Pentesting Costs: A Comprehensive Guide to Budgeting for Security
Navigating the costs of penetration testing might seem daunting, but understanding the key variables at play empowers you to make informed decisions.
Published May 18, 2025.
Penetration testing, or pentesting, is a crucial cybersecurity tactic in the modern digital environment as it simulates real-world cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. This proactive approach can save organizations from devastating financial losses, reputational damage, and legal repercussions.
However, while the importance of pentesting is clear, many of the specific nuances are difficult for organizations to understand—especially budgeting. Budgeting for security can feel like navigating a complex maze, with numerous factors influencing the final price tag.
Here's everything you need to know about the costs of professional pentesting and what to expect from the process.
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Key Variables Influencing the Cost of a Penetration Test
Goals and Objectives
The more specific and complex the goals, the more tailored and potentially time-consuming the testing process becomes. A broad vulnerability assessment of an entire network will likely be less costly than a targeted assessment aimed at uncovering sophisticated attack vectors against a critical application and its dependencies.
Some possible testing goals include:
- Assessing a web app for vulnerabilities like SQL injection or XSS
- Testing your network’s resilience against unauthorized access or data breaches
- Reviewing your internal team's capabilities to spot and remediate threats
Scope and Boundaries
A wider scope naturally demands more time and resources from the penetration testing team. Assessing multiple applications, network segments, or physical locations requires more effort for reconnaissance, scanning, exploitation, and reporting. A tightly defined scope can reduce costs but might leave blind spots.
Methodology and Tools
The selection of tools plays a key role in cost. While open-source tools can reduce direct costs, their effective use often requires specialized skills. Commercial tools, while incurring licensing fees, may offer advanced features and automation capabilities that can streamline the testing process and potentially reduce the overall time spent.
Different methodologies require varying levels of expertise and effort. Following established frameworks like NIST SP 800-115 or PTES can provide a structured approach but might necessitate specific procedures that impact the timeline and cost.
The chosen testing methodology (black box, white box, and gray box) also impacts cost:
- Black box testing: Testers have no prior knowledge—this often takes longer as they need to perform extensive reconnaissance
- White box testing: Testers have knowledge of key systems and potential access points, which can be more cost-effective but requires the client to invest time in providing detailed information.
- Gray box testing: A hybrid security assessment that blends aspects of black and white box testing.
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Timeline and Budget
A longer testing engagement allows for more in-depth analysis and the exploration of complex attack scenarios, which typically translates to higher costs. Conversely, a shorter and cheaper timeline might limit the thoroughness of the assessment.
The budget directly influences the scope, the expertise level of the testers you can engage, and the tools they can utilize. Realistic budgeting is crucial to ensure the pentest aligns with your security needs and doesn't compromise on quality.
Things that influence the budget include:
- Frequency of testing: Penetration tests should be conducted at least annually; more frequent testing may be required after major company changes or in periods of higher risk.
- Internal testing requirements: If deciding against hiring professional penetration testers, you will need to budget for using internal staff and infrastructure or purchasing the necessary tools.
- External testing: Outsourcing your pentesting needs to cyberservice professionals is necessary for maximizing the potential value, but will obviously come with a greater cost than handling your pentesting internally.
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Reporting and Remediation
Comprehensive reports that include detailed findings, evidence, and actionable remediation recommendations require more time and effort to produce. Similarly, if the testing engagement includes follow-up support for remediation or verification testing, this will add to the overall cost.
Reports may be detailed or concise, but should clearly outline:
- Scope
- Methods
- Results
- Recommendations
Stakeholder Management and Expectations
While seemingly less direct, managing multiple stakeholders and their expectations can impact the cost in terms of:
- Communication overhead
- The need for customized reports or presentations
- Potential delays due to the involvement of various parties
Clear communication and alignment of expectations from the outset can help streamline the process and prevent scope creep or misunderstandings that could lead to additional costs.
