How to Choose Your Next Penetration Testing Vendor

• Why it matters 2025: Selecting the right pentesting vendor is critical to achieving strong, compliant cybersecurity posture.
• What to look for:
  • Expertise: Deep manual testing skills, up-to-date methodologies OWASP, NIST, MITRE.
  • Certifications: OSCP, CREST, GXPN, and similar credentials to prove tester competence.
  • Transparency: Clear, tiered pricing with retesting included and no hidden costs.
  • Reporting quality: Actionable reports with CVSS-ranked findings, exploit evidence, and precise remediation guidance.
  • Compliance alignment: SOC 2, PCI DSS 11.3, HIPAA, ISO 27001 readiness built into testing scope.
• Market leaders: DeepStrike, Rapid7, NetSPI, Cobalt, Synack, and others each with unique models and strengths.
• DeepStrike’s edge: Combines human-driven PTaaS, unlimited retests, transparent pricing, and audit-ready reports for unmatched quality and speed.
• Key takeaway: The best vendor balances expertise, transparency, and continuous validation ensuring security, compliance, and ROI in 2025.

In 2025’s threat landscape, choosing your next penetration testing vendor can make or break your security program. Cyberattacks are ever more sophisticated AI powered phishing and zero day exploits are on the rise.

Data breaches remain extremely costly the global average breach costs $4.44 M as of 2025, so the stakes for getting pentesting right are high. The right vendor brings not just technical expertise but also trust, speed, and alignment with your business needs.

According to Gartner, penetration testing is now foundational in a security program and mandated by various compliance standards.Modern providers offer Penetration Testing as a Service PTaaS platforms for continuous, on demand testing with real time results.

In this guide, we’ll explore what penetration testing companies do, why vendor selection matters in 2025, and how to evaluate providers against key criteria to find your perfect fit.

What is a Penetration Testing Vendor?

A penetration testing vendor or service provider is a company that specializes in probing your IT systems for security weaknesses using ethical hacking techniques. These vendors employ skilled security professionals ethical hackers to simulate real attacks on your applications, networks, cloud infrastructure, and more. The goal is to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors do, helping you strengthen defenses.

Penetration testing vendors may offer a range of penetration testing services for example, web application penetration testing services to find flaws in web apps, mobile app penetration testing solution for mobile apps, as well as network, cloud, and social engineering tests.

Many modern providers deliver these via a PTaaS Penetration Testing as a Service model, combining a cloud platform for scheduling, real time results, and integrations with human led manual testing. Traditional consulting firms e.g.

NCC Group might perform on site or project based pentests, while newer PTaaS vendors e.g. DeepStrike, Cobalt offer continuous testing through an online dashboard.

Importantly, a penetration testing vendor is different from an automated vulnerability scanner or tool. While automated tools can find common issues, a vendor provides experienced human testers who can discover complex attack chains and business logic flaws that tools miss.

They should follow established security testing frameworks like NIST SP 800 115 and OWASP’s Web Security Testing Guide to ensure comprehensive coverage.

For example, OWASP’s WSTG is a framework of best practices used by penetration testers and organizations all over the world. In short, these vendors bring the expertise, methodology, and an outsider attacker mindset to rigorously evaluate your security.

Why Choosing the Right Penetration Testing Company Matters in 2025

Selecting the right pentesting company is more crucial than ever in 2025. Cyber threats are evolving rapidly from cloud breaches to AI driven attacks and businesses face stricter compliance requirements. Here’s why your choice of vendor truly matters:

Evolving Threats & Techniques:

• Attackers now use AI for more sophisticated exploits, meaning your pentesters must stay ahead.
• The best vendors devote R&D time to learn emerging TTPs Tactics, Techniques, Procedures and incorporate threat intelligence like MITRE ATT&CK into tests.
• A mediocre vendor using outdated methods might miss new attack vectors, leaving you exposed.

