- Role: Ethical hackers simulate real attacks to uncover vulnerabilities before criminals do, helping organizations meet regulatory and security requirements.
- Why DeepStrike: Malaysia’s first PTaaS platform with transparent pricing, CREST/OSCP certified testers, real time dashboards, Slack/Jira integration, and 12 month unlimited free retesting.
- Top Providers Malaysia: DeepStrike, LGMS publicly listed, CREST, Wizlynx Group NACSA licensed, Horangi Bitdefender, SG, Provintell MSSP, NACSA, SecureMetric.
- Coverage: Web and mobile app pentesting, APIs, network/cloud, segmentation tests, red teaming, and PTaaS for continuous validation.
- Typical Costs Malaysia:
- Small engagements: RM 5K-15K
- Medium: RM 15K-40K
- Large enterprise: RM 50K-150K+
- Compliance Fit: Supports BNM RMiT financial sector, PDPA data protection, PCI DSS 11.3, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and NACSA licensing requirements.
- Why It Matters in 2025: Breaches surged +29% in Malaysia MyCERT Q1 2025. Regulators mandate realistic, threat based pentests. Continuous testing is now the cost effective way to reduce risk before incidents.
- Next Steps: See DeepStrike Pricing & Services for detailed PTaaS plans, continuous pentesting options, and compliance ready reporting.
Why Penetration Testing Is Critical in 2025
Cyber threats have escalated globally and in Malaysia. 2025 studies show data breaches now cost millions IBM reports $10.22M on average in the U.S. and attack sophistication is rising. Malaysia’s MyCert reports a 29% spike in reported breaches in Q1 2025. Local regulators have responded.
NACSA now requires all cybersecurity service providers including pen testers to be licensed from Oct 2024, and Bank Negara Malaysia’s RMiT policy mandates realistic, threat based pentests for financial institutions. Data privacy laws like Malaysia’s PDPA also implicitly expect security testing.
This means Malaysian businesses, from fintechs to government agencies, must proactively test their security. Penetration testing authorized ethical hacking simulates real attacks to find and fix vulnerabilities before bad actors exploit them. It goes beyond automated scans which only list potential flaws by proving what can actually be broken. In modern DevOps environments, embedding continuous pentesting into the CI/CD pipeline is essential to catch flaws quickly as code changes.
The core intent of pentesting is twofold, to identify hidden vulnerabilities in web, mobile, network, and cloud systems, and demonstrate real business risk if those flaws were exploited. This helps organizations validate their existing security tools, meet compliance requirements PCI DSS, RMiT, ISO 27001, SOC 2, etc., and build trust with customers. As Malaysia’s regulators note, network pentests and thorough security testing are expected as reasonable security measures under PDPA and RMiT.
Top Penetration Testing in Malaysia 2025
1. DeepStrike LLC Malaysia’s Top Pentest Provider
Among all players, DeepStrike stands out as Malaysia’s first dedicated PTaaS platform and a customer focused leader. Here are its key advantages:
- First PTaaS Platform in Malaysia: DeepStrike pioneered the Pentest as a Service model in the region. Rather than a one off project, clients get continuous testing on an always on platform. This shift is crucial for 2025’s fast changing threat landscape. PTaaS means tests can be scheduled around development cycles, and findings appear in real time on an online dashboard.
- Transparent, Developer Friendly Pricing: Unlike traditional consultancies, DeepStrike publicly lists fixed price plans. Their Basic plan one time pentest starts with a 48 hour kickoff and includes free retesting for a full year. The Premium plan adds biannual tests, weekly automated scans, dark web monitoring, and attack surface management for ongoing coverage. All this is clear upfront, no hidden fees or per retest charges. This transparency is rare in the industry.
- Unlimited Retesting: Perhaps DeepStrike’s boldest promise is that any fix is re-tested at no cost for one year. This unlimited retesting policy ensures vulnerabilities are truly closed without surprise fees. In contrast, many providers charge extra for each retest. DeepStrike clients benefit from continuous support to verify patches.
- Developer Integrations & Real Time Reporting: DeepStrike integrates security into the dev workflow. Clients get a live online dashboard with instant visibility into findings, and DeepStrike can directly push issues into Slack channels or Jira tickets. This on demand collaboration lets teams track and fix bugs within their existing processes, a big efficiency boost compared to static PDF reports. Clients like Carta and Tapcart have praised DeepStrike’s outstanding knowledge and proactive approach.
