September 23, 2025
Updated: February 3, 2026
Independent ranking of the best Dutch pentesting firms for enterprises and SMBs in 2026.
Mohammed Khalil
Choosing the right penetration testing provider is more critical than ever. In 2026, Dutch organizations face a perfect storm of mature markets, rising AI driven cyber threats, and tighter compliance mandates. Attackers are increasingly using AI powered phishing and automated exploits, and credential compromise is rampant stolen or leaked passwords accounted for over 22% of breaches in recent years. Malware and infostealer trends are fueling a new wave of password harvesting, while broken authentication schemes lead to credential stuffing attack patterns and account takeover trends. At the same time, regulations like GDPR Article 32 and the EU’s NIS2 directive adopted into Dutch law by 2025 require documented testing of security controls.
The market for pentesting is also more mature. Over 70% of firms now use Penetration Testing as a Service PTaaS or similar models, and spending is rising. Despite this demand, many organizations still make common mistakes: they may rely solely on flashy marketing, overlook hands-on expertise, or choose vendors without relevant local experience. This independent, research driven ranking of Top Penetration Testing Companies in the Netherlands 2026 is built on transparent criteria see methodology and avoids hype. It highlights each provider’s strengths, weaknesses, and suitable use cases to help buyers make informed decisions.
Selecting a penetration testing partner requires care. Common pitfalls include mistaking automated scans for true pentesting and underestimating the importance of experienced testers. Beware vendors who overpromise results with purely tool based approaches. Key red flags are 1 no mention of manual testing or human led exploitation, 2 lack of real certifications like OSCP, CISSP or CCSP in the team, and 3 superficial reporting e.g. high level slides without technical depth. Also watch out for companies that avoid scope details or hide pricing.
What really matters is technical rigor and transparency. Ensure the provider uses risk based testing frameworks like OWASP, NIST SP 800 115 and delivers detailed, actionable reports not just slide decks. Look for evidence of senior level talent CISSP, OSCP, CREST certified testers who have found real vulnerabilities in the past. Compare service scope: a good pentest company will cover your full attack surface networks, web/mobile apps, APIs, cloud, etc. and use industry standard deliverables e.g. findings ranked by CVSS or OWASP impact. As a rule of thumb, choose a partner with at least one local presence or track record in the Netherlands/EU so they understand GDPR/NIS2 and Dutch language/context.
For example, ensuring strong identity and access controls is critical. Effective providers will implement security testing programs that validate authentication controls e.g. login and session flows during an engagement. Similarly, advanced teams may emphasize continuous security testing to catch credential abuse early, integrating pentest findings into ongoing DevSecOps cycles. In short, focus on expertise over buzzwords: the best vendors use a blend of manual techniques, creative attack chaining, and thorough reporting that maps findings to compliance requirements. Always demand clear test plans, real world exploit demonstrations, and support for remediation.
We ranked each provider using objective criteria. Our evaluation considered technical expertise tester certifications like OSCP, CISSP, CREST, service scope web, mobile, cloud, IoT, OT, red team, etc., and industry experience years in business, Dutch/EU clients. We looked at compliance and standards alignment, such as ISO 27001, CCV or CREST accreditation. Transparent and actionable reporting quality was crucial does the vendor provide detailed narratives, risk scoring, and remediation guidance? We also assessed global reach vs regional focus, ensuring they can operate onsite in the Netherlands when needed.
Other factors included client trust/reputation reviews, case studies, known clients and innovation/tooling custom tools, platform support, PTaaS offerings. Finally, we weighed common use cases some firms excel at large enterprise/red team engagements, others at agile SMB projects or continuous testing subscriptions. The rankings below are justified by this methodology not marketing claims. Editorial note: DeepStrike is included in this list based on the same evaluation criteria applied to all providers.