Quality of Findings:

• A penetration test is only as good as the findings and guidance you receive. Inexperienced or underqualified testers might overlook critical vulnerabilities or fail to demonstrate impact.
• Top vendors use certified, experienced personnel who can uncover chained exploits and provide realistic attack simulations.
• This real world rigor is the gold standard for uncovering hidden vulnerabilities, identifying chained attacks, and validating security controls.
• Choosing a reputable vendor ensures you get a true picture of your security gaps.

Compliance and Client Demands:

• Many regulations and industry standards now require regular penetration testing e.g. PCI DSS requires annual tests and after major changes, SOC 2 and HIPAA expect periodic testing.
• If you’re pursuing certifications or serving enterprise clients, you need a vendor who can deliver reports mapped to compliance controls and even provide attestation letters. The right vendor helps you tick those boxes seamlessly.
• For example, a top vendor will produce audit friendly reports and mappings PCI DSS, ISO 27001, GDPR, etc. to satisfy assessors.

Business Impact & Trust:

• A penetration test often involves granting the vendor access to sensitive systems. Trust is paramount.
• Established vendors follow strict ethics and safety e.g. not disrupting production beyond agreed scope. They carry liability insurance and follow legal norms.
• A wrong choice like an unproven or unvetted provider could risk data or cause downtime.
• On the flip side, a reliable vendor becomes a long term security partner, advising on improvements over time.

Value for Money:

• Budgets are tight, and pentest costs vary widely. The right vendor will maximize value providing thorough testing and retesting support so you’re not paying extra for re-checks. They’ll also help you prioritize fixes with clear, risk ranked reporting.
• A cheap provider might deliver a superficial scan like test false economy, whereas a premium consulting firm might be excellent but overpriced for your needs.
• Finding a vendor with the right balance of cost and quality is key. Later in this article, we discuss penetration testing cost ranges and why value not just price matters.

In summary, the right penetration testing company in 2025 should be technically adept, trustworthy, and aligned with your compliance and business objectives. It’s a decision that can profoundly affect your organization’s security posture and peace of mind.

Key Criteria to Evaluate a Penetration Testing Vendor

When vetting potential penetration testing partners, evaluate them on a mix of technical and business criteria. Below are the key factors and questions to consider:

Methodology & Frameworks

• Look at how the vendor conducts tests. Do they follow industry standard methodologies e.g. PTES, NIST 800 115, OWASP WSTG? A solid vendor should outline a clear process: planning, reconnaissance, vulnerability analysis, exploitation, and reporting.
• Prefer vendors that perform manual testing for exploit validation, not just automated scanning.
• For example, DeepStrike uses a six phase approach planning, recon, scanning, exploit, reporting, post test support with 100% manual exploitation and CVSS based scoring. This ensures deeper coverage than an automated scan.
• Check if the provider maps tests to frameworks like OWASP Top 10 for web/mobile and uses risk scoring standards like CVSS.
• Adherence to frameworks means more consistent and comprehensive testing.

Certifications & Tester Expertise

• Examine the qualifications of the testing team. Reputable vendors have certified professionals look for credentials like OSCP, OSWE, GXPN, CISSP, CEH, or vendor specific accreditations e.g. CREST, CESG CHECK for UK, or FedRAMP assessment experience for government.
• Certifications indicate a baseline of knowledge and skill. Top firms will proudly share their team’s certs or be listed as CREST approved companies.
• For instance, Rapid7’s team includes many OSCP/GIAC certified consultants, and NCC Group is CREST accredited and has 30+ years of testing experience.
• Beyond paper qualifications, consider experience breadth, have they tested organizations similar to yours? Do they contribute to the security community research, CVEs, open source tools? A vendor with experienced, vetted testers can better find nuanced issues.
• Don’t hesitate to ask if tests are done by full time staff or contractors/crowd consistency and trustworthiness of who’s hacking you is vital.