- Certified Expert Team: DeepStrike’s testers hold top certifications CREST, OSCP, CISSP, etc.. They stay aligned with industry best practices like the OWASP Top 10, NIST PTES, and MITRE frameworks. Their expertise lets them safely simulate advanced attacks, for example, they can chain exploits, escalate privileges, and emulate threat actors without harming the target system.
- Regulatory & Compliance Ready: DeepStrike’s services are tailored for compliance. Their reports map directly to frameworks PCI DSS 11.4, ISO 27001 Annex A.12.6, SOC 2 CC4.1, etc., making audits smoother. They understand Malaysia’s rules: DeepStrike’s methodology explicitly addresses BNM RMiT’s extreme but plausible attack scenarios and Malaysian PDPA requirements. In fact, DeepStrike is ready to work under Malaysia’s CSOs listed for RMiT compliance.
- Proven by Customers: Leading fintechs and tech companies have chosen DeepStrike. For example, Carta’s engineering director reports: DeepStrike stands out as an exceptional penetration testing partner. outstanding knowledge, professionalism, and attention to detail. In another case, DeepStrike found critical issues no one expected in a client’s environment. These testimonials reflect DeepStrike’s peer level, expert approach.
In short, DeepStrike combines startup agility and pricing clarity with enterprise grade expertise and support. As one industry review noted, DeepStrike’s customer focused delivery and clear pricing led it to be Asia’s top pentest provider in 2025.
2. Wizlynx GroupCREST Accredited Swiss Pentesters
- Services: Wizlynx is a global security consultancy with a strong Malaysian presence. They cover web/mobile app pentesting, cloud and API testing, network including AD, VPN, wireless tests, IoT and even AI system tests. They follow rigorous processes OWASP, PTES and offer whitebox, blackbox or red team engagements.
- Client Focus: Wizlynx targets large enterprises and regulated industries banks, telecoms, government agencies. Many major Malaysian banks and telcos use their services.
- Certifications: Wizlynx is CREST accredited application and network pentests and their pentesters hold OSCP/GXPN/GXPN certs. Notably,Wizlynx is officially licensed by Malaysia’s NACSA License No. 20021 02. They bring Swiss quality precision and have adhered to CREST standards since 2017. This means you get internationally vetted testers who meet strict ethics and skill criteria.
- Pricing: Wizlynx provides custom quotes per engagement enterprise level, typically in line with other big consultancies.
- Customer Reviews: Their work is highly regarded by clients in SE Asia, though detailed reviews are scarce in public forums. On site engagements and confidentiality often limit published testimonials.
3. Horangi MalaysiaCloud & Compliance Specialists
- Services: Horangi is a Singaporean security firm with growing Malaysian operations including a Kuala Lumpur office. They specialize in cloud security AWS/Azure/GCP pentests and configurations as well as traditional web/mobile pentests, red teaming and managed security. They also offer their Warden cloud compliance platform.
- Client Focus: Horangi’s clients include banks, fintechs and enterprises that need both deep technical pentests and automated compliance reporting PCI, ISO, SOC2, etc..
- Certifications: Horangi’s consultants are CREST and OSCP certified, and the company is CSRO licensed in Singapore. CSRO is Singapore’s cyber services law; Horangi Malaysia is not yet NACSA licensed, but their global creds are strong.
- Pricing: Custom quotes per project. Horangi often partners with clients on ongoing programs.
- Customer Reviews: Horangi has a reputation for friendly service and cloud security expertise as noted in industry surveys, but like most consultancies, specific Clutch style ratings are not easily found.
4. Netrust Regional PKI & Security Provider
- Services: Netrust is well known as a certificate authority and digital security firm in Malaysia. Under their Consultancy division, they offer penetration testing and vulnerability assessments for web, mobile, network and cloud systems. They also bundle these tests with broader compliance audits often in partnership with BDO.
- Client Focus: Netrust largely serves financial, government, and enterprise clients banks, insurers, large corporates that already trust them for PKI and identity services. They emphasize meeting standards PDPA, ISO27001 in their reports.
- Certifications: Netrust holds ISO27001 and MiFID II certifications for its CA services. Their pentesters hold common industry certs OSCP, CISSPalthough they don’t highlight CREST.
