquarters: Austin, Texas, United States (1000 N Lamar Blvd)
• Year Founded: 2006
• Global Presence: Teams located across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Customers in over 110 countries, with partner offices in London, Malta, and Australia
• Website: https://www.invicti.com
• Founders / Key Leaders: Ferruh Mavituna (Founder), Neil Roseman (CEO), Dan Murphy (Chief Architect)
• Pen Test Cost Range: Approximately USD $10,000–$75,000 per year, depending on scan volume, support level, and feature bundles. Average pricing around $25,000, with high-end tiers reaching up to $73,000/month

Key Offering

• Automated Testing Platform: Invicti delivers web application and API security testing through automated scanning tools using DAST and IAST methods
• Scan Capabilities: Scans cover development, staging, and production environments, offering exploit-proof confirmations of vulnerabilities
• Workflow Integration: Integrates with CI/CD pipelines, ticketing systems, and compliance tools for continuous vulnerability detection and remediation
• Focus: Not a manual pentesting service — instead, Invicti simulates penetration testing outcomes at scale across hundreds of applications

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2022 certified with annual third-party audits covering technical and operational controls
• SOC 2 Type I & II audits conducted on internal operations and cloud infrastructure
• Not CREST-certified for manual testing, but platform reports map to compliance standards including SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, and OWASP Top 10

Awards & Honors

• Named a “Challenger” in Gartner’s 2022 Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing
• Earned the Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice award in 2020
• Recognized in the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.
• Winner of Austin Top Workplaces Awards (2020 and 2023)

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Automated DAST for web apps and APIs with real attack simulation.
• Proof-Based Scanning to confirm vulnerabilities and cut false positives.
• SDLC and DevOps integration with CI/CD, ticketing, and messaging tools.
• Hybrid DAST+IAST with deep crawling to find hidden flaws and shadow assets.
• Cloud, on-premises, or hybrid deployment options.

Key Strengths of Invicti Security

• Zero‑noise AppSec platform: Automated verification reduces false positives that manual scanners or pentest tools often produce, saving hours in remediation time
• Scale and centralisation: Supports testing thousands of domains, applications or APIs with central control and shared dashboards
• DevOps-first integration: Supports Jira, Slack, GitHub and REST APIs—scan, raise, track, re‑scan—all inside existing workflow tools
• Exploit-based validation: Every confirmed finding includes proof of exploit or reproduction steps, replicating manual pentest output in an automated system
• Rapid ROI: Clients report cutting external pentest spend by up to 60%, thanks to frequency, automation and in‑house feedback loops
• Continuous protection: AI enhancements and anomaly detection add depth to every scan, not just compliance pass/fail

Ideal For

• DevSecOps teams at SaaS firms, e‑commerce brands or enterprise organizations managing large app portfolios
• Compliance programs seeking continuous evidence for SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA or API security questionnaires
• Companies wanting a single platform that replaces multiple pentest vendors or point tools
• Engineering teams craving fast scan-to-fix cycles, integrated developer visibility and automated retesting
• Businesses that require audit-ready reports but lack budget/time for frequent manual penetration testing

16. Synack

Synack delivers next-generation penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) through a global security researcher network and a centralised platform.

It enables rapid start testing, root-cause analysis, patch validation, and continuous coverage across web, cloud, API, AI/LLM, full-stack, and host assets.

Company Overview

• Name: Synack, Inc.
• Headquarters: Redwood City, California, United States
• Year Founded: 2013
• Global Presence: Operates across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Supported by over 1,500 vetted security researchers from more than 90 countries, contributing to enterprise and government programs
• Website: https://www.synack.com
• Founders: Jay Kaplan and Mark Kuhr, both former NSA operators
• Pen Test Cost Range: USD $60,000–$230,000 annually, with typical budgets falling between $80,000 and $120,000 for continuous testing engagement

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2022 certified with annual audits
• FedRAMP Moderate authorized for testing U.S. Civilian Government systems at moderate impact level
• SOC 2 Type II compliance at the platform level

Awards & Honors

• Named a Leader in Penetration Testing as a Service at the 2024 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards, recognized for deep root-cause tracking and continuous testing visibility

Penetration Testing Specialties

• PTaaS combining automation with human-led testing by Synack Red Team.
• Launch tests in days via AI-guided scoping.
• Continuous attack surface discovery with asset analytics.
• Full-packet capture and root-cause analysis for transparency.
• Triage validation to cut false positives.
• Integrations with Jira, Splunk, and ServiceNow.

