September 21, 2025
Updated: February 7, 2026
Independent ranking of leading French pentest providers for enterprises and SMBs.
Mohammed Khalil
Choosing the right pentesting partner is crucial in 2026. The market has matured: AI augmented attacks and stricter EU compliance DORA, GDPR mean every organization needs thorough, up to date tests. For example, French regulators now often require threat led pentests for finance EU DORA or periodic audits for GDPR. Our ranking is independent and research based we evaluated each provider on expertise, certifications, scope, reporting, and trust see How We Ranked below.
Hiring a pentesting firm is more than just picking a vendor common pitfalls abound. Mistakes & Red flags: Avoid firms that flaunt inflated claims without proof. Verify that the tester team holds recognized certifications OSCP, CISSP, etc. and that individuals can be vetted. Don’t trust generic superlatives like #1 pentest company which may stem from self written blog posts. Watch out for boutique providers who promise manual testing but deliver automated scans research shows many firms inflate their team size, or quietly replace promised manual testing with automated scans. Demand a clear Statement of Work: method black/white/gray box, deliverables, and retesting terms. Firms that hide behind NDAs or vague slideware may be masking a lack of real expertise.
What matters: Focus on experience, transparency, and rigor. A good provider has a documented methodology OWASP, NIST, PTES and shares its approach ahead of time. Check for past case studies or CVEs they’ve disclosed, and whether they offer post test support retests, remediation guidance. Verify their compliance credentials: French regulated firms often prefer ANSSI aligned teams PASSI certified or at least ISO 27001 accreditation. Skip sales buzzwords instead ensure testers can provide real names and verifiable certs on demand. In short, prioritize proven expertise over marketing hype: the best pentest firms have track records of finding serious bugs and explaining them clearly, not just flashy websites.
Why They Stand Out: DeepStrike was founded by former bug bounty and offensive security veterans, and it emphasizes human driven tests rather than just scans. They offer both one off pentests and a continuous PTaaS platform on demand retesting, live dashboards that is more flexible than legacy consultancies. Notably, DeepStrike’s team holds numerous certifications OSCP, OSCE, OSWE and has deep cloud/API expertise a must for modern attack surfaces. Their public case studies e.g. a HubSpot full account takeover demo demonstrate an offensive mindset: every finding includes clear root cause analysis and remediation. Reports are highly actionable for developers and auditors alike, supporting ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR compliance, even if DeepStrike is still pursuing French PASSI accreditation.
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Best For: Modern enterprises needing advanced manual tests, especially cloud first/SaaS organizations and those wanting a long term PTaaS partnership. Also ideal for firms valuing offensive insight and bug bounty experience tackling business logic flaws.
Why They Stand Out: Orange Cyberdefense is the security arm of Orange Group and brings global reach and resources. They hold the French ANSSI PASSI qualification and ISO 27001 certification, making them a trusted choice for highly regulated organizations. Orange combines automated and manual methods in sophisticated labs for example, their red team exercises often include realistic phishing campaigns and lateral movement drills. Clients praise their enterprise grade reporting with executive summaries and the ability to engage at scale across many offices or countries. Since they partner with other standards bodies e.g. BSI in Germany, they understand EU/France specific compliance. Orange’s pentesters include former government/military cyber experts. For very large or geographically distributed enterprises, Orange offers the confidence of a big vendor with deep in house toolsets.
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Best For: Multinational corporations and heavily regulated industries finance, energy, healthcare seeking a well established, certified provider. Ideal when PASSI qualification is a requirement or when integrating testing into a broader managed security contract with a major vendor.
Why They Stand Out: Thales Cybersecurity is part of the global Thales aerospace/defense giant. Many of their consultants come from military or intelligence backgrounds, bringing extreme rigor and discipline. Thales handles highly sensitive environments: they test industrial control systems OT/SCADA, hardware devices, and critical infrastructure networks. They maintain certifications like ISO 27001 and PASSI, and even include physical and social engineering testing in scope. Their threat experts often co author government cyberstudies, so they’re up to date on advanced attacks. If your organization needs the highest assurance level or deals with national security type assets, Thales offers depth but at a higher cost and with a very formal process.
