Security measures against malicious attacks on digital assets are now highly invested in by businesses irrespective of their size. One of the most important solutions in this context is penetration testing, otherwise known as pen testing. But “What is the cost of penetration testing?” is the most frequently asked question by organizations.
This comprehensive guide will cover the factors affecting the cost of penetration testing: type of testing, factors that influence cost, and how to select the best pen testing service. This will help you make your mind up; whether you are sitting there as a CISO in a big corporate setup or you are struggling with your small business.
Factors That Influence Penetration Testing Cost
The cost of penetration testing varies greatly depending on several factors, including:
1. Scope of Testing
- Network Penetration Testing: Testing security posture of internal and external network infrastructure.
- Web Application Penetration Testing: Tests web apps for vulnerabilities like SQL injection XSS and more.
- Mobile Application Penetration Testing: Testing mobile apps on Android and iOS platforms.
- Cloud Penetration Testing: Testing cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
- Social Engineering Testing: Testing human vulnerabilities via phishing or fishing.
The broader and more complex the scope, the higher the cost.
2. Complexity of the Environment
- The number of IP addresses, web applications, and internal systems.
- Complexity of integrations and third-party services.
- Cloud vs. on-premises environments.
3. Depth of Testing
- Black Box Testing: No prior knowledge, mimicking an external hacker.
- Gray Box Testing: Partial knowledge of the system.
- White Box Testing: Full knowledge, including code access.
Another post: What is Black Box, Gray Box and White Box Penetration testing?
4. Frequency of Testing
- One-time assessment or continuous testing as part of a managed service.
5. Experience of the Penetration Testing Team
- Senior consultants and certified experts may cost more but provide better value.
- Certifications like OSCP, CEH, CISSP, and GPEN influence pricing.
6. Reporting and Remediation Support
- Detailed reporting, including risk ratings and remediation steps.
- Follow-up support and post-assessment consultancy.
Cost Models for Penetration Testing
The nature and extent of the testing, as well as the service provider’s pricing plan, can all affect the cost of penetration testing. The most popular cost models are as follows:
1. Hourly Rate
Certain providers do have hourly rates- generally hovering in the ranges from $100 to $250. This model is good for short-term evaluations or situations in which the scope cannot be delineated in its entirety ahead of time.
2. Daily Rate
Cost per day is from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on the Complexity of the test and the competency of the testing team. This model is usually applicable for short assessments or for engaging multi-day duration.
3. Fixed Price
A Fixed-price model contract assigns a predetermined fee according to the scope and specifications. This model is ideal for precisely defined projects when the client requires cost predictability. Average prices usually range from somewhere between $5,000 and $50,000, but they may greatly vary.
4. Subscription-Based
The cost of a managed security solution incorporating continuous penetration testing may be offered on a per-month or per-annum basis. Monthly rates will range between $2,000 and $10,000 according to the size and frequency of tests.
5. Project-Based Pricing
Complex pricing is closer to project-based; a multifaceted or layered assessment or red teaming engagement usually costs on the order of $25,000 to $50,000.
Check out our penetration-testing pricing models that are used by over 150+ customers.
Average Cost of Penetration Testing
Penetration testing costs can range from $4,000 to $100,000 or more, depending on the factors mentioned above.
The average cost of a penetration testing or pen test working with Bluefire Redteam can be between 2000$ to $15000. Calculate your pentest price using our Pentest Cost Calculator.
Type of penetration testing and their associated costs:
1. Network Penetration Testing Cost
The average network penetration testing cost ranges anywhere from about $4,000 to $20,000. The amount of IP addresses considered, along with other things such as network size and complexity, determine how much might be spent in performing the test procedure, whether internal or external. To test the resilience of a network, it is often included in the testing process such activities as vulnerability scans, firewall tests and modelling the actual attack scenarios.
2. Web Application Penetration Testing Cost
The cost of testing a web application ranges from approximately $3,000 to $15,000 on average. The key factors affecting the cost include the complexity of the application, the number of pages prospective users will interact with, and their interactions with the application, such as API integrations and user roles. This kind of testing detects critical vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and Broken access control issues.
3. Mobile Application Penetration Testing Cost
The costs for penetration testing on mobile applications range from about $5,000 to $25,000 in the general case. The analysis of app logic, API communication, and encryption mechanisms, also accounting for testing on both iOS and Android platforms, adds to the cost. Such testing prevents mobile apps from data breaches and data manipulation.
4. Cloud Penetration Testing Cost
The cost of cloud penetration testing can range between $8,000 and $30,000 depending on the cloud provider (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and how complicated or polluted the environment in question is. It emphasizes the typical configuration flaws, IAM weaknesses, and possible data exposure threats during cloud testing.
5. Social Engineering Cost
Typical costs for social engineering testing are between $1,000 and $8,000, with price points dependent on the targeted employees and the types of social engineering techniques (such as phishing or vishing) used. Such testing is critical for evaluating the human component in security matters.
Watch our short video on a recent social engineering test we performed for a customer.
6. Comprehensive Red Teaming Cost
Red teaming can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. It adopts a digital social and physical attack vector to simulate a full-blown attack across the enterprise. The richness and realism in the assessment, however, are worthwhile justifications for its high expense as it provides a truer picture of organizational resiliency.
Watch our short video on a recent physical and digital red teaming we performed for a customer.
How to Choose the Right Penetration Testing Service
- Establish Your Goals: Recognise the most important assets and the reasons behind the requirement for pen testing.
- Verify Certifications: Seek for qualified experts (e.g., OSCP, CEH).
- Examine Case Studies to see how the supplier has benefited comparable companies.
Penetration Testing Vendor – You can rely on!
Organisations across 5 countries use Bluefire Redteam’s penetration testing services because our process is proven and tested!
Our process first starts with helping you scope better! Once the scope is finalised we allocate our certified testing and have a mindset-building session with them to ensure we get the most out of your pentest!
The main pentest stages start from Recon to identify as much information about your scope as possible. We then start identifying vulnerabilities which then continue for controlled intrusion which then helps us to perform impact analysis on the identified vulnerabilities. We follow risk-based prioritisation for the identified vulnerabilities.
To provide real-time insights to your security assessments we use PentestLive – which is our Pentest as a service platform.
We are an award-winning penetration testing vendor!
Conclusion
It is essential for organizations to invest in penetration testing to avoid losing their digital assets and fulfil legal obligations. Many factors will influence the cost of penetration testing such as, for example: scope and its complexity, depth of test, frequency of tests, and experience of testing staff. All of this may sound very expensive, but the benefits of risk reduction and an improved security posture far outweigh the cost burden. Penetration Tests act as a proactive measure in remediating vulnerabilities before an attack has been launched.
Get your instant penetration testing cost with us and let us handle the hard work for you!