Penetration Testing Companies in Romania 2025 (Reviewed)

• Market growth: Romania’s cybersecurity market is set to rise from $194M 2025 to $326M by 2030, fueled by NIS2, GDPR, and escalating ransomware activity.
• Why it matters: Penetration testing authorized ethical hacking to find real vulnerabilities is now a core compliance and risk management requirement.
• DeepStrike leads Romania:
  • Bucharest-based operations offering manual-first PTaaS with rapid onboarding and 12-month unlimited retests.
  • Audit-ready reports supporting ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR.
• Key competitors:
  • Safetech Innovations listed cybersecurity pioneer with enterprise clientele.
  • Omnient agile full-stack security consultancy.
  • Cyber Threat Defense Cluj strong technical red-team focus.
  • Bit Sentinel, Black Bullet, CyBourn, Cyber Smart Defence established Romanian pentest providers.
• Service coverage: Web, mobile, cloud, IoT, and network pentests; red teaming and social engineering campaigns.
• Certifications & standards: OSCP, OSCE, CREST; methodologies based on OWASP and NIST SP 800-115.
• Pricing: From a few thousand to tens of thousands of USD, depending on scope and environment complexity.
• Key takeaway: Romania’s pentesting sector combines EU-grade compliance, high technical expertise, and competitive pricing with DeepStrike leading in transparency, speed, and continuous PTaaS delivery.

Why Penetration Testing Matters Now

Romania’s digital economy is expanding fast internet penetration is high and EU cyber rules NIS2, GDPR are biting. As a result, companies must test their defenses proactively. Penetration testing pen testing simulates real cyber attacks under controlled conditions to expose exploitable flaws.

In NIST’s terms, a pen test mimics real world attacks using real tools and techniques to find ways around security features. In practice, pentesters scour networks, applications, and devices for critical issues e.g. OWASP Top 10 web flaws before criminals do.

Insider threats and ransomware are surging: IBM reports 83% of organizations saw an insider attack in 2024, and a global ransomware wave has hit Romanian hospitals and utilities recently. Meanwhile, Romania’s new NIS2 regulations targeted at energy, finance, healthcare, etc. will require periodic pentests and risk assessments.

According to Mordor Intelligence, NIS2 implementation is a key driver +2.3% CAGR impact of Romania’s cybersecurity market. In short, whether for compliance NIS2, ISO 27001, GDPR or simply to find hidden holes in your security, pentesting is a must have in 2025.

What Is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing or pen testing is a structured security audit by ethical hackers. It goes beyond scanning tools. As NIST explains, pen tests involve evaluators mimicing real world attacks on systems, networks or apps to see if they can break in. The goal is to uncover vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, code flaws, missing patches, etc. and exploit them to prove real risk. Typical pentest scopes include:

• External Network Testing: Simulating attacks from outside internet facing servers, firewalls, cloud instances.
• Internal Network Testing: Simulating an insider or compromised device to see how far an attacker can move laterally.
• Web/Mobile App Testing: In depth checks of applications for injection flaws, broken auth, cryptography issues often following OWASP Top 10 standards.
• API and Cloud Testing: Auditing cloud configurations AWS, Azure, GCP and APIs for misconfigurations or vulnerable endpoints.
• IoT/OT Testing: Evaluating devices SCADA, IoT gadgets for weak defaults and insecure interfaces.
• Social Engineering: Phishing or pretexting to test user awareness.
• Red Team Exercises: Extended attack simulations that may include physical and human factors, often multi day.

The outcome is a technical report with prioritized findings, proof of concept exploits, and remediation guidance. These reports help businesses fix issues before real attackers exploit them. For example, a vulnerability scan might flag an open port, but a pentester can chain that to full system takeover, a key difference from a simple vulnerability assessment.

Pen testing differs from a basic security audit: it’s manual, adversarial, and goal oriented. It shows how an attacker could actually penetrate, not just where known flaws exist. As one penetration tester notes, this attacker’s eye view enhances resilience and safeguards critical assets.

Romania’s Cybersecurity Context 2025

Romania’s cybersecurity market is on a growth trajectory. Analysts forecast it will grow from $194M in 2025 to $326M by 2030 10.9% CAGR. Key drivers include: accelerated cloud adoption, government digitalization grants, and compliance mandates.

