Before launching a new or heavily changed application
Fixing flaws before go-live costs a fraction of cleaning up after an incident. The test can be the technical basis for the go-live decision.
/ PENETRATION TESTING
Penetration Testing
Qyntar's penetration testing puts your web applications, network, cloud environment and APIs through the same attacks a real adversary would try, and hands you a risk-ranked fix plan that developers and executives can both act on straight away.
[ 01 ] / WHAT IT IS
What is penetration testing, and how is it different from a vulnerability scan?
In short
Penetration testing (also called a pentest or ethical hacking engagement) is an authorized, controlled attack simulation in which security specialists find and exploit vulnerabilities using the same methods as a real attacker. The aim is not to cause damage, but to make sure you find the flaws before malicious actors do. You get an evidence-backed, prioritized report to work from.
A vulnerability scan uses automated tools to look for known flaws and returns a long list, often padded with false positives. A penetration test goes further: human experts interpret the results, chain weaknesses together and show what an attacker can actually do with them. Can they reach customer data, take over a system, or get to the critical parts of your internal network?
A good penetration test does not tell you how many bugs you have. It tells you which ones matter. A medium-severity but easily exploitable authorization flaw, for example, can pose more business risk than a theoretically critical vulnerability that nobody can reach in practice. That is why our reports pair the technical rating with real-world exploitability and business impact.
Testing runs within an agreed scope and set of rules, so your operations are not put at risk. We work black-box (no prior information), grey-box (limited access, such as a user account) or white-box (full visibility), whichever is most effective for your goal and budget. It pairs well with source code review and a cloud security assessment.
Methodologies and standards
- OWASP WSTG
- OWASP Top 10
- OWASP ASVS
- PTES
- NIST SP 800-115
- MITRE ATT&CK
- OSSTMM
[ 02 ] / WHO IT'S FOR
Who should order a penetration test?
Any organization with internet-facing systems, sensitive data or regulatory obligations. A test is especially worthwhile in the situations below.
Operators of web shops, customer portals and SaaS products
Where customer data, payment flows or multi-tenant architecture are involved, authorization and data-isolation flaws are among the most serious risks.
Organizations under NIS2, ISO 27001, DORA or PCI DSS
Several frameworks expect regular, independent testing of technical controls. A penetration test report doubles as audit evidence.
Suppliers to large enterprise customers
More and more customers ask for an independent pentest report as a condition of signing or renewing a contract. An up-to-date report can be a competitive advantage.
Organizations after a major change
After a cloud migration, an acquisition, a new plant or office network, or a new supplier integration, the attack surface shifts and deserves a fresh look.
Teams that want to know how they would hold up against a real attack
If you have no evidence of how well your defenses work, a test gives an objective picture and shows where your next security investment will do the most good.
[ 03 ] / WHAT'S INCLUDED
What our penetration testing covers
We always tailor the scope to your environment. The areas below are typically part of the service, individually or combined.
01
Web application testing
Testing to the OWASP Top 10 and ASVS: authentication and session management flaws, authorization problems (IDOR, privilege escalation), injection attacks, business logic flaws, file upload, client-side vulnerabilities and misconfiguration.
02
API and microservice testing
REST, GraphQL and SOAP interfaces: object- and function-level authorization, mass assignment, missing rate limits, data exposure and broken authentication.
03
External network testing
Discovery and testing of internet-facing systems: open services, outdated software, TLS misconfiguration and forgotten (shadow IT) assets.
04
Internal network and Active Directory testing
What happens once an attacker is inside? Lateral movement, privilege escalation, Active Directory flaws, weak passwords, poor segmentation and the paths that lead to domain admin.
05
Cloud environment testing
Attacker-style testing of AWS, Azure and Google Cloud: excessive permissions, storage misconfiguration, exposed secrets, poorly secured containers and Kubernetes clusters.
06
Mobile application testing
Android and iOS apps tested against OWASP MASVS: data storage, network communication, reverse-engineering resistance and backend integration.
07
Social engineering and physical testing
By agreement, phishing simulations, phone-based manipulation or physical intrusion attempts that measure how resilient your people and organization are.
08
Red teaming and targeted attack simulation
For mature organizations: a multi-week exercise that imitates a real attack aimed at a specific objective (such as a business process or a database) and measures your detection and response too. See red teaming.
