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In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, new vulnerabilities emerge, and the attack surface for businesses keeps expanding. It's essential to enlist the expertise of penetration testing companies to pinpoint weaknesses in your IT infrastructure before cybercriminals exploit them.

What is the importance of penetration testing?

Penetration testing is the key to uncovering system vulnerabilities through simulated attacks, providing valuable insights into how threat actors could exploit them and access your company's resources. By identifying the most at-risk networks, systems, or applications, it equips your IT security team to respond effectively to potential breaches.

In this dynamic digital threat environment, conducting annual penetration tests is a smart move to ensure your defenses remain strong. Below, you'll find the top 5 best penetration testing companies in 2023:

1 BreachLock

(Photo: Screenshot from BeachLock website)

Overview

BreachLock is an award-winning, analyst-recognized penetration testing services provider. It leverages advanced technology, AI, and a proven methodology to deliver comprehensive, audit-ready reports on time and within budget of the customer.

Each service is delivered through the BreachLock Cloud Platform, where the client can run automated scans, request manual penetration testing, or retest vulnerabilities with one click. The security experts are focused on discovering complex security vulnerabilities overlooked by the technology.

Services

BreachLock follows a 4-step process for its penetration testing services: onboarding, execution, remediation, and retesting. It combines human expertise, AI, and automation technology to maximize the efficacy and efficiency of the pen testing engagement.

Onboarding: In collaboration with the client, BreachLock determines the scope of the service delivery, confirming the essential details to be included and excluded. Once everything is documented, a project manager sets the exact duration of the execution.

Execution: The penetration test is executed through a simulated attack, aiming to expose the vulnerabilities and weak points of the system. The pen testers of BreachLock use manual and automated techniques while exercising extreme caution to protect client systems and data.

Remediation: Based on the findings, BreachLock offers an initial report detailing the actionable remediation guidance to manage the critical risks detected.

Retest: The pen testers conduct a retest after the client has completed the recommended remediation activities to validate if the remediation has been successful.

The penetration testing services of BreachLock are conducted fully by in-house, certified ethical hackers enabled with automation, AI, and a cloud platform. Clients can leverage the quick turnaround and customized and tailored guidance at half the cost of traditional pen testing.

2 Aardwolf Security

Overview

Aardwolf Security is a cybersecurity firm based in the UK that specializes in penetration testing. They are a top choice for businesses seeking to identify and mitigate security risks and vulnerabilities. Their services, to name a few, include web application assessments, vulnerability scanning, and code reviews, which are designed to safeguard critical digital assets from potential cyber threats.

Established in 2015, Aardwolf Security has carved out a distinct niche in the cybersecurity landscape by dedicating itself exclusively to penetration testing. Their unwavering commitment helps shield clients from cyberattacks and empowers them with advanced cyber defense mechanisms. What sets them apart is their ability to tailor services to suit each client's unique needs, coupled with comprehensive aftercare support should a client have any queries in the future.

The company boasts a team of certified consultants, all holding various CREST and Cyber Scheme certifications. These certifications attest to their expertise, skill, and competence in the cybersecurity domain. With over a decade of experience as a penetration testing consultancy, clients can expect nothing less than top-tier service. They prioritize manual techniques to unearth vulnerabilities that automated scanners often miss, all at a competitive price point.

Aardwolf Security takes pride in offering boutique penetration testing services. They can offer cost-effective solutions without compromising service quality. Their proactive approach to cybersecurity ensures robust protection for an organization's IT infrastructure, digital assets, financial resources, and mobile ecosystem. Choosing Aardwolf Security means choosing a partner committed to safeguarding your organization against cyber threats while providing exceptional value for your investment.

Services

Aardwolf Security offers a wide array of services. Each is tailored to meet a client's unique requirements. Outlined below is their execution of web applications and API penetration testing, which is only a small part of what they offer.

Web Application Penetration Testing

Web application penetration testing identifies and rectifies potential vulnerabilities in web applications. It is designed to surface issues such as software and data integrity failures or vulnerable and outdated components due to poor coding practices and configuration.

Aardwolf Security blends the techniques of automated and manual testing. Combining both techniques helps ensure zero false positives in web application penetration tests. The company follows an effective 6-step system to detect and resolve vulnerabilities.

• Reconnaissance: This involves conducting a thorough analysis of the organization's security level and assessing the potential requirements using Open-Source Intelligence.

• Scanning: The consultants use automated scanners to delve deeper into the IT infrastructure of the server to identify any surface-level weaknesses.

• Manual assessment: This step takes the most time as it involves specific manual penetration testing on many areas, including authentication, authorization, session management, etc. 

• Exploitation: With permission from the client, the consultants exploit the issues detected from the scanning and manual assessment. 

• Reporting: After exploitation attempts, Aardwolf Security produces a comprehensive report detailing the impact of all system defects and the recommended solutions to address them.

• Retesting: The firm provides free retesting of web applications after the client has taken action on the software system solution to ensure the weaknesses and issues have been properly and completely resolved. 

The company provides ongoing support for aftercare, assisting businesses in implementing top-notch security measures for robust protection.

API Penetration Testing

API penetration testing evaluates the security of an API (application programming interface). It is an ethical hacking process that involves exploiting identified vulnerabilities and advising on the best ways to secure them to prevent unauthorized access or data breaches. 