The EU’s NIS2 Directive is particularly impactful utilities, banks, healthcare and large tech firms must now register, assess risks, and undergo regular security testing. Major urban centers like Bucharest and Cluj Napoca house Romania’s tech sector, and demand for pentesting services is highest there.

Compliance requirements further spur pentesting. Many frameworks ISO 27001, PCI DSS 11.3, HIPAA, SOC2, etc. explicitly require periodic pentests or equivalent threat assessments. For example, under ISO 27001 a company must test technical controls; penetration testing is a proven way to do that. Likewise, banks often demand pentest reports to satisfy regulators. Even cyber insurance policies now often require a fresh pentest as proof of due diligence.

In short, Romanian organizations face tougher cyber norms than ever. Regular penetration testing complemented by vulnerability scans helps ensure you meet GDPR/NIS2 standards and reinforce your security before regulators and hackers strike.

Leading Penetration Testing Firms in Romania

Romania is home to a vibrant pentesting industry, serving both local businesses and global clients. The companies below are among the most reputable Romanian providers. Each offers a slightly different mix of services, pricing models, and specialties. The table at the end compares them side by side; here we highlight their unique strengths.

DeepStrike Romania’s Bug-Bounty-Born Pentest Leader

DeepStrike Bucharest, Romania is widely recognized as one of the top penetration testing and red-team providers in Eastern Europe. Founded in 2016 by, DeepStrike combines offensive creativity with enterprise-grade methodology.

The company’s mission is to deliver continuous, human-led security validation helping organizations uncover and fix real-world attack paths before adversaries do.

DeepStrike performs manual penetration tests across web, mobile, cloud, API, and network/infrastructure layers, as well as advanced red team exercises and social-engineering simulations.

Their engagements range from black-box to white-box testing, depending on client needs, and are aligned with OWASP, NIST SP 800-115, and CREST standards.

Key Services:

• Web, Mobile & API Pentesting in-depth manual testing for logic, authentication, and injection flaws.
• Cloud & Infrastructure Assessments AWS, Azure, and on-prem networks tested for misconfigurations and privilege-escalation risks.
• IoT & Embedded Device Testing hardware, firmware, and wireless protocol reviews.
• Red Team & Social Engineering full-scope adversarial simulations and phishing campaigns to test resilience.
• Continuous PTaaS subscription model with biannual retests, Jira/Slack integrations, and live dashboards for ongoing validation.

Pricing:

DeepStrike follows a custom, transparent pricing model:

• Basic Fixed-Scope one-off manual pentests for specific assets starting around mid-range market pricing.
• Premium Continuous PTaaS includes retaining teams for ongoing testing, biannual engagements, and free retests until vulnerabilities are fully closed. Every quote is tailored to project complexity, ensuring flexibility for startups and enterprises alike.

Clients:

DeepStrike reports 700 + global clients, from fintechs, SaaS firms, and telecoms to critical-infrastructure and national-security organizations. Enterprises cite DeepStrike’s speed, clarity, and technical depth as reasons for long-term partnerships.

Certifications:

DeepStrike’s pentesters hold elite credentials OSCP, OSCE, OSWE, OSEP, and CREST Registered Tester while the company operates under ISO 27001-compliant processes. These certifications support high standards in methodology, data protection, and reporting.

Why They Lead:

• Bug-Bounty Pedigree: Founded by top global hackers, DeepStrike’s testers think like adversaries, often finding flaws others miss.
• Human-First Approach: 100 % manual exploitation verified by experts no reliance on automated scanners.
• Free Retesting: Unlimited retests until fixes are verified ensuring genuine remediation, not just reporting.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Clients receive instant visibility through dashboards and direct Slack support.
• Customer Satisfaction: Rated 5.0 / 5 on Clutch, with repeat clients citing professionalism, precision, and impact.

DeepStrike exemplifies Romania’s rise as a regional cybersecurity powerhouse merging bug-bounty ingenuity with enterprise-grade discipline. With certified experts, transparent processes, and continuous engagement models, DeepStrike leads by delivering realistic, repeatable, and results-driven pentesting trusted by hundreds of global organizations.

Safetech Innovations Enterprise Grade Security Powerhouse

Safetech Innovations Bucharest is one of Romania’s largest cybersecurity firms publicly traded on BSE:SAFE. It offers a full spectrum security portfolio: not just pentesting web, mobile, network, IoT/ICS, but also a 24/7 SOC/MDR, incident response, digital forensics, training and compliance consulting.

