Penetration testing services that a real human actually performs
A customer, an auditor or an investor asked for a test. Our penetration testing services are delivered by OSCP and CREST certified testers. We assign them to your scope. So you also get an audit-ready report you can hand straight over.
Authorised testing only. We test exclusively with explicit written authorisation from the system owner. That is, inside a scope and rules of engagement agreed before any testing begins. Unauthorised testing is illegal under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. § 1030). We do not perform or condone testing without it.
Four questions, about a minute. Also no phone number, and no call to book.
What penetration testing services cost
Published US market ranges for penetration testing services in 2025 and 2026. Your quote depends on scope, but never on your logo.
Most companies also land between $10,000 and $30,000. However, anything under $4,000 is almost certainly an automated scan rather than real penetration testing services.
Get my exact scope pricedTrusted by teams that ship to the enterprise
Security and engineering teams rely on our penetration testing services to clear audits and customer reviews, and they do it without stalling the roadmap.
Logos are the property of their respective owners.
The penetration testing services we deliver
Pick what applies. However, if you are not sure, say so on the form and we will work it out with you, because quoting blind helps nobody.
Web application penetration testing services
Your product, tested the way an attacker would: broken access control, business logic you can abuse, authentication that bends. That is the most requested of our penetration testing services.
External network penetration testing services
Everything of yours facing the internet. For example, exposed services and weak edges. Also the forgotten hosts nobody has looked at since the migration.
Internal network penetration testing services
What someone can reach once they are inside, whether through a phished laptop or a contractor account. That is where most real damage happens.
API penetration testing services
Authorisation between endpoints, object references you can walk, and rate limits that are not really there. Increasingly, that is the whole product surface.
Mobile app penetration testing services
iOS and Android, including what the app stores on the device, and also how it talks to your backend when nobody is watching.
Cloud penetration testing services
AWS, Azure or GCP. For example, over-broad roles, public buckets, and the identity paths that quietly turn one mistake into full access.
A scan is not a test, and honest penetration testing services say so
This is the single biggest way buyers get burned. Automated scans are sold at the price of real penetration testing services, and the report only fails you later, in front of an auditor.
| Vulnerability scan | Penetration test | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does it | A tool, running on a schedule. | A person, thinking about your specific system. |
| What it finds | Known problems that match a database, but nothing more. | Business logic flaws, broken access control, but also chains of small issues. |
| Proof | A warning, often a false alarm. | A demonstrated way in, and also the exact steps. |
| Typical price | $2,000 to $10,000 | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| Passes an audit | Sometimes, until someone reads it properly. | Yes, that is what it is built for. |
Think of it this way. A scan is a metal detector swept over a field, beeping at anything metal. A penetration test is an expert digging up every signal. They also work out which ones are actually dangerous. Then they show you exactly how someone would get into the building. Both have a place. But you should never pay for penetration testing services and receive a scan instead.
How our penetration testing services run, start to finish
Five stages. So you always know which one you are in, and you also know who is doing the work.
Scope and authorise
We agree exactly what is in scope, what is off limits, and when. Because authorisation is not optional, you sign it in writing first.
Meet your tester
You are told who will run the engagement. You also learn what they hold, whether that is OSCP, CREST or GXPN. That happens before day one.
Manual testing
Three to ten days of hands-on work against your scope, following OWASP WSTG and NIST SP 800-115. That is real testing, not just a scanner run.
Report
An executive summary a director can read in ten minutes. Plus findings with real proof, and also specific fixes for the engineers.
Retest
One retest inside 30 days is included in our penetration testing services. So you can prove the fix worked, rather than just claiming it.
What you actually receive from our penetration testing services
The report is the product. That is, it is what your auditor reads, what your customer asks for, and also what your investor checks.
Executive summary
Ten minutes, no jargon. So that is what was tested and what the real business risk is. Also the three to five things worth acting on first.
Scope and method
Exactly what was tested, what was not, and why. The standard followed is named by version, so an auditor can check it.
Findings with proof
Each issue in plain language, with severity and the exact request that proves it. Also the specific fix. In short, not a scanner export.
Attestation letter
A one-page signed letter confirming the test happened and what it covered. So you can share proof, but without handing over the findings.