Key Strengths

• Elite Researcher Network: Access to over 1,500 vetted Synack Red Team contributors, bringing global expertise beyond small in-house teams
• Credit-Based Testing Platform: Clients initiate tests and use credits to redeem test days. The platform includes real-time vulnerability tracking, patch verification, and continuous monitoring
• Enterprise Reporting: Every vulnerability is researcher-validated and mapped to actionable root causes. Dashboards present contextual remediation insights instead of static PDFs
• Rapid Launch Capability: AI-enabled asset detection and global researcher availability allow most tests to begin within 24 hours
• Audit & Compliance Coverage: Testing maps to control objectives in OWASP, NIST 800-53, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR, and supports audit workflows and supply-chain security reviews

Ideal For

• Enterprises and agencies in finance, government, or healthcare needing FedRAMP- and ISO-certified testing solutions
• DevSecOps teams managing APIs, microservices, AI/LLM models, and mobile apps that require continuous integration with CI/CD pipelines
• Organizations with expanding attack surfaces that need root cause reporting and long-term vulnerability metrics
• Global teams seeking software-delivered testing models over traditional outsourced boutique testing firms

17. Bugcrowd

Bugcrowd delivers modern penetration testing as a service (PTaaS), powered by a global crowd of vetted security researchers and a centralised analytics platform. That combination provides scalable testing across web, API, mobile, cloud, IoT, internal networks and social engineering scenarios.

Penetration test launches take place through the Bugcrowd Platform, enabling self-service purchase, automated scoping, world‑class triage and real‑time monitoring. This setup aligns pentest deliverables directly with compliance objectives (such as SOC 2, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS) and supports integration into DevSecOps pipelines through automated reporting.

Company Overview

• Name: Bugcrowd, Inc.
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States; offices in Sydney, London, and other locations
• Year Founded: 2012
• Global Presence: Customers across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and more
• Website: https://www.bugcrowd.com
• Founders / Key Leadership: Casey Ellis (Founder & Chief Strategy Officer), Robert Taccini (CFO), Nick McKenzie (CI&SO)
• Pen Test Cost Range: USD $25,000–$120,000+ per year for SaaS/enterprise plans. Simple pentests start under $30,000; continuous PTaaS or bug bounty programs often fall within the five- to low six-figure range

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2018 certified
• SOC 2 Type I & II audited on platform and operations
• GDPR-compliant data handling with built-in privacy controls

Awards & Honors

• Winner of Best PTaaS Product or Service at the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards 2024
• Regularly featured in “Most Innovative” rankings for platform-driven security

Penetration Testing Specialties

• CREST-accredited PTaaS with vetted pentesters.
• Crowdsourced model tapping global researcher expertise.
• Launch tests in under 72 hours with real-time dashboards.
• Continuous Attack Surface Pen Testing for dynamic assets.
• Red Team as a Service with scalable engagement models.

Key Strengths of Bugcrowd

• Crowdsourced testing model uses the CrowdMatch engine to pair testers by skills and compliance needs
• Single platform supports bug bounty, PTaaS, and attack surface management
• Every finding is mapped to frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS
• Self-service options available for standard pentests; more complex scopes supported with team coordination
• Real-time dashboards, retesting, patch validation, and vulnerability analytics integrated into one platform

Ideal For

• Enterprises and regulated organizations needing scalable, audit-ready PTaaS
• SaaS and fintech companies with DevSecOps pipelines needing continuous security testing
• Teams combining bug bounty, PTaaS, and exposure management under a unified workflow
• SMBs and mid-market organizations wanting full-service security testing without building an internal team

18. Raxis

Raxis delivers penetration testing rooted in manual analysis and deep technical design. All tests follow established security frameworks such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and NIST.

The company’s proprietary Raxis One platform supports continuous visibility, retesting, and integration into DevSecOps workflows.

Company Overview

• Name: Raxis, LLC
• Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Year Founded: 2011
• Global Presence: U.S.-based team with clients in regulated industries across finance, healthcare, retail, energy, and transportation
• Website: https://raxis.com
• Founders / Leadership: Mark Puckett (CEO), a former Red Team lead at Home Depot and GE Energy; supported by engineers with OSCP, CISSP, and CISM credentials
• Pen Test Cost Range: USD $5,000–$150,000+, with most clients in the $10K–$50K range. Complex or multi-phase programs may reach six figures

Certifications & Accreditations

• Testing practices aligned with PCI DSS, HIPAA, GLBA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST 800-171/CMMC, and SOX
• SOC 2 Type II audited platform
• Recognized in Gartner Hype Cycle reports for PTaaS alignment

Awards & Honors

• Named a Sample Vendor for PTaaS in both Application Security and Security Operations by Gartner in 2024
• Rated 5.0 stars on Clutch for delivery quality, value, and professionalism

Penetration Testing Specialties

• PTaaS with AI and expert-led continuous testing for networks, apps, APIs, and cloud.
• Manual AI-augmented testing mapped to NIST SP 800-115 and MITRE frameworks.
• Platform with real-time tracking, DevSecOps integration, and unlimited scheduling.
• Red teaming with MITRE ATT&CK-based tactics, OSINT, social engineering, and physical entry.
• Senior tester-led projects with clear, outcome-focused reporting.
  