• Services: CREST accredited penetration tests external & internal, along with managed detection, threat intelligence, IR, and security training.
• Pricing: Enterprise level. Safetech tends to win large contracts no standard pricing. They do one off pentests and also long term managed security engagements SOC subscriptions, retainer services.
• Clients: Over 100 major clients, including Romanian banking giants BRD SocGen, BCR, utilities, insurance firms and industrial conglomerates. Their public reports note 600+ security projects and 100+ critical infrastructure audits to date.
• Certifications: CREST certified pentesters, ISO 27001/9001 accredited, and their in-house CERT team is trusted introducer certified. The 70+ experts include CISSP, CEH, SANS creds and academic instructors.
• Strengths: Scale and maturity. Safetech’s big in-house R&D and SOC 70 specialists allow them to handle complex, regulated environments. Their SLAs are insurance backed, making them ideal for risk averse clients. In short, Safetech is battle tested in banking, healthcare, and government, offering turnkey solutions that blend automated tools with human analysts.

Omnient Veteran Trainers and Methodical Experts

Omnient Bucharest is a boutique firm founded in 2006 by leading security trainers. Their consultants are as likely to be offensive security instructors as corporate pentesters. They handle network, web, mobile, IoT/SCADA, cloud and wireless pentests, along with red team simulations and threat intelligence.

• Services: Broad pentesting covering apps, networks, OT/SCADA, cloud, IoT; plus secure code review and training programs they teach EC Council/Udemy courses.
• Pricing: Typically fixed fee quotes mid market budgets. Industry reports indicate $10K- $25K for a full pentest. They emphasize transparency in proposals.
• Clients: 500+ clients across 40 countries Fortune 500 multinationals as well as SMEs. Industries span finance, manufacturing, healthcare and government.
• Certifications: Omnient’s team holds a huge range: OSCP, OSCE, OSWE, OSWP, CREST CRT/CPSA, CEH, ECSA, and even Google Cloud security certs. They themselves are ISO 27001 certified.
• Strengths: Deep expertise and clarity. Their staff have decades of teaching experience offensive security instructors, so they blend cutting edge techniques with easy to understand reporting. If you need thorough methodology black/gray/white box options and educational guidance, Omnient stands out.

Cyber Threat Defense CTD Agile Pentesting from Cluj Napoca

Cyber Threat Defense Cluj Napoca is a CREST accredited pentest firm known for fast, deadline driven work. CTD markets itself on Secure Faster: they break engagements into scoping, testing, and remediation phases to deliver rapid results. Their services cover web, mobile, IoT, cloud, internal/external networks and APIs, plus red teaming and social engineering.

• Services: Time boxed penetration tests internal and external, application and API audits, plus threat intelligence and forensics. They emphasize essential coverage on tight deadlines.
• Pricing: Fixed quotes often based on fixed time boxes. They tailor each test’s scope and timeline to the client’s needs.
• Clients: Mainly tech focused businesses in Romania and abroad UK, US, EMEA. Local references include Blitz.ro and Hosterion Romanian software/hosting companies. CTD also serves European enterprises, especially in fintech and hosting.
• Certifications: CREST Accredited Pentest Member. Their engineers hold OSCP, CEH and similar certs.
• Strengths: Efficiency and focus. CTD’s founders are seasoned testers, so they cut to the chase. Their three phase model and outside the box approach uncover major risks quickly. As a Cluj based boutique, they combine local agility with CREST credibility.

Bit Sentinel Community Driven Innovators

Bit Sentinel Bucharest is an all round security shop deeply embedded in Romania’s cyber community. Along with pentests apps, networks, code reviews and IR, they also run the annual DefCamp conference and build research tools. They even helped Orange Romania create the national BIS Threat Map.

