Independent Third-Party Penetration Testing
Independent third-party penetration testing means an outside security company, with no role in building or running your systems, attacks them the way a real attacker would and reports what it could reach. The independence is what makes the results credible to customers, auditors and regulators.
Unlike a vulnerability scan, a penetration test is led by people. Testers chain small weaknesses together, abuse business logic and try to escalate access, then document exactly how they did it and how to fix it.
- Manual, expert-led testing
- CVSS-rated report with fixes
- Retest after you fix
- Written scope before work starts
Talk to our Security Experts
Tell us what needs testing, then pick a 30-minute slot.
Get a tailored scope, timeline and pricing on the call.
Why independence matters in a pentest
A pentest is only useful if people believe it. When the same company that wrote or hosts the code also tests it, there is an obvious conflict of interest. Buyers' security teams and auditors know this, which is why vendor questionnaires ask for a report from an independent third party.
An independent tester also brings an outsider's view. They do not share your developers' assumptions about how users behave, which is often where the most serious flaws hide.
Who asks for an independent pentest report
- Enterprise customers during vendor due diligence
- SOC 2 and ISO 27001 auditors
- PCI DSS assessors (requirement 11.4)
- Financial regulators and partners such as banks and payment gateways
- Cyber insurance providers
- Investors and acquirers during due diligence
What we test
- Web applications and admin portals
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- Android and iOS apps
- External and internal networks
- AWS, Azure and GCP cloud configuration
- Active Directory and identity
Black box, grey box or white box
Black box testing starts with no inside knowledge, like an external attacker. Grey box gives testers user accounts so they can test what a logged-in user or tenant can reach, which is where most serious SaaS issues are found. White box adds source code or architecture access for the deepest coverage. We recommend the approach on the scoping call based on what your auditor or customer expects.
Our third-party pentest process
1. Scope and rules of engagement
Targets, timing, test accounts, contacts and safe-testing limits agreed in writing.
2. Reconnaissance
Mapping the attack surface, roles, data flows and integrations.
3. Manual exploitation
Testing authentication, authorisation, injection, logic flaws and chained attacks.
4. Reporting
CVSS-rated findings with evidence, business impact and fix guidance.
5. Retest and sign-off
Fixes verified and the report updated for your auditor or customer.
Penetration test vs vulnerability scan
A scan lists known weaknesses automatically. An independent penetration test proves which of them can actually be exploited, finds issues scanners cannot see, such as one customer reading another customer's data, and gives a human-verified report. Most auditors and buyers ask specifically for a penetration test, not just a scan.
Requirements Indian businesses usually test for
In India, the trigger for a test is often regulatory. RBI expects regulated entities and their technology vendors to run periodic VAPT. SEBI's cybersecurity framework asks market intermediaries for regular testing. CERT-In directions require organisations to maintain security practices and report incidents. The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023 requires reasonable security safeguards for personal data.
Enterprise customers also ask vendors for a recent third-party pentest report during security reviews. We write reports so the same document can be shared with a regulator, an auditor or a customer's security team.
How the engagement runs
1. Scoping call (30 minutes)
We agree targets, user roles, environments, testing windows and the compliance reason for the test.
2. Written scope and quote
You get a scope document and an INR or USD quote based on the real size of the work.
3. Discovery and manual testing
Automated tooling for coverage, then manual testing of authentication, access control and business logic.
4. Report
Executive summary, CVSS-rated findings with evidence, reproduction steps and remediation guidance.
5. Retest
Once your team ships fixes, we verify each finding and issue an updated report.
What the report contains
- Executive summary for leadership, customers and auditors
- Findings rated by CVSS severity with screenshots and request evidence
- Step-by-step reproduction for your developers
- Specific remediation guidance, not generic advice
- Compliance mapping (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, RBI, SEBI, CERT-In guidelines) where relevant
- Retest status showing which findings are open and closed
Certifications our testers hold
Every engagement is led by a certified senior tester.
Frequently asked questions
How often should we get an independent pentest?
At least once a year and after significant changes such as a new product, major release or infrastructure migration.
Will testing disrupt production?
Testing follows agreed safe limits. Risky tests can run against staging or in agreed time windows.
Can we share the report with customers?
Yes. The report includes an executive summary written so it can be shared with customers and auditors.
How much does it cost?
Price depends on the number of targets, user roles and depth of manual testing. Use the VAPT cost estimator for an INR range, or book a call for a written quote.