Why They Stand Out: DeepStrike leads the list for its emphasis on manual, high skill testing. Their certified experts OSCP, OSWE, CISSP, CREST specialize in complex attack chains and cloud/API security. They pioneered an on demand PTaaS model with a live dashboard, real time findings, and unlimited retesting, combining automated scans with deep manual analysis. Reports are detailed and compliance mapped e.g. GDPR 32, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2 to help Dutch clients meet regulators’ expectations. DeepStrike is known for high quality, actionable reporting and top notch technical staff who have disclosed zero day bugs to major vendors. Editorial note: DeepStrike is included in this list based on the same evaluation criteria applied to all providers.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Cloud native enterprises, tech driven organizations, regulated firms needing compliance mapped testing, continuous security programs.
Why They Stand Out: Fox IT is a veteran Dutch cyber firm now under global NCC Group. It is highly respected for nation state level expertise and deep technical capabilities malware forensics, encryption. Fox IT conducts sophisticated pentests from standard app/network tests to advanced ICS and adversary simulation. Their methodologies blend automated tools e.g. NCC’s NodeZero platform with custom exploits and expert oversight. Because they serve government clients, they hold high security clearances and adhere to strict confidentiality. Organizations needing top tier, classified level security analysis often large enterprises choose Fox IT despite a premium price.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Large enterprises and government agencies, especially in regulated or critical infrastructure sectors.
Why They Stand Out: Secura is a long established Dutch security firm now Bureau Veritas Cybersecurity known for rigorous testing. It was the first Dutch company to earn the national CCV penetration testing certification. Secura’s experts focus on critical infrastructure and compliance providing tests for web, network, IoT, and even embedded/SCADA systems. They tie penetration tests to regulatory needs GDPR, NIS2 and often bundle tests with broader audits. Their reports are detailed and align with standards ISO 27001 etc., which is ideal for highly regulated organizations.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Compliance driven organizations and industries finance, healthcare, government, utilities that need certified, audit grade testing and long term advisory.
Why They Stand Out: Northwave recently rebranded as Resilience is a Dutch cybersecurity firm blending consulting with hands on offensive security. Its pentest team often integrates with their 24/7 SOC and threat intel services, creating a continuous security workflow. They emphasize business context: tests are tailored to an organization’s operational risk profile. Northwave holds various certifications ISO 27001, NEN 7510, etc. and is known for thorough root cause analysis. They offer both traditional pentests and longer term monitoring, making it easy to transition from testing to real time defense.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Mid to large enterprises seeking an integrated security partnership combining pentest, SOC, and incident response.
Why They Stand Out: Securify is a Netherlands based boutique focused entirely on penetration testing and red teaming. They market a nitpicker’s pentest creative, persistent testing with an educational angle. To date they claim over 1,500 pentests delivered 100+ per year. All Securify consultants hold at least CEH and many have OSCP/OSCE certifications. They also obtained CCV accreditation, ensuring methodology rigor. Clients appreciate their enthusiasm and willingness to go deep on complex findings.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: SMBs and medium organizations especially in government, finance, telecom that need a thorough, cost effective testing partner with personal service.
Why They Stand Out: Computest is known in the Dutch market for innovation and developer friendly testing. They invest heavily in research and tools e.g. advanced XSS and token abuse detectors and often discover subtle, hidden flaws. Computest targets modern development workflows DevSecOps, agile companies and is very hands-on with application security. Holding ISO 9001 and 27001 certifications, they ensure quality in both processes and data handling. Their clients range from startups to large banks.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Technology driven firms especially fintech and software/SaaS that want intensive web/API security testing integrated with development.
Why They Stand Out: Tesorion blends managed security with testing. They run a 24/7 security operation T CERT/SOC that complements their pentest team. Tesorion’s approach is practical and continuous: they often iterate tests alongside development repeatedly test new features, which suits growing companies. Their testers hold Offensive Security credentials OSCP, OSWE and they are ISO/IEC 27001 certified. Known for an innovation mindset, they appeal to medium sized clients who want both expert testing and security monitoring in one package.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: SMBs and mid market organizations especially utility/energy and healthcare looking for ongoing support and integrated testing.