Key Strengths of Raxis

• Manual-first testing guided by experienced engineers with industry certifications
• Patented AI-assisted asset discovery combined with deep manual exploitation
• Raxis One provides real-time remediation tracking and test engagement chat
• Reports feature proof-of-concept chains, mapped controls, and audit-relevant findings
• Strong client reputation for responsiveness, clarity, and results

Ideal For

• Regulated industries seeking audit-grade deliverables and human-driven analysis
• DevSecOps teams needing repeatable testing workflows integrated into release pipelines
• Security teams preparing for vendor reviews, audits, or insurance validation
• Companies looking for an expert-led, subscription-style alternative to automated tools

19. Mandiant

Mandiant delivers advanced penetration testing through its Google Cloud consulting suite. Testers simulate real-world attack tactics, in line with Mandiant’s global threat intelligence and IR playbook.

Reports include root cause assessment, remediation validation and retest capability within the same platform. Reports map to controls found in SOC 2, ISO 27001, NIST as part of broader risk management workflows.

Company Overview

• Name: Mandiant, Inc. (formerly FireEye, Inc.)
• Headquarters: Reston, Virginia, United States
• Year Founded: 2004 (originally known as Red Cliff Consulting)
• Global Presence: Operates in over 110 countries. Serves Fortune 500 companies, critical infrastructure providers, government agencies, and cloud-native enterprises
• Website: https://www.mandiant.com
• Founder / Leadership: Founded by Kevin Mandia, a former U.S. Air Force officer. Current operations are led by Sandra Joyce and Jürgen Kutscher as part of Google Cloud
• Pen Test Cost Range: Pricing is customized. Typical annual budgets range from $80,000–$120,000 for continuous testing or red team engagements. One-off assessments often begin near $60,000

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST-accredited for both government and enterprise engagements
• Services delivered within ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II compliance frameworks through Mandiant Advantage and Google Cloud

Awards & Honors

• Consistently ranked as a leader in incident response by independent review platforms
• Handles over 1,100 breach investigations per year; widely cited in technical threat reports and forensic case studies

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Tests based on real attacker TTPs from incident response.
• Goal-driven exploitation including internal access and data theft.
• Social engineering via email, phone, media drops, and physical entry.
  Embedded device, IoT, and ICS/SCADA security testing.
• Cloud pentests for AWS, Azure, and GCP modeled on real breaches.
  

Key Strengths of Mandiant

• Threat-led methodology built from global incident response findings, directly connected to Google’s threat intelligence
• Hybrid delivery model combining human expertise with platform-based validation, remediation guidance, and retesting
• Longstanding credibility in breach investigation, national security, and forensic intelligence
• Pen test results integrate with audit workflows and support ISO, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI, and CMMC compliance within the same dashboard

Ideal For

• Large enterprises and regulated sectors (finance, energy, healthcare, government) needing high-assurance adversary simulations
• Cloud-first and SaaS companies that want testing tied into their existing Google Cloud or GCP infrastructure
• Security teams preparing for supply chain threats or advanced persistent attack scenarios
• Organizations seeking audit-aligned deliverables with support for SIEM, SOAR, and vulnerability management systems

20. Tesserent (Now Thales Cyber Services ANZ)

Tesserent is now part of Thales Cyber Services ANZ, a leading cybersecurity provider in Australia and New Zealand.

The firm offers managed security, penetration testing, and red teaming services supported by deep threat intelligence and compliance capabilities through its SecureOps platform.

Company Overview

• Name: Thales Cyber Services ANZ (formerly Tesserent)
• Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia; offices across Australia and New Zealand
• Year Founded: 2015
• Global Presence: Leading cybersecurity provider in the ANZ region, serving government, financial, utility, and healthcare sectors
• Website: https://tesserent.com/ 
• Pen Test Cost Range: Custom pricing; enterprise-level engagements and managed programs typically span tens of thousands to low-six-figure AUD
• Founder: Kurt Hansen

Certifications & Accreditations

• Supports compliance with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOCI Act for critical infrastructure resilience, and Essential Eight maturity model
• Provides penetration testing, adversary simulation, application penetration testing, Wi-Fi testing, and social engineering services

Awards & Recognition

• Recognized as Australia’s largest cybersecurity company, with a team of over 400 professionals and trusted by more than 1,200 enterprise and government clients

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Application & infrastructure penetration testing (web, network, OT/ICS environments)
• Adversary simulation and red teaming (including social engineering and Wi-Fi assessments)
• Compliance-focused testing aligned to standards such as the SOCI Act, PCI DSS, and Essential Eight frameworks
• Integration with 24×7 SOC, XDR, MDR, incident response, and vulnerability management through the SecureOps platform

Key Strengths

• Major regional leadership in Australia and New Zealand with extensive sector coverage
• End-to-end service model combining consulting, testing, detection, and response in a single engagement
• Local delivery expertise focused on compliance requirements specific to the ANZ market, including SOCI regulations
• Scalable capacity to support complex or multi-site enterprise engagements

Ideal For

• Public sector or highly regulated organizations in ANZ, including healthcare, transport, utilities, education, and finance
• Enterprises requiring compliance-aligned penetration testing embedded within a broader managed cybersecurity program
• Businesses needing continuous testing, detection, and response through a unified platform and delivery model

21. Intruder

Intruder provides continuous vulnerability assessments and automated penetration testing focused on web, API, cloud and network infrastructure checks. A blend of machine-driven scanning and expert-led validation aims to pinpoint actionable security gaps.