• Services: Penetration testing web, mobile, networks, secure code review, DDoS stress tests, social engineering, and specialized blockchain security audits. They also offer SOC as a Service and consulting.
• Pricing: Project based small to mid budgets. Industry listings suggest budgets from a few thousand up to $25K. They also bundle services e.g. security subscriptions.
• Clients: Diverse fintech, healthcare, retail, crypto, critical infrastructure, startups. Notable partners include Orange Romania e.g. BIS Threat Map and Ro Hacked community initiatives. They have advised telecom, e-commerce and government sectors.
• Certifications: Team members hold OSCP, OSCE, GIAC GPEN, CREST CRT, CEH, etc. Bit Sentinel is ISO 27001 certified and understands PCI/GDPR compliance.
• Strengths: Community and innovation. Bit Sentinel co-organizes DefCamp, one of CEE’s largest hacker conferences and runs capture the flag events. This R&D focus keeps their pentesting cutting edge. They’re known for flexibility e.g. developing the BIS Threat Map with Orange and supporting Romanian Red Team competitions. In short, Bit Sentinel offers a blend of hands-on service and thought leadership.

Black Bullet SecDevOps and Custom Solutions

Black Bullet Bucharest is a boutique consultancy team <50 that bridges security and development. They not only do standard pentesting network, web, mobile and phishing tests, but also secure software development and integration. In fact, Black Bullet prides itself on a security by design approach: they’ll build web/mobile apps with security built in if needed.

• Services: Vulnerability assessments and pentests internal/external networks, web/mobile apps, IoT, social engineering, incident response, threat intelligence, plus custom secure dev. They even offer PKI consulting and malware analysis.
• Pricing: Mid market. Public profiles list project budgets $10K- $25K and $99/hr. They focus on bespoke engagements rather than cheap packages.
• Clients: Mostly Romanian SMEs and some enterprises finance, retail, manufacturing, tech. Exact names are not advertised, but they have various industries from their portfolio including banks and logistics.
• Certifications: Not widely publicized, but staff are senior engineers, likely CISSP, CEH, etc.. They follow industry standards and claim expert level teams.
• Strengths: Custom craftsmanship. Black Bullet merges development and security: if you need a secure app built from scratch, they’ll eat their own dog food by coding with strong defenses. Their collaborative, design thinking culture yields tailored solutions they market it as holistic cybersecurity. They also conduct physical pentests facility break ins, rounding out a broad skillset.

CyBourn Global MSSP with Romanian Roots

CyBourn is the cybersecurity arm of Telstra Australia with a large center in Bucharest. It offers fully integrated managed security 24/7 XDR, threat hunting along with vulnerability assessments and pentesting. Essentially, CyBourn pairs offensive and defensive services: their pentesters coordinate with Blue team analysts under one roof.

• Services: Managed XDR/SOC EtherLast™ platform, incident response, threat hunting, risk/GRC consulting plus pen tests and red/blue team exercises. Their offensive team uses some proprietary tools DreamLab R&D alongside manual hacks.
• Pricing: Enterprise oriented custom engagements. As part of a global MSSP, they offer ongoing subscriptions SOC/XDR in addition to individual pentest projects.
• Clients: Global enterprises finance, government, energy. They leverage Romania’s talent for cost efficiency while serving Telstra’s customers worldwide. Their leadership comes from US/UK, so they speak international business.
• Certifications: ISO 27001 and CREST accredited. Staff hold GIAC, CISM, CISSP, and other high end certs.
• Strengths: Scale and integration. CyBourn brings world class resources: a global SOC network London, DC, Bucharest and continuous monitoring tied to pentests. They also push innovation via platforms EtherLast™ vulnerability scanner while providing consulting. If you want a one stop shop combining proactive pentesting with 24/7 security operations, CyBourn is unique in Romania.

Cyber Smart Defence CSD Stefanini’s Romanian JV

Cyber Smart Defence Bucharest is Stefanini Group’s local cybersecurity unit. Founded independently, CSD was joined by Stefanini in 2020 to offer global reach. CSD provides penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and security audits, often for Romanian enterprises and government.

• Services: Penetration tests web, network, apps, vulnerability assessments, compliance audits, and general IT security consulting driven by Stefanini’s global practices.
• Pricing: Custom; typically hourly or project quotes. They don’t advertise fixed packages.
• Clients: Romanian businesses private and public. Stefanini’s partnership means CSD now also taps into Stefanini’s multinational accounts clients in Europe and beyond.
• Certifications: Not explicitly listed, but the team includes seasoned security professionals likely CISSP/CEH. They follow recognized audit methodologies.