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Best For: Aerospace/defense contractors, critical infrastructure operators, or financial firms that demand the highest compliance e.g. central banks, nuclear. Also suited for organizations wanting a full security audit aligned with official government standards.
Why They Stand Out: Spun out from Airbus Group, Hasco formerly Airbus CyberSecurity is renowned for its OT and embedded expertise. They routinely test factory control networks, rail signaling, aerospace control systems, and transportation networks. In France, they’ve led joint exercises with ANSSI and local governments. Their pentesters understand how to break into SCADA, smart grids, and aviation networks. In parallel, they can test standard IT web/mobile as needed, but their niche is industrial. Expect very thorough, bespoke engagements but plan for premium schedules. If you run a hybrid business IT + operational tech, Hasco brings deep hardware inside IT perspective.
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Best For: Organizations operating industrial control systems or critical infrastructure airports, energy plants, mass transit. Also suitable for aerospace/defense suppliers who need to secure embedded software and hardware as part of overall compliance.
Why They Stand Out: Synacktiv is a French homegrown boutique part of Groupe Horoquartz known for creativity and transparency. They hold PASSI and ISO 27001 certifications but maintain an agile, developer friendly approach. Their ninjas often publish research and vulnerability write ups, building credibility in the infosec community. Reports are clear and remediation focused, not just technical dumps clients often mention actionable fixes and good communication. Pricing is competitive, making Synacktiv ideal for smaller companies that want quality manual testing without breaking the bank. They also handle unique logic vulnerabilities chained exploits very well.
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Best For: Small to mid companies or startups that need thorough testing on a budget. Also great for any organization that values clear communication Synacktiv often explains how a vulnerability is exploited, not just that it exists. Ideal for cloud native or web based products in France seeking PASSI level rigor without a big consulting price tag.
Why They Stand Out: Intrinsec Paris is one of the oldest French pentest firms and a PASSI qualified auditor. They often bundle penetration tests with ISO 27001 or SOX audits, providing a holistic view of security. Their consultants have broad experience early testers to risk managers, so they can discuss strategy as well as technical bugs. Intrinsec also has a robust threat intelligence team. While they may be less edgy than niche outfits, they’re very reliable and can handle large, complex corporate clients.
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Best For: Mature companies wanting an integrated audit/pentest approach. Particularly suited for finance or healthcare firms that appreciate a single provider for security assessment and compliance. Also good if you plan to include pentesting as part of a broader managed risk program.
Why They Stand Out: Acylia is a younger French cyber firm that focuses on deep technical assessments. In addition to classic pentests network, web, mobile, they offer thorough code reviews, which many larger providers don’t do in house. They emphasize a tailored approach unique approach to choose the most appropriate solution. With about a decade of experience, Acylia brings personalized service to French clients and has a strong presence in southern France. They may not have international scale, but they often collaborate with universities and research projects, ensuring staff stay on the cutting edge of academic security research.
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Best For: Organizations with custom software or complex in house applications. Also suitable for research institutions or engineering firms that want their cutting edge projects examined by security experts who speak their language. Good for SMEs in France needing a friendly, hands on partner.
Why They Stand Out: Qualysec combines pentesting with a larger cloud based security platform vulnerability management. They emphasize compliance heavy scans SOC2, ISO 27001, HIPAA alongside manual testing. Their reports aim to be exhaustive e.g. 3000+ Comprehensive Tests. Qualysec markets itself on business logic testing and minimal false positives, suggesting a mature process. While newer than some competitors, they have attracted clients via partnerships and have multilingual capabilities.
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Best For: Organizations looking for an ongoing security partner rather than one off tests. Ideal if you want to combine penetration testing with vulnerability management or require broad compliance support. Also suitable for multinational firms, as Qualysec operates in Europe and India.
Why They Stand Out: Amossys is a PASSI accredited firm in fact, Airbus partnered with Amossys for credentials. They focus on high security environments for example, they help fintechs achieve regulatory approval and assist on Airbus projects. Their USP is credibility: they hold PASSI and are pursuing higher ANSSI accreditations. Amossys bridges the gap between the thoroughness of a large auditor and the agility of a smaller team.