Compliance support across SOC 2, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS is built into the platform, with reports containing audit-ready evidence and root‑cause insights. 

Company Overview

• Name: Intruder (Intruder Systems Ltd)
• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Year Founded: 2015
• Global Presence: More than 3,000 customers across the UK, U.S., and EU use Intruder for continuous scanning and scheduled penetration testing. Client base includes SaaS providers, financial services, and e-commerce businesses
• Website: https://intruder.io
• Pen Test Cost Range: Starts at USD $101/month (Essential) and $163/month (Pro) for 1-format licenses. Enterprise plans require a custom quote
• Founders : Chris Wallis

Certifications & Accreditations

• SOC 2 Type II audited (platform and operations)
• Supports ISO 27001, PCI DSS, Cyber Essentials, and HIPAA reporting and controls through its platform

Awards & Honors

• Recognized in the 2023 Deloitte Tech Fast 50 UK as the fastest-growing cybersecurity company in its category
• Named “Best for Web and Cloud Pentesting” in a 2024 provider guide

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Real-time attack surface discovery and automated scanning.
• Continuous vulnerability detection for emerging threats.
• Threat intel prioritization using KEV and EPSS data.
• Multiple scanning engines plus proprietary intelligence for 1,000+ issues.
• Audit-ready reports with integrations to Slack, Jira, and ticketing tools.

Why Choose Intruder?

• Automated + Human Triage: Security staff manually validate and prioritize results flagged by automated scanners
• Compliance-Ready Reporting: Detailed audit-ready reports include control mappings, time logs, and exportable evidence
• Platform Flexibility: Works well with DevSecOps tools and cloud services—integrations include Jira, Slack, Drata, AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Transparent Pricing: Subscription-based pricing model with clear tiers and scalable license options
• Adoption by SMBs: Popular among managed service providers and small businesses aiming to maintain continuous security baselines

Ideal For

• SMB and mid-market teams needing recurring testing for web, API, network, and cloud environments
• DevSecOps groups in SaaS or tech-focused firms looking for automation plus audit-grade reports
• MSPs offering vulnerability detection and remediation support to multiple clients
• Regulated small businesses in fintech, e-commerce, or healthtech needing consistent compliance evidence and visibility

22. Cyber CX 

CyberCX is a top-tier cybersecurity provider in Australia and New Zealand, offering a full suite of security services.

Its penetration testing is delivered through SecureOps™, blending manual testing, real-time threat intelligence, and compliance integration to support strong cyber resilience.

Company Overview

• Name: CyberCX
• Headquarters: Australia & New Zealand; based in Canberra (formerly Tesserent), with widespread regional offices
• Year Founded: Origin traces to 2013 (Tesserent); rebranded as CyberCX in 2022 under Quadrant Knowledge Solutions
• Global Presence: Widely trusted by enterprise and government sectors across ANZ
• Website: https://www.cybercx.com.au
• Pen Test Cost Range: Custom quotes; typically tens of thousands to low six-figure AUD annually for managed programs
• Founders: John Paitaridis

Awards & Recognition

• Ranked as Australia’s leading cybersecurity company with over 1,400 security professionals
• Conducts more than 3,000 penetration tests annually, demonstrating scale and operational reach

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Application and infrastructure penetration testing (web, API, internal networks)
• Red team and threat simulation including social engineering and physical security
• Compliance testing aligned with ISO 27001, PCI DSS, Essential Eight, and other frameworks
• Managed testing capabilities embedded in SOC and incident response services

Key Strengths

• Scale and depth as Australia’s largest cybersecurity provider
• Integrated service model with SOC, threat intelligence, incident response, and training
• Strong track record in highly regulated industries including finance, government, energy, and healthcare

Ideal For

• Large organizations in government, finance, healthcare, utilities, and transportation
• Enterprises seeking integrated penetration testing within broader security operations
• Teams needing audit-ready reports mapped against major compliance frameworks
• Clients requiring continuous managed security services tied with offensive security assessments

23. HackerOne

HackerOne connects organizations with a vetted community of security researchers for penetration testing and bug bounty programs.

Its Pentest as a Service (PTaaS) model enables rapid, crowd-driven assessments that go beyond point-in-time scans. PTaaS integrates with development and compliance workflows to support continuous risk insight. 

