Penetration Testing · OSCP-Certified Team

Find the vulnerabilities in your environment before someone else does.

Penetration testing is a controlled, manual security assessment in which certified ethical hackers simulate real-world attacks against your systems to find and safely exploit vulnerabilities before criminals do — using human expertise to chain weaknesses together, confirm what is actually exploitable, and deliver prioritized, remediation-ready findings.

Automated scanners find the easy issues. Real attackers find the chained vulnerabilities that scanners miss. Armour Cybersecurity's penetration testing team conducts manual, hands-on testing across networks, applications, cloud infrastructure, and the human attack surface, delivering findings written for executives and detailed remediation guidance written for engineers.

What This Is

Manual penetration testing, not automated scanning.

A penetration test is an authorized simulated attack against your systems, applications, and people, conducted to identify exploitable vulnerabilities the way a real adversary would find them. The point is not to run a scanner and hand you the report. The point is to think like an attacker, chain the findings together, and demonstrate the actual impact a determined adversary could achieve in your environment.

Our consultants are OSCP-certified and bring offensive security experience from intelligence and Big Four backgrounds. Engagements are conducted against documented methodologies including PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard), OWASP Testing Guide for application work, and NIST 800-115 for technical security testing. Findings are reproducible, ranked by real exploitability, and delivered with remediation guidance your engineers can actually act on.

Every engagement is scoped collaboratively. We agree the targets, the rules of engagement, the testing windows, and the escalation procedures before any testing begins. The output is a clear picture of your real exposure and a prioritized path to closing the gaps that matter most.

6
Test types covering external, internal, application, cloud, social engineering, and red team engagements.
OSCP
Offensive Security Certified Professional credentials across the testing team. Manual testing, not automated scanning.
100%
Methodology-aligned. Every engagement runs against PTES, OWASP, or NIST 800-115 depending on scope.
The Reality

Why automated scanning is not penetration testing.

Automated vulnerability scanners are useful for surface-level hygiene but cannot replicate how real adversaries operate. They miss chained vulnerabilities, business logic flaws, and the creative paths attackers actually use to reach what matters.

Relying on scanners alone

  • Surface-level findings without context for what they actually expose.
  • No chaining of low and medium findings into high-impact attack paths.
  • Business logic flaws missed entirely because scanners cannot understand intent.
  • Authentication and authorization issues evaluated mechanically, not adversarially.
  • Cloud misconfigurations identified individually without lateral-movement context.
  • Social engineering and phishing exposure left completely untested.
  • False positives and false negatives that exhaust internal teams without reducing risk.

With Armour Cybersecurity Penetration Testing

  • Manual testing by OSCP-certified consultants who think like adversaries.
  • Chained attack paths that demonstrate real impact, not theoretical exposure.
  • Business logic and authorization flaws found through human creativity.
  • Authentication weaknesses tested adversarially across the full session lifecycle.
  • Cloud misconfigurations evaluated for lateral movement and privilege escalation.
  • Social engineering and phishing exposure tested with the principal's permission.
  • Findings ranked by real exploitability, not generic severity scores.
Test Types We Conduct

Coverage across every attack surface that matters.

Engage individual test types or coordinated multi-vector engagements. Every test is scoped collaboratively and conducted under documented rules of engagement.

01 / EXTERNAL

External Network Penetration Testing

Adversarial testing of internet-facing systems, services, and infrastructure. Identifies the vulnerabilities and exposures a remote attacker would discover and exploit.

02 / INTERNAL

Internal Network Penetration Testing

Assumed-breach testing from inside the network simulating a compromised endpoint or rogue insider. Tests segmentation, lateral movement potential, and privilege escalation paths.

03 / WEB APP

Web Application Testing

Manual application testing aligned to OWASP methodology covering authentication, authorization, business logic, injection, session management, and modern application-specific vulnerabilities.

04 / MOBILE

Mobile Application Testing

iOS and Android application testing covering binary analysis, runtime testing, API exposure, transport security, and mobile-specific vulnerabilities including jailbreak and root detection.

05 / CLOUD

Cloud Infrastructure Testing

AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud testing covering identity and access management, configuration drift, exposed services, and lateral movement potential across cloud and hybrid environments.