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Cost Breakdown for Different Types of Penetration Tests
| Type of Test | Description | Factors Influencing Cost | Cost Range | Average Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Penetration Testing | External network penetration testing and internal network penetration testing assesses networks for vulnerabilities such as open ports, outdated software, and misconfigurations | Public- or private-facing IPs, employee count, complexity of on-site assessments, and travel costs | External: $5,000 - $20,000 Internal: $7,500 - $30,000 | External: $10,000 Internal: $12,500 |
| Web Application Testing | Web application penetration testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS, and insecure configurations. The assessment follows OWASP testing principles | Number of applications, their complexity, and technologies used | $5,000 - $30,000 | $12,500 |
| Mobile Application Testing | Mobile app testing assesses security issues such as insecure storage, weak authentication, and insecure communication channels to identify vulnerabilities like improper encryption and configuration weaknesses | Backend integrations, third-party APIs, and sensitive data handling | $12,500 - $40,000 | $25,000 |
| API Penetration Testing | API penetration testing assesses vulnerabilities acting as gateways to backend systems. Deliverables include a detailed report covering vulnerabilities like weak access controls, improper input validation, and business logic flaws, complete with exploitation proofs-of-concept | Number of endpoints, integration complexity, authentication mechanisms, and custom logic | $5,000 - $30,000 | $12,500 |
| Wireless Network Testing | Wireless network penetration testing includes a detailed assessment of wireless security that covers SSID enumeration, weaknesses in WPA/WPA2 protocols, rogue access point detection, and simulation of MITM attacks | Required scope and size of the wireless environment, evaluation frequency, types of wireless technologies in use, and security protocols and configurations | $3,125 - $9,375 | $5,000 |
| Cloud Infrastructure Testing | Cloud service adoption drives the need for testing environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP, providing analyses of cloud configurations, IAM roles, access settings, and infrastructure weaknesses | Number of cloud accounts and subscriptions, cloud services in scope, complexity of cloud deployment and configuration, and API complexity and number | $10,000 - $50,000 | $15,000 |
| SaaS Penetration Testing | SaaS penetration testing focuses on vulnerabilities such as insecure APIs, multi-tenancy risks, and weak authentication, along with assessments of access controls, data protection, and configuration settings | Number of applications, complexity, functionalities, user roles, and technology frameworks | $5,000 - $40,000 | $12,500 |
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Other Specialized Types of Penetration Testing
- Black box testing: A penetration test involving no internal knowledge of systems or credentials; typically costs between $5,000 - $20,000,
- White box testing: Provides full access to source code and system architecture; typically costs between $10,000 - $40,000.
- Gray box testing: Provides partial internal insights; typically costs between $7,500 - $20,000.
- IoT testing: A specialized security assessment that evaluates the vulnerabilities in internet-connected devices, their ecosystems, and communication protocols; typically costs between $5,000 - $30,000.
- Social engineering testing: Trying to obtain credentials or privileged information through scam emails or calls pretending to be from internal employees; typically costs between $2,000 - $10,000.
- Red teaming: Simulates a comprehensive attack; typically costs between $20,000 - $100,000.
- Blockchain penetration testing: Focuses on vulnerabilities within blockchain-based applications; typically costs between $10,000 - $50,000.
» Learn more about the different types of penetration testing
Is a Penetration Test Worth the Cost?
Penetration testing costs are small compared to the financial, operational, and reputational damages from a cyberattack or data breach. While tests cost a few thousand to tens of thousands, it's nothing compared to consequences of a breach. Legal fees, fines, lost revenue, and reputation damage can easily reach millions of dollars.
Key Penetration Testing Metrics to Track
Keeping track of internal data and key metrics helps organizations assess whether or not their penetration testing investment is delivering tangible security improvements or if methodologies should be changed.
1. Vulnerability Remediation and Discovery Rate
Track both the percentage of vulnerabilities fixed within a set timeframe (remediation rate) and the speed at which new vulnerabilities are identified (discovery rate). Monitoring these metrics over time helps gauge how quickly vulnerabilities are addressed and assesses the overall effectiveness of your testing methodology and security measures.
A high remediation rate indicates effective use of penetration testing results, while a high discovery rate shows that your team is adept at spotting weaknesses.
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2. Time-to-Remediate and Incident Response Time
Track how quickly vulnerabilities are addressed (time-to-remediate) and how fast security incidents are detected and mitigated post-penetration test (incident response time). Monitoring these metrics helps assess the impact of penetration testing on the organization’s ability to swiftly address vulnerabilities and respond to threats.
Minimizing time-to-remediate reduces the window of opportunity for attackers, preventing performance issues, data loss, and downtime. Shorter incident response times reflect improved preparedness and a more effective security infrastructure.
3. User Behavior and Awareness
Track employee security awareness metrics, such as participation in phishing tests or security training. Monitoring these metrics over time ensures that security awareness is effectively integrated into your organization’s culture.
A reduction in successful social engineering attempts after penetration testing indicates improved awareness and better internal security practices.
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Fortify Your Organization's Future With Comprehensive Penetration Testing
Navigating the costs of penetration testing might seem daunting, but understanding the key variables at play empowers you to make informed decisions. By carefully defining your objectives, scope, and budget, and by partnering with the right security professionals like GRSee, you're not just spending money; you're investing in the resilience and longevity of your organization.
In the ever-evolving threat landscape, proactive security measures like penetration testing are no longer optional but fundamental to protecting valuable assets and building a secure future.
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