Company Overview

• Name: HackerOne, Inc.
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
• Founded: 2012
• Global Presence: Works with over 1,200 organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Key office locations include San Francisco, London, and the Netherlands. Client base includes enterprises, government agencies, and tech startups
• Website: https://www.hackerone.com
• Key Leaders: Kara Sprague (CEO), with a background in ethical hacking and platform growth
• Pen Test Cost Range: Estimated annual cost ranges from USD $15,000 to $50,000 depending on asset scope, test frequency, and program maturity

Certifications & Accreditations

• ISO 27001:2013 certified
• SOC 2 Type II audited across the HackerOne platform
• FedRAMP Moderate authorization and UK Cyber Essentials certification support compliance use in federal and regulated environments

Awards & Honors

• Named the #1 hacker-powered pentest and bug bounty platform in the 2024 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards
• Ranked 5th in Inc. magazine’s “Most Innovative Companies” list in 2020 for its crowd-powered security testing

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Web application and API testing (OWASP Top 10, auth flaws, business logic bugs, GraphQL, REST)
• Infrastructure and cloud testing (AWS, Azure, GCP misconfigurations, IAM logic gaps)
• Internal network and lateral movement testing using vetted hacker-powered teams
• Mobile application assessments (iOS, Android, endpoint vulnerabilities)
• Red team simulations (“Challenge” mode) for goal-based penetration testing
• Vulnerability Disclosure and Bug Bounty programs for continuous engagement with trusted researchers

Key Strengths of HackerOne

• Crowd diversity at scale: Access to more than 2 million vetted researchers across specialties and geographies
• Fast test activation: Most tests begin within hours through automated scoping and smart researcher matching
• Validated findings: Every issue is triaged and validated, with proof-of-concept provided to reduce false positives
• Compliance reporting: Results are aligned with SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and NIST frameworks, with export-ready documentation
• DevSecOps integration: Built-in support for Jira, Slack, Drata, AWS Security Hub, and other tools to support remediation workflows

Ideal For

• Enterprises in regulated industries needing ongoing penetration testing and compliance documentation
• SaaS or cloud-native companies with rapid deployment cycles that require scalable, hacker-driven insight
• Organizations starting with bug bounty or disclosure programs, then upgrading to full red team testing
• DevSecOps teams seeking automated testing embedded directly into CI/CD pipelines with actionable outputs

24. Acunetix Security Scanner

Acunetix provides continuous automated penetration testing for web apps, APIs, and perimeter services. Its scanning engine uses a blend of dynamic (DAST), interactive (IAST), and gray‑box techniques to pinpoint exploitable issues. Root cause details include exploit proof-of-concept steps and links to compliance rules (ISO 27001, OWASP, PCI DSS).

Reports integrate with CI/CD and ticketing tools (Jira, GitHub, Slack, REST API), making it well suited for teams that need audit‑grade vulnerability data as a developer-friendly feed.

Company Overview

• Name: Acunetix Ltd (now part of Invicti Security)
• Headquarters: Originally founded in London, United Kingdom; parent company Invicti Security is based in Austin, Texas, USA
• Year Founded: 2005
• Global Presence: Offices in the UK, Malta, and Cyprus; serves over 3,100 organizations across 110+ countries
• Website: https://www.acunetix.com
• Key Leaders: Founded by Nick Galea
• Pen Test Cost Range: Pricing is based on quote. Small team plans start at approximately USD $1,995/year per domain; enterprise packages may exceed USD $500,000 annually depending on scan volume and support level

Certifications & Accreditations

• Scan-to-compliance features mapped to ISO 27001:2022
• Subject to third-party audits aligned with SOC 2
• Scan output supports requirements for PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR, CIS benchmarks, and malware detection

Awards & Honors

• Winner of Best Vulnerability Management Solution and Web App Security Tool at multiple InfoSec Awards
• Included in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing as a “Challenger” under Invicti Security
• Named Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice for Application Security in 2020

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Web and API security (REST, GraphQL, OWASP Top 10, authenticated testing via AcuSensor)
• Network perimeter scanning (TLS/SSL configs, CMS vulnerabilities in WordPress, Drupal, and others)
• Integration-focused output with ready-to-use formats for ticketing and compliance workflows
• Manual review available for validating key vulnerabilities found during scans

Key Strengths of Acunetix

• Known for scan accuracy and low false positive rates across modern applications
• Scales efficiently to handle hundreds of apps or APIs simultaneously
• Built-in dashboards assist with remediation tracking and developer coordination
• Strong CI/CD support, allowing security checks during build and deploy stages
• Offers ISO 27001-specific compliance reports with mapped risks for each control
• Developer-friendly outputs and export formats suitable for audit teams

Ideal For

• Web engineering teams deploying frequently and needing fast, automated pentest cycles
• Compliance-focused organizations (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS) requiring ongoing, audit-aligned evidence
• Small to mid-sized teams that lack dedicated manual pentesting capacity
• Managed service providers or agencies managing multitenant client environments with DevOps integration requirements

25. Trustwave SpiderLabs

Trustwave SpiderLabs delivers enterprise-grade penetration testing through Trustwave’s managed programmatic model.

Its approach blends manual testing led by senior analysts, threat intelligence, and continuous remediation tools through the Trustwave Fusion portal. Test offerings link closely with compliance requirements and intelligence workflows. 