Pricing Transparency & Models

• Understand the vendor’s pricing model upfront. Is it a fixed price per engagement, time and materials, or a subscription? Lack of transparency here can lead to budget surprises.
• Many consulting vendors do custom quotes for each project, often $10K-$50K for a typical test. PTaaS providers may offer subscription packages e.g. Synack requires an annual platform fee plus credits around $60K/year for a standard plan.
• DeepStrike stands out with transparent package pricing: even one off tests start around $5K noted as budget friendly by clients.
• Also check what’s included. Are there extra fees for retesting, or is it included? Does a subscription cover multiple tests or continuous scanning? The best vendors will be upfront about pricing and offer flexible models one time pentests vs ongoing testing programs to fit your needs.
• Avoid providers who are vague on cost until after scoping you want clarity and no hidden charges.

Compliance & Audit Readiness

• If you have compliance requirements PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc., your pentest vendor should help meet them. This means delivering reports mapped to relevant controls and providing documentation for auditors.
• Ask if the vendor offers compliance oriented testing or customized reporting. For example, DeepStrike provides out of the box report templates for SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, HIPAA and will even supply attestation letters or redacted reports for auditors at no extra cost. 
• Rapid7 similarly can produce PCI attestation letters and notes, it maintains ISO 27001/SOC 2 for its own services. Check if the vendor is familiar with your industry’s regulations for instance, FedRAMP for gov cloud, HITRUST for healthcare.
• A strong compliance focused vendor maps findings to standards e.g. OWASP ASVS or NIST 800 53 and helps ensure your pentest satisfies any audit or client security questionnaire.
• This saves you time translating results into compliance evidence.

Retesting Policies & Remediation Support

• One critical question, Will the vendor validate fixes, and is that included? Vulnerabilities discovered are only truly resolved once you patch and retest them.
• Many top companies include a free retest window e.g. HackerOne Pentest offers retesting within 60 days of the report.
• DeepStrike offers free unlimited retesting for 12 months, meaning they will re-check any fixed issues for up to a year after the test.
• This is extremely valuable: if you remediate findings even months later, you can get confirmation and an updated report showing those issues as resolved which is gold for compliance evidence.
• When comparing vendors, clarify how many rounds of retests are allowed and the timeframe. Also, do they charge for retesting or updates? Prefer vendors that are invested in your remediation success.
• Beyond retesting, look for those who offer remediation support e.g. answering developers’ questions, providing fix recommendations or even a follow up call to discuss solutions.
• Quick turnaround on retests ensures you can close the loop on findings without needing a whole new contract.

Turnaround Time & Availability

• In fast moving development cycles, speed matters. Evaluate how quickly a vendor can start and complete a pentest.
• Big consulting firms might have a lead time of weeks or months to schedule, whereas agile PTaaS vendors can often launch tests within days.
• For instance, DeepStrike can often start a test in under a week, sometimes 48-72 hours for urgent needs, setting up Slack channels for real time communication immediately.
• Cobalt’s premium tier advertises starting a test in 3 business days. Ask each vendor What’s your typical scheduling lead time? How long does testing take, and when will the report be delivered? Also consider their availability for retests or follow ups.
• A good vendor should align with your timelines e.g. testing a staging environment before a big release, or meeting a compliance deadline.
• In 2025, continuous testing is a trend if you need more frequent pentests, favor vendors with on demand capacity crowdsourced platforms like Synack/HackerOne or subscription models so you’re not waiting in a long queue for each engagement.

Reporting Quality

The penetration test report is the deliverable you and your stakeholders will consume, so it must be top notch. Compare sample reports from vendors if possible. You want reports that are detailed, clear, and actionable. Key elements to look for:

• Executive Summary: a non technical overview of risk and business impact for leadership.
• Technical Findings: each vulnerability with a severity rating preferably CVSS score, clear reproduction steps, evidence screenshots, proofs of concept, and remediation guidance that’s specific and practical.
• Prioritization: Are findings ranked by criticality? Do they provide a risk matrix or highlight the most dangerous issues?
• Mapping to standards: e.g. OWASP Top 10 category, CWE, or regulatory controls, which helps contextualize the finding.