[ 04 ] / HOW IT WORKS
Penetration testing step by step, from quote to retest
The process is transparent: you always know what is happening, when, and what effect it could have on your systems.
Agreeing scope and rules
We clarify the goals, the systems to be tested, the test window, prohibited actions and the contact procedure. This is also where the engagement and confidentiality terms are settled.
Reconnaissance
We map the attack surface from public information, services, technologies, users and integrations.
Identifying vulnerabilities
We find weaknesses with automated tools and manual inspection, then filter out false positives.
Exploitation and impact
In a controlled way that does not endanger operations, we exploit the flaws and show the real business impact. Critical issues are reported immediately.
Report and executive summary
You get a detailed technical report and a summary for decision-makers, with reproduction steps and a specific fix for every finding.
Remediation support and retest
We walk developers and operations through the results, then retest after the fixes to confirm the issues are really gone.
[ 05 ] / WHAT IT SOLVES
What a penetration test solves, and why it pays off
The most valuable thing the service gives you is certainty: you decide where to put security resources based on tested facts rather than assumptions. You learn about flaws before attackers do, and fixes happen on your schedule rather than in the middle of an incident.
The test is also credible evidence for customers, partners, auditors and regulators, and gives developers, operations and executives an objective basis for security discussions.
- real risks uncovered before attackers find them
- a risk-prioritized fix list for developers
- audit evidence for NIS2, ISO 27001, DORA and customer audits
- cost-effective prevention compared with post-incident cleanup
- measurable improvement through retests
What you receive
- an executive summary in business language
- a detailed technical report with reproduction steps
- findings rated by risk (CVSS and business impact)
- specific, workable remediation advice
- a closing session with developers and leadership
- a retest and confirmation report after fixes
[ 06 ] / WHY QYNTAR
Why have Qyntar run your penetration test?
Because the work is done by people who have attacked systems for real and understand how decisions get made in a regulated organization.
Attacker experience
Our specialists were penetration testers themselves, so they do not just hand over tool output. They think the way an attacker does.
Executive understanding
We translate results into business language, because our team includes someone who was accountable for security decisions as a CISO in a regulated sector.
Hands-on credentials
We work to qualifications that prove technical skill on live tasks rather than multiple-choice questions.
Developer-friendly reporting
Our reports are built for fixing: clear reproduction, a specific remedy and a retest, so the issues really are closed.
[ 07 ] / FAQ
Frequently asked questions: Penetration Testing
How much does penetration testing cost?
Price depends on scope: the number of systems or applications, the complexity of the features, the depth of testing (black, grey or white-box) and the time needed. A simple web application is a few days of work, while a complex internal network or red team exercise takes several weeks. After a short scoping call we give you a fixed-price quote.
How long does a penetration test take?
Typically 1 to 4 weeks depending on scope, including testing, report writing and the closing session. If you need it urgently, we will discuss what scheduling is possible.
Can the test put our production systems at risk?
We test in a controlled way: under pre-agreed rules, with risky actions subject to separate approval. We flag critical findings immediately, and on request we can run the test in a separate test or staging environment.
What is the difference between a penetration test and a vulnerability scan?
A vulnerability scan uses an automated tool to look for known flaws. A penetration test applies human expertise to interpret, exploit and chain weaknesses, showing the real risk and the attack paths.
How often should we have a penetration test?
As a general recommendation, at least once a year and after every significant change (a new application, a major release, an infrastructure overhaul). For regulated organizations, a framework such as NIS2, DORA or PCI DSS may also set the frequency.
Will the report be accepted by our auditors and customers?
Yes. The report includes an executive summary, a methodology description, a findings list and remediation advice, and can be shown to auditors, customers and partners as evidence. The retest confirmation issued after fixes is part of the service.
Do we need to give you access for the test?
That depends on the approach. A black-box test needs no prior information, grey-box testing needs test accounts, and white-box testing needs documentation or source code access. We settle access arrangements in the engagement terms.
[ 08 ] / TYPES AND INDUSTRIES
Penetration testing types and industry-specific assessments
Penetration testing comes in several targeted forms. Pick the one that fits your systems, your regulation or your industry.
[ + ] / CONTACT
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