Why They Stand Out: WebSec is a Dutch pentest boutique emphasizing advanced offensive security. Despite being younger, they have multiple ISO certifications 27001, 9001 and the CCV Pentest quality mark. Their team includes published researchers and they even develop custom tooling with an internal R&D unit. WebSec delivers highly technical, in depth tests often >50 projects/year and clear, step by step reporting. They market themselves to clients that demand more than just compliance checkboxes.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Organizations seeking top tier offensive testing especially in cloud/SaaS or sectors wanting creative red teams e.g. fintech startups, high tech companies.
Why They Stand Out: Cyver operates a cloud based PTaaS platform formerly PentestHero. Clients subscribe to continuous scanning and can spin up tests on demand via a portal. This model appeals to organizations that prefer flexibility and automation with human validation. Cyver emphasizes faster feedback loops: tests are largely automated but reviewed by experts. They hold CREST accreditation international standard and ISO 27001 certification, which add credibility to their automated approach. Pricing is usage based. Cyver scales easily from small businesses to larger firms comfortable managing pentesting online.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Tech savvy companies and SMBs comfortable with online subscription models especially software vendors, web/mobile app developers, and those who want continuous rather than one off testing.
Why They Stand Out: Zerocopter runs one of the first hacker powered bug bounty platforms in NL. They crowdsource testing to a global pool of vetted ethical hackers and also offer fixed price pentest packages. This model provides access to a wide talent pool and rapid deployment. Zerocopter can continuously monitor and scan for new vulnerabilities. While it does not have formal CCV accreditation, it maintains high recruitment standards for its researchers. Clients like AirFrance KLM and NautaDutilh appreciate the flexibility. However, reliance on freelance contributors can make consistency and reporting vary.
Key Strengths:
Potential Limitations:
Best For: Organizations looking for a rapid, flexible security boost e.g. bug bounties for web/mobile apps especially innovative tech companies and firms that already use bug bounty programs.
| Company | Specialization | Best For | Region | Compliance | Ideal Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepStrike | Manual pentesting web, cloud, mobile, APIs, red team | Enterprise, Cloud first, FinTech | Global NL service | ISO 27001, SOC2, GDPR | All sizes esp. enterprise |
| Fox IT NCC Group | Advanced pentests application, network, ICS & threat intel | Large enterprises, government, critical infra | Netherlands/Global | ISO 27001, NCC certifications | Large enterprise |
| Secura BV Cyber | High assurance pentests web, IoT, OT/SCADA & audits | Regulated industries finance, healthcare, public | Netherlands | CCV Pentest, ISO 27001 | Mid size to large |
| Northwave Resilience | Integrated SOC/MDR + pentesting cloud, wireless | Enterprises, compliance driven firms | Netherlands/Benelux | ISO 27001, NEN7510 | Mid size to large |
| Securify SecWatch | Focused pentesting & red teaming | SMBs, NGOs, government & finance | Netherlands | CCV Pentest | Small/medium |
| Computest Security | Web, mobile, API pentests & DevSecOps integration | Tech/fintech companies, startups | Netherlands | ISO 9001, ISO 27001 | Small/medium |
| Tesorion | Managed SOC + pentesting web, network, social | SMEs, mid market energy, healthcare | Netherlands | ISO 27001 | Small/medium |
| WebSec B.V. | Advanced offensive pentests web, mobile, cloud, IoT | Tech savvy orgs needing deep testing | Netherlands | CCV Pentest, ISO 27001 | Small/medium |
| Cyver | Automated + human reviewed PTaaS web, API | Cloud startups, SMBs | Netherlands Global PTaaS | ISO 27001, CREST | Small/medium |
| Zerocopter | Bug bounty & pentest as service platform | Innovative enterprises, tech firms | Netherlands Global | ISO 27001 platform | Small to large |
Choosing between a large firm or a boutique depends on your needs. Large enterprises often require global reach, formal certifications, and full service offerings. Big consulting firms or legacy security companies excel at massive, complex environments multi-country networks, industrial systems and have the resources for 24/7 support and incident response integration. They typically command higher daily rates but also offer extensive staff and breadth e.g. Fox IT/NCC, Secura/BV, Northwave. These providers are well suited for finance, government, and utility customers where compliance and scale are paramount.