DeepStrike’s reports are frequently praised for being comprehensive yet easy to follow, with root cause analysis and CVSS based risk scoring. They also deliver results in real time via a dashboard, so you don’t wait until the final PDF to start fixing.

Rapid7 similarly provides interactive findings through its Insight platform, plus remediation tracking dashboards. Vendors that combine a live platform with a polished final report offer the best of both: instant visibility and a formal report for records.

Be wary of reports that are just raw scanner outputs or lack detail a good report should educate and enable your team to patch effectively.

Customer Feedback & Case Studies

• What do other customers say about this vendor? Look for reviews, testimonials, or case studies that speak to the vendor’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Websites like Gartner Peer Insights, G2, or TrustRadius might have insights for larger providers. Niche vendors might have Clutch.co reviews or published case studies.
• Pay attention to feedback on communication, flexibility, and post test support as much as technical competence.
• For instance, DeepStrike’s clients often mention the team’s responsiveness and willingness to go above and beyond there are Clutch reviews citing their dedication and expertise are second to none.
• If possible, ask the vendor for references a credible company should have happy customers you can talk to.
• You want a provider that is known for partnership working with your team to improve security, not just delivering a report and disappearing.
• Consistent positive feedback about things like being easy to work with, meeting deadlines, and providing ongoing help is a strong green flag.

Platform Usability & Communication

• In 2025, many top penetration testing firms offer platforms or portals for clients. Evaluate how user friendly and useful these tools are.
• A good pentest platform provides real time updates on findings, a dashboard of your assets and tests, and integration capabilities like pushing tickets to Jira or messaging via Slack/Teams.
• DeepStrike, for example, integrates with Slack and Jira, enabling seamless communication. Your developers can ask testers questions mid test and get quick answers, often even after hours.
• This kind of collaborative workflow can significantly speed up remediation. Check if the vendor’s platform allows you to track remediation status, download reports on demand, and view metrics across tests.
• Also assess the communication channels, Will you have a dedicated point of contact or project manager? Do they offer status meetings or debrief calls? During the test, can you reach the testers for urgent info e.g. if something breaks? Favor vendors that are transparent and communicative throughout the engagement.
• Effective communication and an intuitive platform turn a pentest from a one off audit into an ongoing improvement process.

Comparison Table: DeepStrike vs Rapid7, Synack, HackerOne, NCC Group, Cobalt

To illustrate how vendors differ, below is a high level comparison of DeepStrike versus five top penetration testing providers across critical attributes:

DeepStrike Why It’s the Top Choice in 2025

With many options on the table, DeepStrike emerges as a top choice for penetration testing in 2025. Here’s why this vendor stands out:

