Scoped test plan
Targets, rules of engagement, testing windows and emergency contacts agreed in writing before we start.
Ethical Hacking
Ethical Hacking and Penetration Testing by a Certified Red Team
Ethical hacking, or penetration testing, is an authorized simulated attack against your systems to prove which weaknesses are actually exploitable. Cybrvault's red team chains findings across web, API, network, cloud and human layers, then delivers proof-of-concept evidence and a prioritized fix list.
// when to call us
Signs you need ethical hacking
A vulnerability scanner produces a list. A pentest produces a story: how an unauthenticated visitor became a domain administrator in four steps. The second one is what changes budgets, and it is what a customer security review, SOC 2 audit or insurer actually asks to see.
- A customer or auditor requires an annual third-party penetration test.
- You shipped a new application and have never had it attacked on purpose.
- Your scanner reports hundreds of findings and nobody can tell which matter.
- You want to know whether your team would detect a real intrusion.
// what you get
Deliverables, not slideware.
Exploitation evidence
Screenshots, request/response pairs and reproducible steps for every confirmed finding.
Executive summary
A one-page, non-technical narrative of business risk suitable for the board or a client review.
Free retest
We re-verify your fixes and issue a clean letter you can hand to auditors and customers.
// how it works
The engagement
- 01
Scope
Define targets, depth (black, grey or white box) and success criteria.
- 02
Recon
Passive and active discovery of hosts, endpoints, credentials and human targets.
- 03
Exploit
Manual exploitation and chaining, with careful, non-destructive validation.
- 04
Report & retest
Prioritized findings, remediation guidance, debrief call, and verification of fixes.
Who this is for
- SaaS and fintech teams facing customer security reviews
- Companies pursuing SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS or CMMC
- Healthcare, legal and defense contractors handling sensitive data
- Any business that has never had an outside team test its defenses
Typical investment
Real ranges, published up front. Final scope is quoted after a discovery call.
- External network pentest
- $4,000 – $12,000
- Web app / API pentest
- $6,000 – $25,000
- Full red team
- $25,000+
Perimeter, exposed services, credential exposure.
Scales with roles, endpoints and business logic complexity.
Multi-week, objective-based, includes social engineering and physical vectors.
// questions
Ethical Hacking FAQs
How much does a penetration test cost?
An external network penetration test typically runs $4,000-$12,000. A web application or API test is $6,000-$25,000 depending on the number of user roles and endpoints. Full objective-based red team engagements start around $25,000. Cost is driven by scope size and depth, not by company headcount.
How often should we run a penetration test?
Annually at minimum, and again after any major architecture change, cloud migration, or new customer-facing application. Most compliance frameworks — SOC 2, PCI-DSS, CMMC — expect at least one third-party test per year plus retesting of critical findings.
What is the difference between a vulnerability scan and a penetration test?
A vulnerability scan is automated and reports what might be exploitable. A penetration test is manual and proves what is — including business-logic flaws, chained privilege escalation and access-control failures no scanner can detect. Scans are monthly hygiene; pentests are annual proof.
Is ethical hacking legal?
Yes, when it is authorized. Every Cybrvault engagement starts with a signed statement of work and rules of engagement that define scope, timing and permitted techniques. Testing outside that written authorization is not something we do.
// go deeper
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Talk to an engineer, not a salesperson.
Fifteen minutes, no obligation, and you leave with at least one thing worth fixing — whether or not you hire us.
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