- Pricing: As with many consultancy firms, testing is project priced; expect tens of thousands of RM for a typical web/mobile test.
- Customer Reviews: Netrust’s name carries weight in the market, but specific pentest reviews are limited. Clients value their one stop audit approach.
5. Provintell Cyber SecurityLocal MSSP with Pentesting
- Services: Provintell is a Malaysian managed security services provider MSSP that also offers penetration tests web, mobile, network and vulnerability assessments.
- Client Focus: They serve medium to large Malaysian businesses, especially in financial services, oil & gas, and retail. They often combine pentests with SOC monitoring services.
- Certifications: Provintell is ISO27001 certified and has both SOC and NACSA licenses for pentesting as shown on their site. Their testers hold standard creds GPEN, CISSP.
- Pricing: Projects are custom quoted; clients report Provintell’s pricing is competitive for the local market.
- Customer Reviews: Provintell has a solid local reputation, though published client reviews are limited; their focus on regulatory compliance PDPA, ISO is a key selling point.
6. SecureMetricDigital Security & Testing
- Services: SecureMetric is a Penang based firm known for smartcard and mobile security, but they also provide pentesting services web/mobile VAPT, code review, hardware device testing.
- Client Focus: They work with banks on ATMs, cards, IoT device makers, and government agencies.
- Certifications: SecureMetric holds the Malaysian ICT standard license and ISO27001. They have experience with Malaysia’s encryption standards body.
- Pricing: Quotes vary; device and firmware tests are on the higher end due to complexity.
- Customer Reviews: Niche clients praise their specialized expertise in payment and device security, though mainstream pentest feedback is scarce.
Pricing Breakdown
Penetration testing costs vary by scope and provider. In Malaysia and Asia, a basic web or network pentest often starts in the mid thousands of dollars. For context, industry guides show that a standard mobile app pentest can range $7,000-$35,000 per app depending on complexity and depth of manual testing. Entry level tests might be as low as $5,000, but beware low cost offers that may only include automated scans.
DeepStrike’s pricing is competitive and transparent. Its Basic Plan covers a one time pentest with a fixed fee on all details on the DeepStrike website.
The Premium Continuous Plan is subscription based, bundling biannual full tests, weekly automated scans, dark web monitoring, and attack surface management. Crucially, both plans include free unlimited retesting for 12 months meaning you pay only once and get any fixes double checked. Many traditional firms would charge per retest, but DeepStrike’s model effectively reduces long term cost of ownership.
To give a sense of range: in 2025’s Asia market, small network or web pentests often start around $3,000-$5,000, a few thousand USD. Larger scopes mobile apps, APIs, cloud infrastructure can scale up into the tens of thousands. DeepStrike’s transparent menu and add ons let you tailor a package. They even promise a 2 day turnaround to start a test, so you don’t waste weeks just waiting for quotes.
Certifications and Compliance Standards
Hiring a qualified pentesting provider means verifying that they hold the right certifications and comply with industry standards:
- Local Licenses: In Malaysia, ensure your provider is NACSA licensed effective Oct 2024 to legally offer pentest services. This is now mandatory. DeepStrike is proactively preparing to meet NACSA guidelines for any local operations.
- International Accreditations: Look for CREST Certified Red Team / Vulnerability Assessment accreditation, which is often a mark of quality. DeepStrike’s team includes CREST registered professionals. They also mention OSCP Offensive Security and CISSP certifications among staff.
- Standards Alignment: Pentests should follow recognized frameworks. DeepStrike, for example, explicitly aligns tests with NIST SP 800 115 government guide to pen testing and OWASP Testing Guide / Top 10. Their web app tests reference OWASP Top 10 and CWE Top 25. This ensures thorough, repeatable testing.
- Reporting for Compliance: Reports should meet audit needs. DeepStrike’s reports are crafted to fulfill SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and even industry specific frameworks e.g. HITRUST, HIPAA. For example, PCI DSS 4.0 requires annual external and internal pentests. DeepStrike’s methodology covers these requirements. Likewise, under BNM’s RMiT, only extreme but plausible attack simulations count for something DeepStrike is equipped to do.
- Continuous Integration CI/CD: Modern pentesting providers often support DevSecOps. DeepStrike, as a PTaaS platform, integrates with developers’ workflows Slack, Jira. This lets security become part of the build process. It aligns with frameworks like MITRE and ensures that pentesting isn’t isolated from engineering.