Strengths: Part of a global IT services giant. CSD can scale quickly by tapping Stefanini’s 70+ offices worldwide. Their roots in a web dev background give them a practical engineering perspective. In essence, CSD offers friendly local service backed by Stefanini’s resources ideal for Romanian firms wanting international quality security support.

Comparison of Top Romanian Pentest Firms

How to Choose a Romanian Pentesting Partner

Choosing the right firm depends on your needs and budget. Here are key steps:

1. Define Scope Clearly: Decide what to test web apps, mobile apps, internal network, cloud infrastructure, IoT, social engineering, etc. Set goals e.g. compliance vs overall risk. A precise scope yields accurate quotes and avoids surprises.
2. Check Experience & Certifications: Verify testers’ credentials e.g. OSCP, OSCE, CEH, CREST, CISSP and company accreditations ISO 27001, CREST, PASSI, PCI ASV. Experienced pentesters often have bug bounty or corporate security backgrounds. For example, Romania’s top firms emphasize OSCP/CREST certifications and former red teamers.
3. Ask About Methodology: Good vendors follow standards like OWASP, NIST SP 800 115 or PTES. They should explain their testing process recon, exploitation, reporting, retesting. Ensure they cover black box, gray box or white box as appropriate for your risk appetite. Black box means no prior info; white box means source code access; many tests are gray box partial knowledge.
4. Review Sample Reports: Demand a redacted report example. Look for clear risk ratings, remediation advice, and proof of exploit. Top testers provide developer friendly reports with screenshots, code snippets and prioritized fixes.
5. Compare Models & Tools: Decide between a one off audit or ongoing PTaaS continuous testing. PTaaS penetration testing as a service offers subscription or credit models for regular scans and dev integrations. Check if the provider uses automated scanners for breadth plus manual efforts for depth. Some integrate findings into issue trackers Jira, GitHub for seamless workflow.
6. Evaluate Cost and Coverage: Get multiple quotes. Understand pricing models: per day, fixed fee, or subscription. For reference, small web app tests often run $3K- $10K 3- 10 tester days, while larger projects scale up. Beware of very low bids they may be shallow. Ensure the quote includes retesting support: best firms like DeepStrike offer unlimited retests within the engagement period.
7. Verify Domain Expertise: If you’re in finance, healthcare or another regulated field, choose a firm familiar with those compliance needs. Many Romanian pentesters tailor reports for ISO 27001, PCI DSS, GDPR or NIS2 checklists.
8. Check References and Reviews: Look for client testimonials some companies like CTD list client CEOs. You can also see third party ratings Clutch, DesignRush for example, Black Bullet is noted as a Top Tier provider with 5★ reviews.
9. Plan for Remediation: Good vendors don’t just hand you a report they help remediate. Ask if they provide consulting or retesting. A strong partner will guide your developers through fixes.

By following these steps see also our penetration testing RFP writing guide for more, you’ll pick a provider that fits your threat profile and gives actionable results. Remember: depth and clarity of findings are more valuable than the lowest price.

Strengthen Your Defenses Today

Romanian organizations face a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Cybercriminals are aggressive and regulations are strict. To stay ahead, you need real world testing of your defenses. This year’s top Romanian providers from DeepStrike’s elite hacker collective to Safetech’s SOC backed teams offer the expertise and tools to uncover hidden risks.

Pentesting is not just a checkbox. It’s an investment in resilience. Choose a firm with relevant experience sector and tech, strong credentials OSCP/CREST, ISO 27001, and clear methodology. Consider ongoing testing PTaaS if you deploy code frequently.

Use the comparison table above to weigh services and budgets. And remember, a great pentest firm will work with you to fix the issues, not just report them.

Ready to strengthen your defenses? The threats of 2025 demand more than 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 seasoned 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.

FAQs

• What exactly does a penetration test involve?
  • Penetration testing is a controlled attack simulation. Certified ethical hackers attempt to breach your systems networks, web/mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, etc. under agreed rules of engagement. They use real attacker tools and methods to find weaknesses.
  • The process includes planning scope definition, active exploitation using vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access, and then detailed reporting.
  • The final report not only lists vulnerabilities but often shows proof of concept and prioritized fixes.
  • Think of it as a health check for your digital defenses.