• Unlimited Retesting & Full Year Support:
  • DeepStrike uniquely offers free unlimited retesting for 12 months after a test. This means if you fix a vulnerability anytime in the next year, the DeepStrike team will validate the fix and update your report at no extra charge.
  • Clients benefit immensely, you can confidently patch on your schedule and still get an official clean bill of health for compliance audits.
  • Most competitors only allow one retest or charge for additional validation, making DeepStrike’s policy a major value add.
• Transparent, Affordable Pricing:
  • Unlike firms that hide prices, DeepStrike publishes transparent package pricing. Engagements start around $5K, making professional pentesting accessible to startups and mid market companies.
  • Clients have noted the pricing model is fully transparent, simple, and affordable,suitable for various project sizes.
  • There are clear tiers e.g. basic one off test vs premium continuous plan, so you know exactly what you get with no surprise fees.
  • Importantly, the annual plans bundle in benefits like unlimited retests and continuous support, often at a lower total cost than piecemeal tests from others.
• Fast Onboarding & Turnaround:
  • DeepStrike understands the need for agility. They can often kick off tests within days of your request, crucial when you’re on a tight timeline or responding to an emergent threat.
  • They even offer rapid scheduling for repeat customers or urgent cases, sometimes launching a test in as little as 24-72 hours.
  • This responsiveness, combined with efficient testing, means you get results faster.
  • One client remarked that DeepStrike helped them when they were in a rush, delivering promptly without sacrificing thoroughness.
• Dedicated Human Led Testing No Crowdsourcing:
  • With DeepStrike, your tests are performed by their in-house team of seasoned pentesters, not random crowd contractors. This leads to consistency and quality.
  • Every assessment is 100% manual, mimicking real world attacker behavior rather than relying on automated tools.
  • DeepStrike’s team holds globally recognized certifications and has earned accolades Hall of Fame entries at Fortune 500 companies.
  • You get a dedicated, vetted team that understands your environment over time, versus the variability that can come with crowdsourced platforms.
• Comprehensive Coverage:
  • DeepStrike is a one stop shop for all your pentesting needs. They cover web apps, mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, internal and external networks, APIs, and even social engineering and red team engagements.
  • This breadth means they can tailor an engagement or program to your full technology stack, you won’t need separate vendors for, say, cloud vs application pentests.
  • Each test is tailored to your goals and threat profile, ensuring depth as well as breadth.
  • Clients have noted that DeepStrike discovered vulnerabilities we never expected even after using other vendors, showing their thoroughness in diverse areas.
• Integration and Collaboration:
  • DeepStrike shines in how it integrates with your workflow. Their PTaaS platform includes a real time dashboard and integrates with tools like Slack and Jira.
  • In practice, they set up dedicated Slack channels where your team can chat directly with the pentesters during the engagement.
  • If a developer has a question about a finding at 10 PM, they can often get a near immediate response from DeepStrike’s team.
  • This level of collaboration speeds up understanding and remediation. Additionally, the platform pushes findings into your issue tracker Jira, etc.
  • so you can manage fixes seamlessly without manual copying from PDF reports.
• Reporting Quality and Customization:
  • DeepStrike’s reports are detailed yet user friendly. Every finding includes impact analysis and custom remediation steps, not just generic advice.
  • They also provide customizable reports that need a redacted version for a customer or an attestation letter for auditors? They will provide it for free.
  • The combination of real time updates plus a polished final report gives both engineers and executives what they need.
  • And since DeepStrike will update the report as you fix issues thanks to unlimited retesting, you can obtain an updated security letter anytime, which is invaluable for compliance and sales purposes.
• Client Satisfaction and Trust:
  • Finally, DeepStrike boasts excellent client feedback. They are known for going above and beyond.Long term customers some 5+ years stick with DeepStrike because of consistent results and top notch service.
  • Testimonials frequently mention the professionalism, knowledge, and attention to detail of the team.
  • Switching to DeepStrike from big name competitors has proven to be the best decision we ever made for some clients.
  • This level of trust and track record is a strong indicator that DeepStrike delivers on its promises.

In summary, DeepStrike leads by combining expert human testing with a modern PTaaS delivery, all at a fair price point. Unlimited retesting, rapid engagement, and a focus on customer success differentiate it sharply in the 2025 market. For organizations that want both technical excellence and a supportive partner, DeepStrike is hard to beat.

How to Vet a Penetration Testing Vendor

Not sure where to start evaluating a vendor? Use this simple checklist to vet penetration testing companies and avoid costly mistakes:

• Define Your Needs First:
  • Outline the scope and goals of the test web app, network, compliance requirements, etc.. This helps you ask the right questions.
  • It’s wise to prepare a structured RFP see our penetration testing RFP writing guide so you can compare vendors on equal footing.
• Examine Credentials:
  • Verify the vendor’s team certifications and experience. Ask: How many years of experience do your testers have? What certs do they hold OSCP, CREST, etc.?
  • A quality vendor will happily share résumés or profiles. Red flag if they dodge this question or have no verifiable qualifications.
• Request a Sample Report:
  • Always ask for a redacted sample report. Review it for depth and clarity. Does it include an executive summary and detailed technical findings with remediation steps?
  • A penetration testing sample report from a good vendor should show clear, risk prioritized findings.
  • If the sample report is basically an automated scan printout, reconsider that vendor.
• Ask About Methodology:
  • Inquire what frameworks or standards they follow. Do they perform manual testing and exploit verification? How do they ensure coverage for example, do they use the OWASP Web Security Testing Guide for web apps? A detailed answer here signals expertise.
  • Vague or buzzword filled answers e.g. we use proprietary methods could be a red flag.
• Ensure Communication Channels:
  • Clarify how you’ll communicate during the test. Will there be a kickoff call and regular updates? Do they offer a platform or Slack/Teams channel for real time Q&A? Strong communication is vital.
  • You want a vendor who is responsive and treats your team as a partner. If they only plan to drop a report at the end with no interaction, that’s not ideal.
• Check Retesting and Support:
  • Ask, Do you include retesting? If so, how many rounds and in what timeframe?Also, Will you help explain findings to developers or validate fixes?The best vendors include at least one retest and are willing to help your team close the gaps.
  • Be wary of any provider that considers the job done when the report is delivered remediation support is part of a thorough service.
• Evaluate Security and Trust:
  • You’re trusting this vendor with potentially sensitive access. Ask about their own security practices.
  • Do you have liability insurance? How do you protect client data and reports? Have you had a security incident yourself?Reputable vendors will have good answers e.g. using encrypted report delivery, multi factor auth on portals, etc..
  • Also consider NDAs and contracts a standard Master Service Agreement should be in place to protect data confidentiality and define scope often called Rules of Engagement.
• Look for Red Flags:
  • Finally, trust your instincts. Be cautious if a vendor promises unrealistically low prices or extremely short testing times you get what you pay for.
  • Is unwilling to provide customer references or any documentation of their work.
  • Lacks clarity in scope definition or tries to upsell excessively.
  • Has poor communication during the scoping phase likely worse later on.

By using this checklist and asking the right questions, you’ll quickly differentiate true professionals from the pretenders. The goal is to find a vendor who gives you confidence that your security is in expert hands.

Penetration Testing Costs in 2025

How much will a penetration test cost in 2025? The answer, of course, is it depends mainly on scope, depth, and vendor model but we can outline some average ranges and factors.

• Average Cost Ranges:
  • For a one time consulting engagement, a typical medium scope pentest, say, a web application or a small corporate network might cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000.
  • This would be with reputable firms and include a detailed assessment over 2 4 weeks. Complex projects, large networks, multiple apps, or red team exercises can run $50,000 and up.
  • At the high end, specialized firms like NCC Group or IBM X Force Red might charge six figures for extensive multi month engagements or full red teams.
• PTaaS Subscription Costs:
  • Many companies in 2025 opt for Penetration Testing as a Service PTaaS models instead of one off projects. PTaaS often works on annual subscriptions, which can range widely.
  • For example, Synack’s standard subscription was around $60K/year for 400 testing credits sufficient for a few medium tests or continuous coverage of some assets.
  • Cobalt’s subscriptions start at about $2,500 per month approximately $30K/year for basic tiers, with higher tiers costing more for faster start times and longer retest windows.
  • DeepStrike offers both one off pricing starting $5K and premium annual plans the premium plan is often chosen by companies needing ongoing testing and typically costs less in total per year than doing equivalent separate tests elsewhere, especially given the included retests.
• What You’re Paying For:
  • The cost usually reflects the labor, how many tester hours and the complexity.
  • A purely external automated scan labeled as a pentest might be only a few thousand dollars, but it’s not comparable to a thorough manual test by skilled researchers.
  • Location can also matter, top US or UK firms may charge more than offshore providers due to higher labor costs.
  • However, beware of going too cheap offers of pentests for $1K or $2K likely indicate a very shallow test or someone using free tools without deep analysis. You’re investing in the expertise.
• Pricing Models:
  • Vendors structure pricing in various ways, Fixed Fee per Test: Common with consulting firms they scope your needs and give a flat quote.
  • Day Rate or Hourly: Some assess costs by estimated effort e.g. $1,200 per day per tester. Ensure you have a cap or clear estimate if going this route.
  • Subscription / Unlimited Testing: A few providers offer an all you can test annual fee, which can be cost effective if you do many tests but read the fine print on limits.
  • Credit Based: PTaaS platforms Synack, Cobalt often use credits where one credit equals a fixed amount of testing. This can be flexible but make sure you understand how many credits typical tests consume.
  • Retesting and Extras: Clarify if things like retests, scan licenses, or travel for on site are extra. DeepStrike’s model, for instance, bundles retests into the price, whereas some competitors might charge 10-20% of the project fee for a retest.
• Value of Continuous Programs:
  • Doing one pentest a year is like a snapshot in time. Many organizations are moving to continuous testing in 2025 smaller tests throughout the year or a subscription that covers multiple apps/cycles.
  • While a continuous program might mean a higher annual spend perhaps $50K-$100K/year, it often provides more coverage and faster feedback for developers. It can be cheaper per test when averaged out.
  • DeepStrike’s Penetration Testing as a Service PTaaS offering, for example, provides a live dashboard, unlimited retesting, and on demand expert support as part of the package, which adds value beyond the test itself.