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Best For: French companies needing a certified, highly trustworthy pentest firm especially banks, telecoms, or tech companies dealing with encryption/smartcards. Also good for startups that anticipate needing audited credentials PASSI/PRIS in the future.
| Company | Specialization | Best For | Region | Compliance Alignment | Ideal Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepStrike | PTaaS continuous pentesting, cloud, API, web/mobile testing | Innovative offense, cloud/SaaS firms | France focused global reach | ISO27001, SOC2, PCI DSS, GDPR; working towards PASSI | Mid size to enterprise |
| Orange Cyberdefense | Large scale pentesting & red teaming; SOC services | Large enterprises, regulated industries | Global strong Europe/France | PASSI, ISO27001, PCI DSS, GDPR | Enterprise |
| Thales Cybersecurity | Critical infrastructure & OT, hardware testing | Defense/energy/finance with high assurance needs | Global France heavy | PASSI, ISO27001, industry specific regs | Enterprise |
| Airbus CyberS. Hasco | Industrial/OT & SCADA pentests, embedded systems | Critical infrastructure transport, aerospace | Global French origin | ANSSI aligned, ISO27001 | Large organizations |
| Synacktiv | Web/API/Mobile pentests; creative bug hunting | Startups/SMBs; research driven projects | France/EMEA | PASSI, ISO27001 | Small to medium |
| Intrinsec | Security audits + pentests; ISO compliance | Established firms seeking audit integration | France | PASSI, ISO27001, PCI DSS | Mid large |
| Acylia | Code audits, application specific pentests | SMEs with custom software; academic projects | France | ISO27001 implied | Small |
| Qualysec | VAPT + cloud security platform | Ongoing security programs; compliance focus | Europe & India | SOC2, ISO27001, GDPR, HIPAA | Mid to enterprise |
| Amossys | PASSI certified pentests & audits | Finance, aerospace, government tech | France | PASSI, PRIS, ISO27001 | Small med |
Large Enterprises: Big companies often need vendors with global reach and formal processes. Firms like Orange Cyberdefense or Thales or Accenture, Deloitte, Capgemini, etc. have multiple teams worldwide and can handle simultaneous tests across continents. They usually offer turnkey services audit packs, compliance reporting, executive risk dashboards. The trade off is less flexibility and higher cost. However, if you must satisfy regulators e.g. ANSSI, DORA, ISO auditors at scale, their formal certifications and project management can be worth it. Large orgs may also prefer a blended model: internal security engineers plus external auditors for objectivity. In that case, using a big vendor’s managed security division with in-house pentesters can fit both needs.
SMBs and Agile Teams: Smaller firms or digital native companies may benefit from boutique specialists like DeepStrike or Synacktiv. These providers can often start projects faster, tailor the scope tightly, and focus on developer readability of results. An SMB pentest budget e.g. €5K–€20K might go further with a lean team that doesn’t bundle unnecessary services. Also, for fast moving tech startups, cloud apps, continuous models or on demand tests ensure security keeps up with releases. Boutique vendors are usually happy to double as consultants or trainers during downtime, whereas large consultancies stick strictly to the contracted plan.
Cost vs Value: Cheaper isn’t always better. Very low cost scans often automated can miss critical holes. Conversely, the most expensive vendor isn’t automatically the best pay attention to what you get. For example, DeepStrike’s mid range pricing includes retesting and a live dashboard. Some clients prefer that value over paying per engagement from scratch every year. Ultimately, match your risk appetite: if customer data and reputation are on the line, investing in a thorough test usually pays off by preventing breaches the average global breach cost was $4.4M. Consider also a hybrid approach: run automated scans continuously or via SaaS VM tools and schedule at least one manual pentest per year to catch logic flaws. Such a blended program for example, security testing programs that validate authentication controls or continuous pentesting can maximize ROI in the long run.
