Best AWS Penetration Testing Services for Regulatory Readiness

In most cases, you no longer need to submit an authorization form to AWS before conducting penetration testing. This change makes it easier to perform security assessments without delays.
However, there are important boundaries you must respect:

• Permitted Activities: Common tests like port scanning, vulnerability scanning, and exploitation of your own resources.

• Prohibited Activities: Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, simulated malware, and tests that impact AWS infrastructure or other tenants are strictly disallowed.
  Always review AWS’s current penetration testing policy here before you begin to ensure your planned activities are compliant.

The frequency of penetration testing depends on your risk profile, regulatory requirements, and environment complexity.

• Minimum Recommended Frequency: At least once per year.

• Event-Driven Testing: After any significant change—such as:

  • Deploying new workloads

  • Adding or removing critical services (e.g., IAM, S3, Lambda)

  • Significant configuration changes (networking, identity policies)
    If you operate in regulated industries (finance, healthcare, SaaS), continuous monitoring and periodic retesting are strongly encouraged to maintain compliance and catch new vulnerabilities early.

The timeline varies based on your scope and complexity.

• Typical Duration:

  • Small Environments (limited assets): 2–3 weeks

  • Medium Environments: 3–4 weeks

  • Large Environments (hundreds of assets, hybrid workloads): 4–6 weeks or longer

• Factors That Affect Duration:

  • Number of AWS accounts and regions involved

  • Whether testing includes external and internal components

  • Depth of exploitation (proof of concept vs. full compromise scenarios)
    After the active testing phase, allow additional time (usually 5–10 business days) for report generation and validation.

Responsible pentesting is designed to minimize disruption, but there is always some risk:

• Minor performance impacts from scanning tools

• Lockouts from password brute-force attempts (if in scope)

• Triggering security alerts
  A reputable provider will coordinate closely with your team, schedule tests during low-traffic windows, and agree on clear escalation protocols.

Pricing varies based on environment size, scope, and complexity:

• Small Environments: $4,500–$6,000 USD

• Medium Environments: $6,500–$8,000 USD

• Large Enterprises: $10,000+ USD

Factors influencing cost include:

• Number of AWS accounts and services in scope

• Whether testing is external-only or includes internal components

• Depth of exploitation and reporting requirements

Tip: Bluefire Redteam offers flat-rate packages with transparent pricing and no surprise fees.

Your final deliverables should include:

• Executive Summary: High-level overview for leadership

• Detailed Findings: Each vulnerability, risk rating, evidence, and screenshots

• Proof-of-Concept Exploits: When applicable, to validate impact

• Remediation Guidance: Actionable steps to fix each issue

• Compliance Mapping: How results align with SOC 2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, etc.
  You can also request a debrief session to walk through the findings in detail.

Yes. We don’t just hand you a report and walk away.
Our cloud security specialists can:

• Assist with fixing misconfigurations

• Validate patches and configuration changes

• Provide guidance on improving your security posture long-term

• Prepare evidence packages for your auditors
  Think of us as an extension of your team until your environment is secured and fully documented.