In summary, expect to invest a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per test depending on scope and vendor caliber. The key is not just to look at the price tag, but what you get for it, the thoroughness of the test, the quality of the report, and the support in fixing issues.

A slightly more expensive vendor that finds critical issues and helps you fix them is worth far more than a cheap one that misses the real problems.

Choosing the right penetration testing vendor is an investment in the security and resilience of your organization. The best vendor will act as a trusted partner delivering not only technical expertise to find vulnerabilities, but also guidance and support to fix them and improve your overall security posture.

In this article, we covered how to evaluate providers on methodology, experience, reporting quality, pricing, and more. We also compared leading players and highlighted why DeepStrike excels in today’s pentesting landscape with its blend of human centric testing and modern platform features.

In summary, as you seek your next penetration testing provider, remember to look for experience, depth, and a commitment to your success, not just a low bid. The right choice will save you time, money, and potentially prevent a costly breach.

Ready to fortify your defenses with a world class pentest? DeepStrike’s penetration testing services offer the quality, value, and speed that modern organizations need.

Contact us today to discuss your needs, schedule a test, or request a personalized proposal. Let our experts hack you before real attackers do, so you can stay one step ahead in the cybersecurity game.

About the Author

Mohammed Khalil is a Cybersecurity Architect at DeepStrike with over a decade of experience in offensive security and penetration testing. He has led security assessments for global enterprises across finance, healthcare, and technology sectors. Mohammed specializes in red team engagements and cloud security, and holds multiple certifications including OSCP and CISSP. At DeepStrike, he helps organizations improve their security posture by combining technical excellence with a business risk perspective. When he’s not simulating cyberattacks, Mohammed contributes to open source security projects and often writes about the latest trends in pentesting and DevSecOps.

FAQs

What factors should I consider when choosing a penetration testing vendor?

• Key factors include the vendor’s experience and certifications ensure qualified, certified testers, their methodology manual testing vs just automated scans, frameworks followed, the scope of services they offer, and the quality of their reporting.
• Also look at pricing transparency, including support e.g. free retests, and whether they understand your compliance requirements.
• Essentially, you want a provider with a strong track record that fits your technical needs and budget.
• Our checklist above and the penetration testing services page provide more details on what to evaluate.

How often should we conduct penetration testing?

• It’s recommended to do penetration testing at least annually and whenever significant changes occur.
• Many standards like PCI DSS require annual tests, and some industries or risk profiles benefit from tests every 6 months.
• In 2025, with continuous delivery and evolving threats, some organizations even adopt quarterly or ongoing pentesting via PTaaS to frequently assess new features.
• The cadence should reflect your environment if you deploy new code weekly or handle sensitive data, more frequent testing is wise.
• Regular testing ensures you catch vulnerabilities in time and maintain a strong security posture throughout the year.