Costs vary widely by scope. In France, a basic web app pentest can start around €3K–€12K. Larger engagements e.g. enterprise networks or red teams can run €15K–€50K+. Factors include complexity, number of systems, and retest allowances. Beware unusually low quotes: they may only cover automated scans, not true manual hacking. Always clarify what’s included number of testers, duration, retesting, and deliverables.
Both matter, but certifications ensure expertise. Having OSCP/OSCE or CREST certified testers shows a baseline of skill, whereas tools alone even state of art scanners can’t find all flaws. A good pentest provider will use industry standard tools and know how to customize them. In fact, many top vendors DeepStrike, Synacktiv, Orange pride themselves on expert-led testing rather than automated only scans. Tools should not replace human creativity. So prioritize a certified, experienced team the one that understands your architecture and uses tools as just part of the process.
Typical engagements run from a few days to a few weeks. A small application test might be 3–5 days of effort; a full internal network assessment could be 2+ weeks plus reporting time. Complex red team exercises might span a month. Larger firms like Orange or Thales usually plan more lead time to coordinate. Note that fast turnaround often costs more if you need a 2 week audit in 2 days, that’s rush pricing. Many providers now offer continuous or on demand testing PTaaS, where you can launch shorter scans via a platform anytime.
Look for clarity and actionability. At minimum: Executive summary of risks, prioritized list of findings, technical details proof of concept, and remediation advice. The best reports tie issues to business impact e.g. potential data loss from a vulnerability. Importantly, the report should clearly explain the methodology and assumptions used black box vs white box, etc.. It should mention whether credentials were given, and it should list the testers’ roles/certifications or at least state they are certified. Post engagement support like a walkthrough of findings and a period of free retesting is also highly valuable check if it’s part of the package.
Regular testing is crucial. As a rule of thumb, do a full pentest after any major tech change new app, cloud migration, etc. or at least annually. However, one shot tests aren’t enough: vulnerabilities and threats evolve fast. Ideally implement continuous security testing or quarterly scans, supplemented by annual or semi annual full manual tests. For example, in 2024–25 many organizations shifted to quarterly or continuous testing cadences. Also, regulatory audits like ISO 27001 recertification often require documented pentests. So align your testing frequency with both risk levels and compliance calendars.
Besides checking certifications, ask for sample reports or case studies sanitized of course. You can ask a prospective vendor to name a recent vulnerability they found without sensitive details and how it was exploited. See if they are willing to provide client references or public testimonials. Also verify any claimed government ties as a red flag guide warns against fake government logos. In short, do some due diligence many red flags fake reviews, NDA driven silence, etc. are discussed in online guides, so be prepared to spot them.
In the end, the best penetration testing company is the one that fits your needs, not just the shiniest name. We’ve ranked these providers based on objective criteria certification level, scope, experience, and reporting quality to give an unbiased view of France’s top pentest firms in 2026. Remember: a credential stuffed resume and flashy marketing don’t guarantee results. Vet each candidate thoroughly, ask tough questions, and look for transparent answers. By focusing on a provider’s methodology and track record rather than hype, you’ll make a confident choice.
Finally, the most important step is staying proactive. Tools and threats are constantly changing. Once you choose a partner, keep evaluating and evolving your security testing program. With the right team of certified testers, clear reporting, and continuous validation, you’ll be equipped to uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do. Make an informed decision, and strengthen your defenses with the expertise that suits your scale and risk profile.
Ready to Strengthen Your Defenses? The threats of 2026 demand more than just awareness; they require readiness. If you're looking to validate your security posture, identify hidden risks, or build a resilient defense strategy, DeepStrike is here to help. Our team of practitioners provides clear, actionable guidance to protect your business. Explore our Penetration Testing Services to see how we can uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do. Drop us a line, we’re always ready to dive in.
About the Author: Mohammed Khalil is a Cybersecurity Architect at DeepStrike, specializing in advanced penetration testing and offensive security operations. With certifications including CISSP, OSCP, and OSWE, he has led numerous red team engagements for Fortune 500 companies, focusing on cloud security, application vulnerabilities, and adversary emulation. His work involves dissecting complex attack chains and developing resilient defense strategies for clients in the finance, healthcare, and technology sectors.
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