What drives the price of penetration testing services
Most firms hide this. However, two quotes for penetration testing services that look identical are usually separated by one of the four things below.
| Driver | Effect |
|---|---|
| Scope size | The biggest factor by far. Every extra app, API or user role adds testing time. |
| Manual hours | A $6,000 quote is roughly 15 hours. A $20,000 quote is roughly 60. Most of the gap between quotes lives here. |
| Tester seniority | Day rates run $1,500 to $3,500 mid-market, and $4,000 to $7,000 at the top. A Big Four badge costs 2 to 3 times a boutique. |
| Retest included | One line that explains a large share of apparently identical quotes. Ours is included. |
Which frameworks require penetration testing services
Most penetration testing services are bought because something demands them. Here is what each framework actually says, so you can scope to the requirement instead of guessing.
| Framework | Required? | How often |
|---|---|---|
| PCI DSS | Yes, explicitly (Requirement 11.4) | Annually, and every six months for service providers. |
| FedRAMP | Yes, explicitly (CA-8(2)) | Annually or after a significant change. |
| CMMC | Yes, at Level 3 (CA.L3-3.12.1E) | At least annually. |
| DORA | Yes (Articles 24 to 27) | Threat-led testing every three years, basic testing annually. |
| SOC 2 | Not named as mandatory, but expected | Annually. Around 85 percent of Type II reports include it. |
| ISO 27001 | Not mandated. Driven by your risk assessment | Annex A 8.8 and 8.29. |
If a SOC 2 auditor is the reason you are here, note that the firm auditing you cannot also test you. Since independence rules forbid it, buying penetration testing services separately is normal and expected.
Who performs your penetration testing services
Security buyers have no patience for vagueness. So here is the whole structure behind our penetration testing services, with nothing left out.
Us
Halberd Security is the firm you contract with, and also the firm accountable to you. We scope the work, manage the engagement, and run quality assurance on every report. So you keep one point of contact throughout.
The testers
Our penetration testing services are performed by vetted independent practitioners under contract to us. They hold credentials such as OSCP, CREST CRT and CCT, or GXPN. Although they are not our employees, we name yours before the engagement starts.
What we do not claim
We are not a CREST-accredited company. Also, we never call our penetration testing services "certified", because no such certification exists for a test. We cannot promise to find every vulnerability, and neither can anyone else.
Delivery model, stated plainly. Testing is delivered by qualified third-party practitioners under our project management, quality assurance and confidentiality agreements. All are vetted and insured. You always know who is testing your systems before any testing begins.
Where our penetration testing services run from
You contract with Halberd Security wherever your engagement runs from. Our penetration testing services are coordinated across US and UK time zones. So findings are discussed the same working day, rather than the next one.
Boston
Massachusetts, United States
1 Beacon StreetBoston, Massachusetts
United States
Eastern Time · US engagements
London
United Kingdom
169 PiccadillyLondon W1J 9EH
United Kingdom
Greenwich Mean Time · UK and EU engagements
Questions buyers of penetration testing services ask first
How do penetration testing services differ from a scan?
A scan is automated and checks your systems against a list of known problems. However, penetration testing services put a person on your system, finding the business logic flaws and chains of issues no tool can see. Real penetration testing services also include a stated number of manual hours, so ask for that number.
How much do penetration testing services cost?
Most companies pay between $10,000 and $30,000. However, a narrow web app can be $5,000, and a full red team can pass $100,000. Anything under $4,000 is almost certainly an automated scan wearing the wrong label.
Can you guarantee you will find everything?
No, and walk away from anyone who says otherwise. Penetration testing services prove what an attacker could do inside the agreed scope and time. But we do commit to real manual testing and named testers. The report also survives an auditor reading it closely.
Who actually performs the penetration testing services?
Vetted independent practitioners under contract to us, holding credentials like OSCP or CREST. Although they are not employees, we say so up front. You are also told exactly who is assigned to your engagement before it starts.
Will the report pass a SOC 2 or PCI DSS audit?
That is what it is built for. Scope, methodology and findings are documented the way auditors expect. So you also get an attestation letter you can share with customers, but without exposing the findings.
How long do penetration testing services take?
Three to five days of hands-on testing for a narrow web app. Five to ten days for a full scope. Then a few more days for the report. However, book four to six weeks ahead for Q4, since compliance deadlines cluster there.
Why is there no phone number on this site?
Because four questions tell us more about penetration testing services scope than a discovery call would. It also respects your time. Answer them and you get a written scope and a price range back, rather than a calendar link.
Price your penetration testing services in four questions
These four answers are what anyone needs to price penetration testing services properly. That is genuinely how the work is scoped, so we can quote a range without a call.