Company Overview

• Name: Trustwave SpiderLabs (division of Trustwave Holdings, Inc.)
• Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois, United States
• Year Founded: Trustwave founded in 1995; SpiderLabs launched in 2013 as its offensive security division
• Global Presence: Active in over 96 countries, with delivery centers and SOCs in Chicago, Denver, Manila, and Sydney
• Website: https://www.trustwave.com
• Founders / Key Leadership: Led by VP Ed Williams; supported by experienced penetration testers and cyber intelligence specialists
• Pen Test Cost Range: Custom pricing. Enterprise clients using CREST-certified models typically allocate tens of thousands to low six-figure USD per year. Trustwave promotes cost savings of up to 30–60% compared to industry averages

Certifications & Accreditations

• CREST-certified for Penetration Testing and STAR (Simulated Targeted Attack & Response) services
• Supports compliance across PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, GDPR, CPS234 (Singapore), MAS Cybersecurity Regulation

Awards & Recognition

• Recognized as a Major Player by Gartner and IDC for MSS, MDR, and DFIR services
• Winner of Global InfoSec Awards 2024 for Best MDR and Penetration Testing solution
• Credited with contributions to threat research by organizations such as Microsoft

Penetration Testing Specialties

• External and internal network testing, including AD compromise, privilege escalation, and perimeter weaknesses
• Web and API testing using grey-box methods for OWASP Top 10, auth flaws, and business logic gaps
• Mobile app assessments with exploit-aware logic testing
• Red, Purple, and Tiger Team simulations, including targeted Tiger Team Testing for asset-specific risk
• OT/ICS/SCADA testing and phishing/social engineering scenarios (tier-based services)
• Managed Security Testing (MST) and Enterprise Pen Testing (EPT) subscriptions with recurring scans and post-remediation retesting

Key Strengths of Trustwave SpiderLabs

• Threat-Intelligence-Led Testing: All engagements benefit from live threat telemetry and in-house research
• Self-Service Control via Portal: The Fusion platform enables test enrollment, result tracking, scheduling, and API workflow integration
• Hybrid Delivery Model: Combines local technical account managers with onshore/offshore penetration teams for cost and scalability balance
• Compliance-Aligned Output: All findings include compensating control suggestions and audit-ready documentation
• Scalable Resources: Hundreds of certified consultants enable rapid deployment for large enterprise testing

Ideal For

• Large organizations in regulated sectors (finance, healthcare, government, utilities) that need audit-ready, evidence-rich penetration testing
• Global tech companies managing extensive attack surfaces including cloud, mobile, APIs, and OT assets
• Engineering and DevSecOps teams that require flexible scheduling, ongoing validation, and test integration into CI/CD or risk frameworks
• MSPs and MSSPs managing multiple client environments through a centralized testing subscription

26. Mitnick Security Consulting (Mitnick Security)

Mitnick Security delivers manual penetration tests built around adversary emulation and social engineering. Every assignment is led by a handpicked Global Ghost Team™, selected for experience in high-stakes attacks.

Kevin Mitnick’s legacy underpins the firm’s reputation: a 100 % success rate at breaching systems when human deception is permitted, and test results that mirror real attacker tactics rather than standard scans. Findings map to SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, NIST and other frameworks.

Company Overview

• Name: Mitnick Security Consulting, LLC (brand: Mitnick Security)
• Headquarters: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
• Year Founded: 2003
• Global Presence: Provides services to clients in both government and enterprise sectors, with delivery offered remotely or onsite
• Website: https://www.mitnicksecurity.com
• Founder / Leadership: Founded by Kevin Mitnick. Offensive testing is led by senior consultants under the Global Ghost Team™
• Pen Test Cost Range:
  • Standard penetration tests range from USD $25,000 to $140,000+
  • Red team engagements start at approximately USD $40,000

Certifications & Compliance Mapping

• Testing methodologies align with SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and NIST 800-115
• Output supports audit documentation and regulatory evidence requirements

Awards & Honors

• Kevin Mitnick was awarded the 2023 SANS Institute Lifetime Achievement Award
• Inducted into the Hacker’s Hall of Fame
  

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Internal network testing (Active Directory compromise, lateral movement)
• Social engineering (phishing, pretext calls, USB baiting)
• Physical intrusion testing (facility access, badge bypass, credential theft)
• Application testing (web, mobile, thick-client, business logic)
• Wireless penetration testing (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, rogue access point emulation)
• Full Red Team simulations combining digital, human, and physical threat pathways

Key Strengths of Mitnick Security

• Attacker-Centric Philosophy: All engagements simulate real attacker behavior—from recon to lateral movement—to reveal true business risk
• Senior-Level Expertise: All tests are conducted by seasoned offensive consultants with backgrounds in sensitive public-sector environments
• Fully Human-Led: No crowdsourcing or junior-only teams. All findings are tied to exploit chains with narrative and remediation strategies
• Exceptional Social Engineering Capability: Claims 100% success rate on phishing and pretexting engagements; this also informs their internal training programs
• Training Legacy: Kevin Mitnick created the Certified Social Engineering Prevention Specialist (CSEPS) course, now used in KnowBe4’s awareness training platform