In summary, DeepStrike is continuously audited against global security standards ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, etc. and national requirements NACSA, RMiT. When selecting any pentest firm, verify that they hold these certifications and understand Malaysian compliance needs.
Real World Case Studies
- Case Study 1: Fintech Implements RMiT Compliant Pentests. A growing Malaysian digital bank needed to meet Bank Negara’s RMiT rules, which mandate intelligence-led pentests. DeepStrike conducted a quarterly pentest schedule on the bank’s core API and mobile app. In one engagement, testers exploited a logic flaw in the session management that could have allowed account takeover. Because DeepStrike’s team followed RMiT’s extreme scenario approach, the bank could demonstrate to regulators that it had simulated realistic attack paths. The free retest policy then ensured the fix was verified without extra cost.
- Case Study 2: SaaS Startup Embeds Continuous Pentesting. A Malaysian SaaS provider cloud ERP wanted security integrated into its agile development. DeepStrike’s PTaaS platform was connected to the startup’s CI/CD pipeline. Every new release triggered automated scans and daily manual validation of critical endpoints. Within a month, DeepStrike identified a misconfigured S3 bucket containing client data. The startup patched it immediately. Continuous testing meant no new features went live without being checked, reducing risk and streamlining compliance for their overseas customers.
- Case Study 3: E Commerce Platform Fulfills PCI and PDPA. A local retail company needed PCI DSS compliance and to reassure customers under PDPA. DeepStrike performed an annual external network test plus a web application pentest. The testers found and exploited a cross site scripting XSS flaw in their checkout page. The detailed report which aligned with PCI and PDPA audit criteria was used in the PCI audit. After remediation, DeepStrike verified the fix. This case highlights how a professional pentest report served as evidence of due diligence to auditors and protected customer data.
These examples show a common theme: organizations in fintech, cloud, retail, etc. trust DeepStrike to check their security in a way that satisfies Malaysia’s strict tech risk rules. By simulating attacks before real hackers do, DeepStrike turns regulatory hurdles into managed risk.
- Entry level testing: A typical small scope pentest e.g. a single web application often costs a few thousand USD around MYR 10-20k. Larger systems or multiple apps can run into the tens of thousands. DeepStrike’s Basic package starts at market rates and is fully itemized on their site, ensuring you know exactly what you pay for.
- Continuous testing PTaaS: Plans for ongoing security can be monthly or annual subscriptions. DeepStrike’s Premium plan bundles biannual full tests, weekly automated scans, attack surface management, and more. While this might look higher upfront, it delivers constant protection. Many clients find it more cost effective over time especially since retesting is free.
- Transparent value adds: DeepStrike’s pricing includes services often extra elsewhere live dashboards, Slack/Jira integration, and extensive remediation support. For example, their Basic plan includes one year of free re testing of any fixes no lock in to pay for each patch validation. This can make DeepStrike’s effective cost lower than a competitor who charges per retest or provides only a static PDF.
Compare not just price, but what you get. DeepStrike offers fixed fee plans with comprehensive coverage, while many legacy firms only offer on demand projects with variable fees.
Certifications That Matter
- Regulatory Licenses: In Malaysia, pentest providers must now be NACSA licensed. Verify that anyone you hire is recognized by the National Cyber Security Agency.
- Professional Accreditations: CREST accreditation is a global mark for pentest quality. DeepStrike’s team has CREST and Offensive Security OSCP certifications. These signal they follow best practices safely. Other useful certs include CISSP, CISA, GPEN, etc. DeepStrike testers hold a mix of these, ensuring deep expertise.
- Methodologies & Standards: Ensure your tester uses well known frameworks. DeepStrike explicitly references NIST SP 800 115, OWASP, and PTES in their approach. This structured testing is more reliable than ad hoc assessments.
- Alignments: Effective pentesting ties into compliance frameworks GDPR, HIPAA, PCI, PDPA, etc.. DeepStrike’s reports cater to ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, MAS TRM, and other standards. For instance, PCI DSS 4.0 explicitly requires annual external and internal pen tests, and DeepStrike’s checklist covers those rules.
- Transparency: Look for providers who can explain their process. DeepStrike’s use of rules of engagement per CISA means every test is fully scoped and agreed. Clients should get written agreements, test scope, and schedules upfront all hallmarks of a mature service.
