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Understanding Penetration Testing Cost and Factors Affecting It

Quick Summary: Penetration testing is an essential activity that helps discover security weaknesses by conducting hacker-style tests. The cost of conducting pen tests varies depending on the different use cases. Understanding the cost and its factors is crucial to determining how much you must spend to optimize your budget. This blog provides detailed information on pen testing costs to help make informed decisions.
Penetration testing plays a vital role in your cyber security strategy. It uncovers hidden loopholes and weaknesses that lead to security breaches and data compromises.
If you want to conduct pen tests for your organization, you would like to know how much it costs in the penetration testing process to make the right budget and allocate resources.
The average penetration testing cost ranges from $5,000 to $55,000. However, there is no fixed cost because it varies with the complexity of the target, the number of targets, the testing scope, and many other factors.
To understand the actual pen testing cost in your context, you need to know the different related aspects. This information will aid in budgeting for your cybersecurity initiative.
Let’s see a full breakdown of penetration testing costs in this blog.
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On This Page
- Factors That Affect the Cost of Pen Testing
- Penetration Testing Cost by Type
- Breakdown of the Cost by Methodologies
- Automated vs Manual Pen Testing
- Save Time and Cost with ZeroThreat
What Factors Are Affecting the Penetration Testing Cost?
There isn’t a single factor that affects the penetration testing cost, rather, it is influenced by a number of factors. Depending on the role of these factors, you can see a stark difference in pen testing pricing across vendors. Let’s check out these factors to know more about how they affect the cost.
Types of Targets
Your pentesting cost will be influenced by the type and number of targets you choose for the pen test. So, the cost varies depending on whether you pen test a web app, a network, a cloud platform, an API, or any other asset. Since they differ in features, structure, purpose, and implementation, they require different pen testing approaches that cause a fair variation in costs.
Pentesting Methodology
Often, pen testers use different techniques and methods to conduct security assessments. The method being used in pen testing also plays an important role in costing. For instance, a method in which a tester doesn’t have knowledge about the target is likely to cost more than one with a certain knowledge. In the former case, the tester will require additional time and effort, which will translate into increased pricing.
Complexity of the Target
The complex structure of the target will make pen testing more time-consuming and intricate. As a result, the pen tester will have to think innovatively to discover and exploit vulnerabilities. This will also affect the cost of penetration testing. For instance, pen testing a simple web app can be less costly than a JavaScript-heavy application with lots of components and features.
Compliance Requirements
Compliance-based penetration testing is crucial for many organizations within highly regulated industries like fintech, healthcare, and pharma. As a result, pen testing services will cost more in the case of businesses operating in these industries.
Cost of Pen Testing by Type
Your penetration testing cost is significantly influenced by the type of pen testing you seek. For instance, penetration testing pricing for a web application and a network are not the same.
So, the real cost depends on which type of pen testing you need, whether to pentest a network, a web app, or anything else.
The following table concisely shows estimated costs depending on different penetration testing types.
Type | Scope | Estimated Cost | Determining Factors |
---|---|---|---|
Web Application Pen Testing | Web-based applications | $3,000 - $50,000 per Pentest | App’s complexity and scale, third-party integrations, and number. |
API Penetration Testing | Public and private APIs | $5,000 - $25,000 per Pentest | Number of endpoints and complexity. |
Network Penetration Testing | Firewalls, server configurations, protocols, internal and external networks | $5,000 - $30,000 per Pentest | Number of IPs, architecture, depth of testing. |
Mobile App Pen Testing | Authentication and authorization, data encryption, data handling | $2,000 - $30,000 per Pentest | App’s complexity, platforms, and architecture. |
Cloud Penetration Testing | Microservices, APIs, containers, databases, and Identity and Access Management (IAM) | $10,000 - $50,000 per Pentest | Number of cloud servers and compliance. |
Social Engineering Pen Testing | Assesses employee awareness and susceptibility to cyberattacks | $4,000 - $10,000 per Pentest | Organization’s size and number of attack vectors. |
Wireless Penetration Testing | Access controls, encryption protocols, and device configurations | $5,000 - $20,000 | Number of access points, network complexity, scope, and compliance. |
Now that you have an overview of estimated pentesting costs in different cases, let’s have a detailed look at each of these factors.
Web Application Penetration Testing
Web application pen testing is a security assessment technique that uses simulated cyberattacks to uncover risks. It identifies and exploits vulnerabilities like SQL injection in the target application to discover exploitable weak spots.
The average penetration testing cost is $15,000. Moreover, the cost depends on various factors like:
- The larger or more complex the web app is, the higher the cost.
- The depth of testing, such as the number of functionalities tested.
- Pen testing methodology.
API Penetration Testing
API pen testing is a planned attack on application programming interfaces to discover weaknesses in security controls. It aims to evaluate the strength of APIs against various cyber threats. APIs are a gateway to sensitive data, making them a critical attack vector. So, pentesting is crucial to ensure their security.
