Pentest Vendor
How to Choose a Penetration Testing Vendor
How to Choose a Penetration Testing Vendor
How to Choose a Penetration Testing Vendor
The market is crowded with automated scanners posing as penetration tests. This guide helps you filter the noise and choose a vendor whose work actually holds up under audit and reduces real risk.
The Three Types of Pentesting Vendors
Don't just hire a vendor; choose a delivery model that fits your speed.
Vendor Type
Pros
Cons
Best For
Traditional Consultancy
Deep brand name recognition (e.g., Big 4).
Slow (weeks to quote/schedule), static reporting, disconnected from developer workflows.
Legacy organizations that prioritize "brand safety" over speed or remediation.
Automated
Scanners
Instant, very cheap.
High false positives, misses business logic flaws, often rejected by auditors.
Checking a box (with low security value).
PTaaS
(Red Sentry)
Manual testing with platform speed. Faster scoping, continuous visibility, and built-in remediation workflows.
Not designed for teams who only want a brand-name report once a year or a checkbox exercise.
SaaS companies, modern enterprises, and agile teams that ship frequently and need security to keep pace.
The Three Types of Vendors
Don't just hire a vendor; choose a delivery model that fits your speed.
The Three Types of Pentesting Vendors
Don't just hire a vendor; choose a delivery model that fits your speed.
Vendor Type
Pros
Cons
Best For
Traditional Consultancy
Deep brand name recognition (e.g., Big 4).
Slow (weeks to quote/schedule), static reporting, disconnected from developer workflows.
Legacy organizations that prioritize "brand safety" over speed or remediation.
Automated
Scanners
Instant, very cheap.
High false positives, misses business logic flaws, often rejected by auditors.
Checking a box (with low security value).
PTaaS
(Red Sentry)
Manual testing with platform speed. Faster scoping, continuous visibility, and built-in remediation workflows.
Not designed for teams who only want a brand-name report once a year or a checkbox exercise.
SaaS companies, modern enterprises, and agile teams that ship frequently and need security to keep pace.
The Three Types of Vendors
Don't just hire a vendor; choose a delivery model that fits your speed.
Vendor Type
Pros
Cons
Best For
Traditional Consultancy
Deep brand name recognition (e.g., Big 4).
Slow (weeks to quote/schedule), static reporting, disconnected from developer workflows.
Legacy organizations that prioritize "brand safety" over speed or remediation.
The Three Types of Vendors
Don't just hire a vendor; choose a delivery model that fits your speed.
Vendor Type
Pros
Cons
Best For
Traditional Consultancy
Deep brand name recognition (e.g., Big 4).
Slow (weeks to quote/schedule), static reporting, disconnected from developer workflows.
Legacy organizations that prioritize "brand safety" over speed or remediation.
The Three Types of Vendors
Don't just hire a vendor; choose a delivery model that fits your speed.
If a vendor does any of these, run.
No Re-testing:
If they charge extra to verify your fixes, run. Remediation verification should be included in the cost of the pentest.
Pay-Per-Vulnerability:
This creates a perverse incentive to find junk data just to charge you.
The "Instant" Report: If they promise a full pentest report 24 hours after signing, it’s an automated scan. Human testing takes time to think, validate, and exploit.
The Red Flags
The Red Flags
The Red Flags
If a vendor does any of these, run.
The "Instant" Report:
If they promise a full pentest report 24 hours after signing, it’s an automated scan. Human testing takes time to think, validate, and exploit.
Pay-Per-Vulnerability:
This creates a perverse incentive to find junk data just to charge you.
No Re-testing:
If they charge extra to verify your fixes, run. Remediation verification should be included in the cost of the pentest.
Certifications That Actually Matter
Certifications That Actually Matter
Certifications That Actually Matter
Company certifications prove process; individual certifications prove skill.
Company certifications prove process; individual certifications prove skill.
Company certifications prove process; individual certifications prove skill.
For the Company:
Look for certifications that show the vendor can handle your data responsibly.
SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 matter because they prove the company has been audited over time, not just point-in-time. They indicate mature security practices, access controls, and operational discipline.
If a vendor can’t meet basic compliance standards themselves, they shouldn’t be testing yours.
Look for certifications that show the vendor can handle your data responsibly.
SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 matter because they prove the company has been audited over time, not just point-in-time. They indicate mature security practices, access controls, and operational discipline.
If a vendor can’t meet basic compliance standards themselves, they shouldn’t be testing yours.
Look for certifications that show the vendor can handle your data responsibly.
SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 matter because they prove the company has been audited over time, not just point-in-time. They indicate mature security practices, access controls, and operational discipline.
If a vendor can’t meet basic compliance standards themselves, they shouldn’t be testing yours.
For the Hackers:
Look for hands-on offensive security certifications like OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) and OSEP (Offensive Security Experienced Penetration Tester). These require real-world exploitation under time pressure, not just multiple-choice exams.
Certifications that are primarily theory-based don’t necessarily translate to finding real vulnerabilities in live environments. Ask who will actually be testing your systems and what practical credentials they hold.
The 5 Questions You Must Ask
The 5 Questions You Must Ask
The 5 Questions You Must Ask
Copy and paste these into your RFP or email chain.
Copy and paste these into your RFP or email chain.
"What percentage of the testing is performed by humans vs. automated tools?"
"What percentage of the testing is performed by humans vs. automated tools?"
"Is re-testing or remediation verification included, or billed separately?"
"Is re-testing or remediation verification included, or billed separately?"
"Can I speak directly to the engineer testing my environment?"
"Can I speak directly to the engineer testing my environment?"
"What certifications do the specific testers assigned to my project hold?"
"What certifications do the specific testers assigned to my project hold?"
"Is your report accepted by major auditors major auditors (e.g., The Big 4) for SOC 2/ISO compliance?"
Why Red Sentry?
We built the model we wanted to buy.
We combine the depth of top-tier ethical hackers with the speed of a modern SaaS platform.
Quality
Certified pros (OSCP/CISSP), no students or outsourcing.
Speed
Get a quote in hours (not weeks) and launch your test in under 48 hours.
Transparency
Watch findings appear in real-time on your dashboard.
Transparency
Watch validated findings appear in near real-time on our industry-leading dashboard.
Speed
Get a quote in hours (not weeks) and launch your test in under 48 hours.
Quality
Certified pros (OSCP/CISSP), no students or outsourcing.
Transparency
Watch validated findings appear in near real-time on our industry-leading dashboard.
Why Red Sentry?
We built the model we wanted to buy.
We combine the depth of top-tier ethical hackers with the speed of a modern SaaS platform.
Speed
Get a quote in hours (not weeks) and launch your test in under 48 hours.
Quality
Certified pros (OSCP/CISSP), no students or outsourcing.
Transparency
Watch validated findings appear in near real-time on our industry-leading dashboard.
Why Red Sentry?
We built the model we wanted to buy.
We combine the depth of top-tier ethical hackers with the speed of a modern SaaS platform.