How much does a penetration test cost in 2025?

• The cost can range widely. A one time professional pentest by a reputable vendor might cost $10K-$30K for a medium sized scope, but complex multi system tests can go higher $50K+.
• Some smaller assessments or automated tests could be under $10K but may not be as thorough.
• Many companies opt for penetration testing as a service PTaaS subscriptions, which might run $30K-$100K per year for multiple tests and continuous support.
• The exact price depends on scope, depth, and vendor see the penetration testing cost guide for detailed breakdowns.
• Always weigh cost against the value and risk: a more expensive test that finds major vulnerabilities is worth it compared to a cheap test that misses them.

What certifications should a penetration tester or firm have?

• Look for well known technical certifications such as OSCP Offensive Security Certified Professional, OSWE Web Expert, GPEN/GXPN GIAC Pentest certs, CEH Certified Ethical Hacker, or CREST certifications for companies, especially in UK/Europe.
• These indicate a baseline of hacking skills and knowledge. Many top firms are CREST approved or have multiple OSCPs on staff.
• Also, certifications like CISSP or CISM show security management knowledge useful for lead consultants. While certs aren’t everything, they’re a good assurance of expertise.
• Always consider experience too e.g. a tester with 5+ years of solid pentesting and great client feedback, with or without OSCP, is highly valuable.
• Ideally your vendor has a team with a mix of certs and real world experience in your industry.

What is Penetration Testing as a Service PTaaS?

• Penetration Testing as a Service PTaaS is a delivery model where traditional pentesting is augmented by a cloud based platform for easier scheduling, collaboration, and continuous testing.
• Instead of a one off test that ends with a PDF report, PTaaS platforms like those from DeepStrike, Synack, Cobalt provide a dashboard where you can see findings in real time, communicate with testers, and even trigger new tests on demand.
• According to Gartner, PTaaS enables faster, more agile testing by blending automation with human expertise and integrating into DevSecOps pipelines.
• Essentially, PTaaS turns pentesting into an ongoing service, you might pay a subscription and get multiple test events per year, retesting, and continuous support through the platform.
• It’s a popular approach in 2025 because it keeps pace with rapid development cycles and provides more immediate results than the traditional consulting model.

What’s the difference between a vulnerability assessment and a penetration test?

• A vulnerability assessment is an automated scan or checklist based evaluation to find known vulnerabilities, missing patches, misconfigurations, etc., usually producing a list of potential issues.
• A penetration test, on the other hand, goes further skilled experts actively attempt to exploit vulnerabilities to prove impact.
• Penetration testing is more adversarial and manual, demonstrating what a real attacker could do if they chained multiple bugs or found a severe flaw.
• Think of vulnerability scanning as finding the doors and windows left open, while penetration testing is actually trying to break in through those openings.
• Consequently, pentest reports typically have fewer findings than a raw scanner because they focus on impactful exploits, but with much more detail on each, including how it was exploited and what could be achieved.
• Both are important, but a penetration test provides a deeper, more realistic security evaluation.
• See vulnerability assessment vs penetration testing for a full comparison.

Do we need both internal and external penetration tests?

• Ideally, yes both external and internal tests serve different purposes. An external penetration test examines your outward facing systems websites, APIs, external network perimeter from an attacker’s perspective on the internet.
• This finds issues a hacker could exploit without any prior access. An internal penetration test simulates an insider threat or an attacker who already breached the perimeter e.g. via phishing malware to see what damage they could do inside your network pivoting through internal servers, Active Directory, etc..
• Internal tests often reveal misconfigurations or weak segmentation that wouldn’t be visible externally.
• Many breaches in 2025 involve attackers getting a foothold then moving laterally, which internal tests can help protect against. Depending on your environment, you might also consider cloud specific pentests or a red team exercise for a holistic view.
• A good vendor will discuss the difference between internal and external penetration tests and recommend a scope that fits your risk profile.
• For instance, a company might do an external test annually and an internal test every other year, or both annually if resources permit.