Many business owners are finding that there are a few crucial services necessary to become compliant with cybersecurity standards. You may have found that regular penetration testing is a requirement for several.
You might be tempted to opt for a cheaper penetration test due to the high costs of some penetration tests on the market. However, the waters can get murky when it comes to finding worthwhile services at the right price.
To simplify what makes a good penetration test and what a fair price should look like, here's an overview of what determines pricing for these services.
What Does a Penetration Test Cost?
Penetration test pricing can range quite a bit from a couple thousand dollars to $50,000+. This is a massive price range because not every penetration test is created equal.
Some are simple scans run on your network to uncover any vulnerabilities using a tool owned by a penetration testing service. These are often rudimentary and don't address any proactive steps forward in resolving vulnerabilities.
It's important to know both what your vulnerabilities are and how to fix them. It's not so useful to know your house has foundation issues without the knowledge, expertise, or professional services to fix it. In this way, basic scans will often tell you only a piece of the story -- without offering a roadmap to securing your network.
What Determines Penetration Testing Services Prices?
The true price depends on the size of your business, number of users, and scope of your network security. The larger your business, the more expensive your penetration test. Specific actors that contribute to pricing include:
- The type of penetration test you choose
- The number of users on your network
- Estimated labor hours for the project
- Number of systems, applications or assets at play
- System complexity
- Compliance requirements
Keep in mind, these assessments should be performed once every 1-2 years, depending on various compliance frameworks, so it's an infrequent expense. Cyber attacks, on the other hand, can cause a devastating financial impact on businesses.
In fact, many businesses close their doors after bad cyber breaches due to the extreme financial burden of ransomware attacks. Learn more about the true costs of cyber breaches in our blog: What Does a Cyber Breach Cost to Fix?
What is Network Penetration Testing, and What Are Some Types?
There are a few different types of penetration tests, all with different approaches to testing your network security. In general, a penetration test simulates how a hacker would try to breach your network. This is designed to put your existing protections to the ultimate test.
The basic types of penetration tests include:
Internal/external testing - Utilizing the latest cybercrime tactics and techniques to reveal gaps in your cybersecurity
Purple team - A team effort between your internal IT team/IT provider (blue team) and your penetration testing experts (red team), who pose as cyberattackers trying to breach your defenses. This evaluates your organization's response to breach attempts.
Assumed breach - Simulates the scenario where network credentials have been breached, so penetration testing service providers can test the safeguards you have in place to stop hackers.
Payload & Delivery - This emulates what would happen if someone in your organization accidentally downloaded malware via a phishing or other social engineering attack.
Red Team - The most advanced form of testing methodology, when penetration testers use every tactic possible to breach your network and put your network infrastructure security measures to the test.
Learn more about the types of penetration tests, read our blog: Top 5 Types of Penetration Testing Services
How to Find the Best Penetration Testing Companies
A penetration test is best done by an outside firm, agnostic from your IT provider or internal department. This is so there are fresh eyes on your network security, testing the strength of your current tools to give you an unbiased assessment of any security weaknesses.
If you're on the hunt for top penetration testing companies, there are a few key things to look for in their offerings. Some crucial details to pay attention to include:
- Whether they use the latest penetration testing standards
- If assessments are followed up by a detailed review of findings and consultation
- What types of penetration tests they offer
- The level of depth and detail in their testing process
To get started on your journey to compliance and enhanced security, click the button below to speak to an expert about how a penetration test could benefit your business.