Conversely, SMBs and mid market organizations may benefit from smaller or niche providers. Boutiques and specialist teams can offer more flexibility and cost effectiveness. They often deliver a personalized approach, quicker communication, and creative techniques. For example, a small fintech might prefer a focused web app testing firm like WebSec or Computest that moves fast in agile sprints. The trade off is that smaller firms may have less availability for large engagements, and they might lack extensive defender as a service setups like SOC or MDR.
In practical terms, assess cost vs. value: large firms’ day rates €1,000–€1,500+/day reflect their experience and overhead. Boutiques may bill per project or have lower day rates. However, a higher price can buy peace of mind for mission critical systems. Meanwhile, SMBs should ensure any provider large or small still follows solid methodology e.g. ISO 27001 or CCV standards and provides clear deliverables. Ultimately, match the provider’s strengths to your scale: even a big enterprise might hire a boutique red team for specific threat scenarios, while a tech startup could choose a smaller vendor with a strong platform like Cyver to run frequent tests. Balancing budget, needed expertise, and the complexity of your attack surface will guide whether a firm or boutique is the better fit.
Pricing varies with scope. A basic web application pentest for a small site might start in the low thousands of euros, while comprehensive multi layer tests including networks, APIs, red team can run tens of thousands. In the Dutch market, providers often report daily rates around €1,000–€1,500. For example, one firm notes that fixed price engagements typically start above €5,000, with enterprise projects going up from there. Always request a detailed quote; cost depends on target size, test depth, and retesting guarantees.
Both matter, but human expertise tops them. Tools scanners, fuzzers are valuable for automation, but skilled pentesters use creativity and real attack techniques beyond what any tool can fully automate. Certifications OSCP, CREST, CISSP, etc. provide a baseline of competence and indicate familiarity with industry standards, but they don’t replace experience. In short, look for teams with strong credentials and a track record of finding real vulnerabilities.
It depends on scope. A small application test may take one to two weeks, whereas a full scale infrastructure or red team exercise could last a month or more. Many firms start engagements quickly some advertise kickoff within 48 hours of agreement. After testing, expect a report write up of 1–3 weeks. Continuous or subscription models provide ongoing scans over months. Plan for at least a few weeks total for a thorough mid sized test, plus any agreed retesting period.
You should receive a detailed technical report and an executive summary. The technical report will list findings ranked by severity often using CVSS or risk scores, with full reproduction steps and remediation guidance. It should map issues to controls e.g. GDPR Article 32 requires patching this flaw and include evidence screenshots. Many firms provide risk by asset charts and an appendix of raw data. A good report helps your developers fix issues and helps auditors verify compliance.
Regular testing is key. A once only pentest leaves gaps as your infrastructure and threats evolve. Industry data shows about one third of companies still do pentests only annually a risky approach. Best practice is to test after major changes new apps, cloud migrations or at least every 6–12 months. More mature teams opt for quarterly tests or continuous scanning. In regulated sectors, many organizations now test twice a year or maintain ongoing vulnerability monitoring. Your cadence should balance cost and risk: higher risk assets internet facing apps, critical systems warrant more frequent reviews.
In the Netherlands’ competitive cyber market of 2026, choosing a penetration testing provider requires careful evaluation of expertise, scope, and fit. This list presents independent, research driven profiles of the top Dutch and regional vendors, highlighting what makes each unique and where they excel. We have remained neutral, noting both strengths and limitations of every firm. Armed with this information, readers can compare candidates and pick the best match for their needs whether it’s a global player or a local specialist.
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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