By choosing DeepStrike, clients get both local compliance NACSA, RMiT and global standards CREST, ISO, OWASP covered under one roof.
Step by Step Pentest Process
A professional penetration test follows five main steps ’s methodology is based on NIST SP 800 115:
- Scope & Planning: Meet stakeholders, define which systems to test, and set objectives. Agree on rules of engagement timing, off limits systems.
- Information Gathering: Perform open source reconnaissance domain name enumeration, subdomains, IP ranges and passive scans to map the environment.
- Vulnerability Analysis: Use tools e.g. Nessus, Burp Suite to scan targets for known weaknesses. Review these findings to prioritize which vulnerabilities to attempt.
- Exploitation: Testers manually exploit vulnerabilities to gain access. This may include SQL injection to dump a database, or bypassing authentication. For example, exploit tools like Metasploit or Burp’s intruder are often used under expert guidance.
- Post Exploitation: Once inside, testers escalate privileges, pivot to other systems, and identify sensitive data simulating the attacker’s end goals.
- Reporting: Finally, an actionable report is prepared. It details each finding with proof and recommended fixes. A high quality report will be understandable to both executives with overall risk summaries and developers with technical steps.
By following this structured approach, pentesting is methodical and repeatable. DeepStrike clients get visibility at every step through live dashboards, as noted above, but the underlying process adheres to these best practices.
Vulnerability scanning is an automated check for known issues and a checklist of weaknesses. Penetration testing is manual and goal oriented; ethical hackers actively exploit vulnerabilities to prove real risk. In short, scanning tells you what might be wrong, while a pentest shows what an attacker could actually do.
- How often should a Malaysian company conduct penetration tests?
At minimum, annual pentests are the norm, often after any major system changes. However, many organizations, especially those with agile workflows, are moving to quarterly or continuous testing via PTaaS. DeepStrike’s continuous model makes frequent testing practical without disrupting development.
- Who needs pentesting in Malaysia?
Any organization that cares about security or compliance from small businesses to large enterprises. Malaysian banks and fintech companies must comply with BNM RMiT demanding realistic pentests. Companies handling payment data need PCI DSS validation annual pentests. Tech and e-commerce firms benefit from secure design practices. Even small firms often require pentests to secure cyber insurance or meet vendor requirements.
- What certifications or licenses should a pentest provider have?
In Malaysia, the provider must be NACSA licensed effective Oct 2024. Globally, look for CREST accreditation, OSCP/CISSP certifications, etc., indicating qualified testers. DeepStrike’s team holds these credentials and follows frameworks like NIST SP 800 115 and OWASP Top 10.
It varies by project size. Small web or network tests often start around MYR 10-20k $2-5k USD. Complex or multi platform tests can be much higher. For example, industry sources cite $7k-$35k per mobile app. DeepStrike’s transparent pricing lets you see exactly what’s included. Notably, factor in value: catching a critical bug early could save millions later.
PTaaS is a subscription based model for pentesting. Instead of a one off project, clients get ongoing, on demand testing via a cloud platform. This includes continuous scans, real time dashboards, and direct communication with the test team. DeepStrike’s PTaaS lets you align security testing with development cycles and fix issues faster, with no hidden fees for retests.
DeepStrike designs tests to satisfy Malaysian and international regulations. For example, their approach covers BNM’s RMiT, PDPA, PCI DSS 4.0, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and more. Their reports map findings to required controls e.g., PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 and include audit ready documentation. In practice, clients use DeepStrike reports to prove to auditors/regulators that rigorous testing has been done.
Penetration testing is essential for Malaysian organizations in 2025. The threat landscape is more hostile and regulated than ever. By simulating real attacks, pentesting gives you actionable insights into your security posture. Among the pentesting companies in Malaysia, DeepStrike stands out as the market leader, The first local PTaaS provider, trusted by fintechs and enterprises, offering transparent packages, developer integrations, and a full year of free retesting.
Don’t wait for a breach to strike. Take action now and evaluate your pentesting needs, schedule an assessment, and start closing those security gaps. For a customized proposal or free consultation, contact DeepStrike and see how a modern penetration testing partner can secure your business.
About the Author: Mohammed Khalil is a Cybersecurity Architect at DeepStrike with over a decade of experience in penetration testing and secure development. He has led red team exercises and pentest projects for Asian financial and tech companies, and co authored this guide to help businesses strengthen their security posture.