06 / SOCIAL

Social Engineering & Phishing

Targeted phishing campaigns, vishing, and physical social engineering scoped to test the human attack surface. Designed to measure awareness and improve resilience, not to embarrass employees.

07 / RED TEAM

Red Team Engagements

Multi-vector adversarial engagements simulating advanced persistent threat scenarios. Goal-oriented testing that measures detection and response capability, not just vulnerability presence.

08 / API

API Penetration Testing

Manual testing of REST, GraphQL, and gRPC APIs covering authentication, authorization, input validation, business logic, and API-specific issues including BOLA, BFLA, and excessive data exposure.

09 / PURPLE

Purple Team Exercises

Collaborative engagements pairing our offensive team with your defensive team. Designed to improve detection, response, and threat-hunting capability through guided live-fire exercises.

Who This Is For

Built for organizations that want to know what they're really exposed to.

Companies pursuing certification

Penetration testing is a common requirement for SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and HIPAA. Our reports are structured for direct use during the formal audit engagement.

Customer or regulatory mandate

Enterprise customers and regulators frequently require independent penetration testing as part of vendor security assessments or ongoing compliance obligations.

Pre-launch and post-major-change

Application launches, infrastructure migrations, and major architecture changes are inflection points where new vulnerabilities are introduced. Testing before exposure prevents costly remediation later.

Mature security programs

Organizations with established security programs that want to validate detection and response capability through purple team or red team engagements rather than checkbox testing.

Our Methodology

A six-phase engagement built on disciplined consulting practice.

Every Armour Cybersecurity penetration testing engagement follows the same standardized phases. The discipline is what makes findings reproducible and remediation actionable.

1

Scoping & Rules of Engagement

Define targets, methodology, testing windows, escalation procedures, and authorized testing boundaries. Documented rules of engagement signed before any testing begins.

2

Reconnaissance & Enumeration

Open-source intelligence gathering, infrastructure discovery, and service enumeration to map the attack surface the way an external adversary would.

3

Vulnerability Identification

Combination of automated scanning and manual analysis to identify potential vulnerabilities. Manual validation removes false positives before exploitation begins.

4

Exploitation & Chaining

Hands-on exploitation of identified vulnerabilities, chained where possible to demonstrate real impact. Conducted within agreed rules of engagement and escalation procedures.

5

Post-Exploitation & Impact Analysis

Evaluate the actual business impact reachable from successful exploitation. Document the path an attacker would take and the assets they could reach.

6

Reporting & Remediation Briefing

Executive summary, technical findings with reproduction steps, ranked remediation guidance, and a remediation briefing with your engineering team to walk through every finding.

What You Receive

Reports written for the people who actually fix the issues.

Every deliverable is structured for direct use by executives, engineers, and external auditors when applicable.

Executive Summary Report

Board-ready narrative covering test scope, key findings, business impact, and prioritized remediation focus areas in non-technical language.

Detailed Technical Findings

Each finding documented with severity, exploitability, reproduction steps, evidence, and clear remediation guidance for engineering teams.

Attack Path Diagrams

Visual documentation of chained vulnerabilities showing how an attacker would move through your environment from initial access to objective.

Ranked Remediation Roadmap

Prioritized remediation plan ranked by real exploitability and business impact, with effort estimation for each finding.

Methodology & Scope Documentation

Detailed documentation of the testing methodology, scope, rules of engagement, and standards applied during the engagement.

Compliance Mapping

Findings mapped to SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other applicable framework requirements for direct use during audits.

Reproduction Evidence Package

Screenshots, payloads, and proof-of-concept evidence allowing your engineering team to reproduce and verify each finding independently.

Remediation Briefing

Live walk-through of every finding with your engineering team. Q&A, clarification, and remediation guidance delivered directly rather than left to a report.

Retest & Validation Report

Optional follow-up engagement to validate that remediation has successfully closed identified findings before subsequent audits or production releases.

Pricing Context

Penetration testing types and typical cost.

What organizations typically invest by test type, based on 2026 US market data. Final pricing depends on scope, environment size, and compliance requirements.