Aardwolf Security conducts a comprehensive security assessment of APIs, using the same tactics, tools, and techniques employed by real-world attackers to uncover vulnerabilities that negatively impact the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. It follows a rigorous methodology for API penetration testing:

• Planning: This involves defining the scope of the test and gathering the necessary information within the scope. 

• Reconnaissance: The pen tester gathers as much information about the target API from its functionality to data structures and authentication mechanisms. 

• Testing: A vulnerability analysis is conducted by the pen tester to look for vulnerabilities in the API using a combination of automated tools and manual testing techniques.

• Reporting: The pen tester produces a report detailing the findings, the identified vulnerabilities, their impact, and the recommended solution.

• Remediation: After the vulnerabilities are addressed, the pen tester retests the API in case there are still issues left unresolved. 

Aardwolf Security provides advice on the best ways to fix the vulnerabilities detected in the sections above through comprehensive reporting that includes a description of each vulnerability, specific examples of each issue, and a recommendation for the best way to fix the issue.

The UK-based cybersecurity company has a team of certified pen testers who can deliver a thorough, meticulous, and tailored approach to address the unique challenges and requirements of a customer's application, systems, and infrastructure.

Combining the use of automated tools and manual techniques, Aardwolf Security is well-equipped to identify and address vulnerabilities, strengthening the security posture of organizations through their protection against cyber-attacks.

3 CrowdStrike

(Photo: Screenshot from CrowdStrike website)

Overview

CrowdStrike uses the most advanced threat intel to understand the behavior and methods used by adversaries to penetrate an IT environment and disrupt business operations. The penetration tests of the company pierce deeply into the attack surface, exploiting vulnerabilities to identify where security gaps exist and provide solutions to close them.

With real-world expertise and skills in incident response, forensics, and red team engagements, its experts can configure and operate a solution that protects the assets of a modern enterprise that drives its business.

Services

The penetration testing services of CrowdStrike cover the internal and external systems, mobile and web applications, insider threats, and wireless networks. They reduce the attack surface by identifying and mitigating the vulnerabilities. 

They also provide visibility to the security gaps threat actors can exploit. Clients gain an objective perspective through the services of CrowdStrike as it exposes the blind spots the internal IT missed due to a lack of expertise or unfamiliarity with complex threats. 

The penetration testing services of CrowdStrike can also determine if any vulnerabilities or gaps exist in the security tools of the client to determine their efficacy and efficiency in stopping sophisticated attacks. Equipped with the knowledge of the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by threat actors, the company guarantees to protect the people, processes, and technologies and prevent security breaches.

4 FRSecure

(Photo: Screenshot from FRSecure website)

Overview

FRSecure provides security solutions that make a measurable difference. It has an award-winning penetration testing team that leverages modern hacking techniques to identify weaknesses before they get exploited by a true adversary. From training to resources and threat intelligence, its team works hard to equip organizations with tools to protect their data. 

Services

The penetration testing services of FRSecure cover the internal and external systems, web applications, physical bypass, red team, and wireless network security. They are delivered by a world-class team equipped with experience, certifications, and unwavering commitment to improving cyber security. The services are also tailored to meet the client's business objectives, as the pen testers gather relevant documentation before they perform a vulnerability analysis. 

FRSecures uses Open Source Intelligence techniques to gather information its experts can leverage to enhance the penetration test. It also provides a post-exploitation analysis and reporting, detailing the weaknesses of the security posture and the best way to resolve them to mitigate the risks of cyber threats.

FRSecure exclusively specializes in information security. It guarantees to provide an unbiased recommendation that makes a positive impact on the security posture of organizations. Clients can leverage its other services under attack simulation, such as purple teaming, social engineering, and vulnerability scanning, to improve the protection of their critical assets.

5 UnderDefense

(Photo: Screenshot from UnderDefense website)

Overview

UnderDefense is a global cybersecurity company recognized by industry experts and users worldwide. It has the expertise and the sophisticated technologies to predict, detect, and respond to the challenges of the digital threat landscape. It specializes in threat protection, incident response, penetration testing, and other services that mitigate the risks of cyber-attacks. 

Services

The penetration testing services of UnderDefense are focused on discovering weaknesses and preventing risks of potential intrusion. The company offers a wide range of services for identifying vulnerabilities, from internal and external pen testing to red teaming attack simulation and IoT security assessments.

It also has three methods of conducting attack simulations: black box for penetration tests for outsider threats with limited knowledge, gray box for insider threats with minimum knowledge, and white box for identifying potential threats using admin rights and full access to systems, applications, and architecture documentation.

UnderDefense follows the top penetration testing methodologies to identify existing security vulnerabilities like PTES, OWASP Top 10 Application Security risks, and the Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual. Once the analysis is done, it provides a comprehensive report containing the findings and the recommended solutions to address the security issues.

Award-winning and certified, the pen testers of UnderDefense are also proficient in incident response, managed detection & response, and vCISO. They can provide a sophisticated overview and proper recommendations on how to remediate each security issue, regardless of its complexity.

Conclusion 

Companies must understand the broader implications of vulnerabilities when left exposed or undetected. As business continues to expand, the defenses must also evolve to match the complexity of cyber threats. Choose from the top 5 penetration testing companies in 2023 and address vulnerabilities early on before they cost the financial health of the business.