Ideal For

• Organizations seeking advanced testing that mirrors actual attacker workflows and persistence
• Regulated sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government needing high-fidelity testing and audit-ready reporting
• Engineering and security teams that prefer deep manual analysis over automated vulnerability scans
• Clients looking for combined technical, human, and physical intrusion scenarios in one coordinated engagement
• Teams that require follow-up retesting for remediation validation and long-term continuity assurance

27.  Redcentric PLC  

Redcentric plc is a UK-based IT services company offering managed cyber security solutions, including penetration testing through its SpiderLabs team. The firm blends manual assessments, threat-informed methods, and continuous monitoring via its Fusion platform.

Company Overview

• Name: Redcentric PLC
  Headquarters: Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom (Central House, Beckwith Knowle, HG3 1UG)
• Year Founded: 1997; publicly listed on AIM in 2013
• Global Presence: Primarily UK-based, serving both public and private sectors—including NHS trusts, airports, and government bodies
• Website: https://www.redcentricplc.com
• Pen Test Cost Range: Pricing is customized. Enterprise clients typically budget tens of thousands to low six figures (GBP) annually for managed testing and PTaaS subscriptions
• Founders: Peter Brotherton

Certifications & Compliance Alignment

• CREST-certified provider for penetration testing services
• Supports major regulatory and industry frameworks: PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, GDPR, Cyber Essentials Plus, MAS (Singapore), and CPS234 (Australia)

Awards & Recognition

• Named a Major Player in Gartner and IDC market guides for managed security and incident response
• Winner of the 2024 Global InfoSec Award for Best Solution: MDR & Penetration Testing

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Network Testing: External and internal assessments, including Active Directory compromise and lateral movement
• Application Security Testing: Web, mobile, and API pentests covering OWASP Top 10 and business logic vulnerabilities
• Infrastructure Testing: Code review, firewall and wireless audit, on-premise network access validation
• Social Engineering: Phishing campaigns and simulated attacks involving user deception
• Red / Purple / Tiger Team Exercises: Full-spectrum emulation for advanced attack modeling, including OT/ICS threat assessments
• Managed Security Testing: Continuous scanning, retesting, and integration into remediation workflows, via platforms similar to Trustwave Fusion

Key Strengths of Redcentric SpiderLabs

• Threat Intelligence Integration: Testing informed by real-time threat research and activity observed in operational SOC environments
• Self-Service Control: Test scheduling, result tracking, and compliance workflows handled via a secure customer portal
• Flexible Delivery: Blends UK-based client service with offshore analyst capabilities for efficient delivery and scale
• Audit-Ready Reporting: Findings include mitigation plans, control mappings, and board-level executive summaries
• Enterprise Scalability: Suitable for organizations requiring high-volume or multi-domain testing supported by a large team of certified analysts

Ideal For

• Public sector and regulated organizations in the UK (e.g. NHS, local councils, transport infrastructure) needing CREST-verified, audit-ready penetration testing
• Enterprises with hybrid environments (cloud, on-prem, data center, wireless) migrating to modern infrastructure
• Security programs embedding continuous testing into governance, risk, and compliance cycles
• SOC-integrated or MSSP-led teams needing vulnerability discovery and retesting aligned with threat exposure management tools

28. Redscan 

Redscan combines managed security services with CREST-accredited penetration testing and intelligence-driven offensive assessments via its SecureOps™ platform.

Their offering spans vulnerability assessment, application and infrastructure testing, red teaming, and social engineering aligned with compliance needs such as ISO 27001 and PCI DSS.

Company Overview

• Name: Redcentric plc
• Headquarters: Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom (Central House, Beckwith Knowle, HG3 1UG)
• Year Founded: 1997; publicly listed on AIM in 2013
• Global Presence: Primarily UK-based, serving both public and private sectors—including NHS trusts, airports, and government bodies
• Website: https://www.redcentricplc.com
• Pen Test Cost Range: Pricing is customized. Enterprise clients typically budget tens of thousands to low six figures (GBP) annually for managed testing and PTaaS subscriptions
• Founders: Gubi Singh, Mike Fenton

Certifications & Compliance Alignment

• CREST-certified provider for penetration testing services
• Supports major regulatory and industry frameworks: PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, GDPR, Cyber Essentials Plus, MAS (Singapore), and CPS234 (Australia)

Awards & Recognition

• Named a Major Player in Gartner and IDC market guides for managed security and incident response
• Winner of the 2024 Global InfoSec Award for Best Solution: MDR & Penetration Testing