Test typeWhat it coversTypical US cost (2026)
External networkInternet-facing assets — firewalls, VPNs, email gateways, public web servers$4,000 – $15,000
Web applicationOWASP Top 10, authentication flaws, business-logic vulnerabilities$5,000 – $30,000
APIAuthentication, authorization, and API-specific vulnerabilities$5,000 – $20,000
Mobile applicationiOS / Android application security testing$5,000 – $30,000
Cloud / SaaSCloud configuration, multi-tenant SaaS, M365 / Azure / AWS / GCP$5,000 – $35,000
Full red team / complexMulti-vector, objective-based engagements; IoT; product security$50,000 – $150,000

US market, 2026. The average penetration test runs about $18,300; qualified testers typically bill $200–$350 per hour. Figures are market context to help with budgeting — request a scoped quote for pricing specific to your environment.

Why Armour Cybersecurity

The numbers behind the work.

Founded by military intelligence veterans with senior advisors from PwC, KPMG, Deloitte, EY, and Mandiant. The track record reflects the discipline.

260+

Clients Served

Organizations across finance, healthcare, technology, energy, legal, and government trust Armour Cybersecurity to protect what matters.

97%

Client Retention Rate

Long-term engagements built on consistent quality, predictable delivery, and consulting relationships that compound in value over time.

52+

Industries · Worldwide Reach

Cross-sector experience spanning every major regulated industry, with operations supporting clients across North America, Latin America, and beyond.

80+

Cybersecurity Technology Solutions

A vetted catalogue of technology partnerships and proprietary methods deployed in support of every engagement.

Ready to find out what you're really exposed to?

Schedule a no-obligation penetration testing scoping conversation.

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Protecting What Matters.
Frequently Asked

Penetration testing questions, answered directly.

What is penetration testing?
Penetration testing is a simulated cyberattack performed by certified security professionals to identify and safely exploit vulnerabilities in your networks, applications, and systems. It goes beyond automated scanning by using human expertise to confirm which weaknesses are genuinely exploitable and how an attacker could chain them together.
What is the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing?
Vulnerability scanning is automated identification of known issues across your environment. Penetration testing is manual, adversarial testing conducted by humans who chain findings together to demonstrate real impact. Both are useful, but they answer very different questions. Most compliance frameworks require penetration testing specifically because scanners alone are insufficient.
Which methodologies do you follow?
We align engagements to PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard) for general engagements, OWASP Testing Guide and OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide for application work, and NIST 800-115 for technical security testing. Methodology selection is documented in the rules of engagement before testing begins.
What credentials does your testing team hold?
Our consultants hold Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) credentials at minimum, with senior consultants holding additional offensive certifications. We focus on practical offensive capability rather than checkbox certifications, and our consultants come from intelligence and Big Four backgrounds.
Will testing disrupt production?
Disruption risk is managed through documented rules of engagement, agreed testing windows, and pre-defined escalation procedures. Most engagements proceed without operational disruption. Higher-risk testing such as denial-of-service testing is conducted only when explicitly scoped and authorized.
How is scope determined?
Scope is defined collaboratively during the scoping phase. We confirm target systems, applications, networks, or social engineering targets; testing methodology; testing windows; escalation contacts; and authorized boundaries. Everything is documented and signed before any testing begins.
How long does a penetration test take?
Most engagements run two to four weeks depending on scope and test type. External and internal network testing typically completes in two weeks. Web application and cloud testing typically run two to three weeks. Red team and purple team engagements run longer based on objectives.
How much does a penetration test cost?
In 2026, most US penetration tests cost between $4,000 and $35,000, with an average around $18,300; complex red team or product-security engagements can exceed $50,000 to $150,000. Testers typically bill $200 to $350 per hour. Cost is driven by scope (number of IPs, applications, and users), engagement type (black-box, grey-box, or white-box), and compliance requirements such as a formal report and remediation retest.
How often should a business get a penetration test?
Most organizations should conduct a penetration test at least annually, and again after any major change such as a new application launch, infrastructure migration, merger, or significant code release. Compliance frameworks like PCI DSS and SOC 2 generally require testing on an annual basis at minimum.
Will my report be acceptable for SOC 2 or ISO 27001 audits?
Yes. Our reports are structured for direct use during SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other framework audits. Findings are mapped to applicable framework requirements and the methodology documentation satisfies typical assessor expectations.
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