• How much does penetration testing cost in Romania?
  • Costs vary by scope and provider. In general, expect small web app tests 2- 3 days to run on the order of $3K- $10K.
  • Larger or enterprise wide tests can easily exceed $20K. Many firms charge by the day or project, with top pentesters billing $1K- $3K per day.
  • Continuous testing PTaaS subscriptions use flat fees or credits per scan, which can be more budget friendly if you need frequent retests.
  • Always request a detailed quote that spells out deliverables, number of testers, man days, retest rounds, report deliverables.
  • Compare what each vendor includes; a cheaper test might omit things like social engineering or source code review.

• Do Romanian companies need penetration testing for compliance GDPR, NIS2, ISO 27001?
  • Yes, often. While GDPR itself doesn’t explicitly mandate pentesting, it requires appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data.Many organizations satisfy this by doing pentests.
  • More directly, Romania’s NIS2 transposition expected by late 2024 will require critical and important entities energy, transport, finance, healthcare, digital infrastructure to conduct regular cybersecurity audits, which include penetration testing.
  • ISO 27001 certification also entails testing security controls; a pentest is an effective way to do that.
  • In short, if you operate in a regulated sector in Romania, budgeting for annual or biennial pentests is advisable.

• What’s the difference between penetration testing and a vulnerability assessment?
  • A vulnerability assessment uses automated tools to scan for known weaknesses open ports, missing patches, default creds, etc.. It reports potential issues.
  • Penetration testing goes further: a human tester actively exploits those weaknesses and often chains them together to prove how far an attacker could actually get.
  • For example, a scan might flag a SQL injection flaw; a pentester will actually exploit it to dump a database or gain admin access.
  • Essentially, pentesting provides an attacker’s eye view and tests whether mitigations really work.
  • See also our blog on penetration testing vs vulnerability assessment.

• What is black box vs white box testing?
  • These terms describe how much information you share with the tester. In black box testing, the tester knows nothing beforehand simulating an external attack.
  • They discover entry points on their own. In white box testing, the tester has full knowledge source code, network diagrams, credentials and can dive deep into code logic.
  • Gray box is in between some credentials or code. White box can be more thorough in finding hidden flaws, while black box mimics a real outsider.
  • Many engagements are gray box for efficiency. You should choose based on your security goals we also cover this in black vs white box testing.

• What certifications should I look for in a pentesting company? Key certifications indicate expertise.
  • On the technical side, look for OSCP Offensive Security Certified Professional, OSWE/OSCE web exploit certs, GIAC GPEN/GXPN GIAC pentest certs, or CREST CRT/CCT accreditations.
  • These show hands on hacking skill. Also consider security management certs CISSP, CISM for broader assurance.
  • Company level certs are important too: ISO 27001 is a good sign of process maturity, and being a CREST member or PASSI/PCI ASV auditor shows adherence to industry standards.
  • In Romania’s context, many top firms advertise OSCP/CREST credentials heavily.

• How often should organizations perform penetration testing?
  • At minimum, once a year or after major changes, new app, architecture overhaul, merger, etc..
  • However, best practice is more frequent: ideally after any significant release or quarterly scans.
  • Some firms offer continuous pentesting PTaaS for agile DevOps workflows, delivering ongoing checks for example, after each sprint.
  • At a minimum, align with compliance cycles e.g. SOC2 audits often demand an annual pentest.
  • For critical systems, consider twice a year or quarterly. The key is re testing any previously identified high risk findings after they’ve been fixed.

• Can penetration testing help with cyber insurance?
  • Yes. Many cyber insurance policies either require or reward regular pentesting. Insurers see proof of proactive testing as risk mitigation.
  • Some offer premium discounts if you demonstrate a formal pentest program and swift remediation.
  • In some cases, a recent pentest report is mandatory for policy issuance.
  • In Romania, as the insurance market matures, expect pentesting to become a de facto standard for coverage eligibility, especially given the uptick in claims from incidents.

• What about free tools or crowdsourced pentests?
  • While automated tools Nmap, Nessus, Burp Suite, etc. are useful for initial scans, they can’t replace a skilled human.
  • Crowdsourced platforms bug bounty sites can find bugs over time, but they’re less predictable.
  • For a guaranteed, comprehensive audit, hiring a professional firm ensures accountability and structured reporting.
  • Some Romanian companies complement pentests with internal bug bounties, but the core strategy should still be professional audits.