Penetration Testing Specialties

• Network Testing: External and internal assessments, including Active Directory compromise and lateral movement
• Application Security Testing: Web, mobile, and API pentests covering OWASP Top 10 and business logic vulnerabilities
• Infrastructure Testing: Code review, firewall and wireless audit, on-premise network access validation
• Social Engineering: Phishing campaigns and simulated attacks involving user deception
• Red / Purple / Tiger Team Exercises: Full-spectrum emulation for advanced attack modeling, including OT/ICS threat assessments
• Managed Security Testing: Continuous scanning, retesting, and integration into remediation workflows, via platforms similar to Trustwave Fusion

Key Strengths of Redcentric SpiderLabs

• Threat Intelligence Integration: Testing informed by real-time threat research and activity observed in operational SOC environments
• Self-Service Control: Test scheduling, result tracking, and compliance workflows handled via a secure customer portal
• Flexible Delivery: Blends UK-based client service with offshore analyst capabilities for efficient delivery and scale
• Audit-Ready Reporting: Findings include mitigation plans, control mappings, and board-level executive summaries
• Enterprise Scalability: Suitable for organizations requiring high-volume or multi-domain testing supported by a large team of certified analysts

Ideal For

• Public sector and regulated organizations in the UK (e.g. NHS, local councils, transport infrastructure) needing CREST-verified, audit-ready penetration testing
• Enterprises with hybrid environments (cloud, on-prem, data center, wireless) migrating to modern infrastructure
• Security programs embedding continuous testing into governance, risk, and compliance cycles
• SOC-integrated or MSSP-led teams needing vulnerability discovery and retesting aligned with threat exposure management tools

How to Choose the Best Penetration Testing Company in 2025

In 2025, a good penetration testing company should understand your environment, simulate real world attack scenarios, and provide useful results. The right partner helps you identify vulnerabilities and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Let’s look at what to check for.

1. Check if the Company Has Valid Certifications

Experience matters more than branding. You want a firm that understands your tech stack, your industry, and the security weaknesses that matter most. If you run a Kubernetes cluster with public facing APIs, a firm that mostly performs traditional penetration tests on flat internal networks will likely miss critical vulnerabilities. Certifications like OSCP, CREST, or OSEP are a helpful starting point, but they are not the only measure. The best security professionals can explain their approach clearly and demonstrate how they find issues like cross site scripting, insecure configurations, or logic flaws in complex systems.

Ask about their prior knowledge of environments similar to yours. A firm might advertise mobile testing, but if they have not touched iOS in years, they might not be current. A reliable vendor knows their strengths, can explain their sweet spot, and will recommend others if the job falls outside their expertise.

2. Make Sure Their Testing Methodology Makes Sense

Not all security testing services follow the same process. A strong testing process uses both manual analysis and automated tools to identify vulnerabilities. Automated scanners can highlight surface issues, but human led analysis often reveals deeper chains of flaws that lead to critical vulnerabilities. The goal is to simulate real world attack scenarios that reflect how adversaries operate, not just tick boxes.

Check whether they follow recognized frameworks like OWASP or NIST. Ask if they adapt their techniques for your environment, whether that means physical security testing, white box testing for software development projects, or targeted checks for cloud workloads. A thoughtful methodology helps reveal security weaknesses that cookie cutter tests might miss.

3. Check How They Handle Reports and Follow Ups

A penetration test is only as valuable as the report and the follow up. A quality report goes beyond listing security vulnerabilities. It explains how each issue was found, its impact on your organization’s security posture, and how to address vulnerabilities with actionable guidance. Visual proof, like screenshots or step by step instructions, allows your team to reproduce issues without delays.

Ask about post test support. Good vendors offer retesting to verify fixes and will walk you through results with your technical leads. This shows a commitment to proactive security measures rather than a one time exercise.

4. See How They Handle Logistics and Post Test Support

Clear logistics improve the overall experience. Make sure pricing is transparent and that you understand the scope, whether it includes physical security testing, white box testing, or only external network checks. Confirm how they communicate during the project, who your main contact is, and how they respond to unexpected changes like system downtime.

Post test support should go beyond sending a PDF. Skilled security professionals help interpret findings, answer follow up questions, and confirm fixes. This ongoing help keeps your defenses stronger between formal tests.

Benefits of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing delivers measurable security value for organizations of any size. It exposes vulnerabilities in your systems so you can address them before attackers exploit them. This proactive method strengthens your security posture and shields critical infrastructure from potential breaches.

Routine testing helps you stay ahead of emerging threats, satisfy compliance obligations, and show stakeholders that security is a priority. By gaining a clear view of existing gaps, you can focus remediation efforts where they matter most, direct resources efficiently, and reduce the likelihood of costly incidents.

Ultimately, penetration testing protects your business, preserves customer trust, and supports uninterrupted operations.

Final Thoughts: Do Not Wait for a Breach

The best penetration testing companies in 2025 combine technical expertise with a testing process that reveals both common and hidden security weaknesses. Whether it is physical security testing, identifying vulnerabilities in software development, or finding flaws that traditional penetration tests miss, these vendors can strengthen your organization’s security posture.

At Bright Defense, we focus on proactive security measures that address vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. Contact us today to schedule your penetration test and take the first step toward improved protection for your business.

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