For APIs, the average pentest cost is $10,000, which varies with the:
- The number of endpoints.
- The methodology used for testing.
- Complexity of the API.
Network Penetration Testing
Network pen testing helps assess the internal and external networks of your organization to identify potential weaknesses. It evaluates your networks to discover security misconfigurations, open ports, outdated software, and more.
The average network penetration testing cost is $12,000, which can fluctuate with
- The size of the network.
- The more extensive the test is, the higher the cost it will incur.
- Compliance requirements.
Mobile App Penetration Testing
It is an offensive mobile app security testing involving attacks and exploiting vulnerabilities. Mobile application pen testing helps discover common security weaknesses, such as authentication and authorization issues. The average pentest cost for mobile apps is around $15,000, which varies with:
- Application complexity.
- Platforms to be tested, like iOS and Android.
- Depth of testing.
- Methodology of testing used.
Cloud Penetration Testing
Cloud pen testing evaluates cloud environments where your applications and data reside, including public and private clouds. It helps discover weaknesses that could expose critical data. It provides insights into the possible impact and severity of vulnerability. On average, the cost of cloud pen testing is $15,000, and it varies due to:
- Complexity of the cloud environment.
- Number of cloud accounts.
- Compliance requirements.
- Testing scope.
Social Engineering Pen Testing
It is a kind of pen testing that evaluates the potential risk of human errors and negligence. It helps discover the risks of phishing attacks, BEC (Business Email Compromise), vishing, and spear phishing. Social engineering pen testing involves the tester trying to trick employees into revealing sensitive data by inadvertently clicking on a malicious link or image. The average cost of a penetration test for social engineering is around $5,000, which varies with:
- The larger the group size for social engineering testing, the higher the cost it will incur.
- Multiple attack methods like phishing, vishing, and BEC can increase costs.
- Employees having access to highly sensitive data require in-depth tests, leading to higher cost.
Wireless Penetration Testing
It involves hacker-like techniques to evaluate your wireless network for potential weaknesses that could allow a bad actor to penetrate the network. It helps discover flaws in configurations, encryption, and access controls. The cost of wireless pen testing is $8,000 on average and it varies with:
- The size and complexity of the network.
- The depth of testing.
- Compliance requirements.
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Cost Break Down for Different Pen Testing Methodologies
Pen testing methodologies provide different perspectives of testing, and they determine the level of knowledge a tester will have about the target. These methodologies not only play a role in pen testing itself but also influence the overall cost of pentesting. The following breakdown of the cost, as per different methodologies, helps you understand how it works.
White Box Testing
The tester receives full information about the target in white box pen testing. The tester has access to the source code and knowledge about its environment. As a result, the tester can create test cases based on this knowledge. It is relatively quicker and more convenient because the tester can predict the potential risks. So, the cost is likely to be lower compared to other methodologies.
Black Box Testing
Black box testing is the opposite of white box testing. So, in this method, the pen tester receives no information about the target and works innovatively to identify and exploit vulnerabilities. In this case, the tester has to put more effort and spend more time on reconnaissance. As a result, pen testing is likely to cost more than other methodologies.
Gray Box Testing
This method takes a balanced approach, with the pen tester having partial knowledge of the target. So, the cost also must be between what it costs for white box and black box testing. In this case, the tester has some knowledge, but he also has to put some effort into gathering intelligence.
The following table summarizes the pen testing pricing based on different methodologies.
Methodology | Cost |
---|---|
White Box Testing | $300 - $1,000 |
Black Box Testing | $3,000 - $50,000 |
Gray Box Testing | $300 - $50,000 |
Automated vs Manual Penetration Testing
When it comes to pen testing, there are two techniques – automated and manual. Automated pen testing is conducted by specialized software with predefined test cases and uses a database of common vulnerabilities. It requires minimal human intervention.
On the contrary, manual pen tests are performed by skilled professionals, often ethical hackers. They create test cases innovatively and try to find out potentially exploitable weaknesses. The pen test may use a few tools to automate certain tasks. This is useful for discovering complex vulnerabilities.
Talking of the cost of pentesting, the automated method is cheaper and quicker. It can easily be performed by anyone. Manual pen tests require specialized knowledge that makes them comparatively more expensive.
Automated pen testing can be quite beneficial when you need constant security checks, such as in the case of frequent software updates. It enables you to swiftly discover vulnerabilities and mitigate risks on time. Manual pen tests are slow but offer in-depth assessments.
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Save Time and Cost with ZeroThreat
Automated penetration testing can help reduce costs as it offers a much lower price for a hacker-like pen testing service. Besides, it can reduce efforts in manual penetration testing, which further lowers costs and minimizes the time needed to complete the process.
ZeroThreat is a trusted and powerful automated pen testing tool with next-gen features and an AI-powered crawler. It discovers a wide range of vulnerabilities, most accurately including OWASP Top 10 and CWE 25, by performing simulated attacks.
The most striking benefit of using ZeroThreat is that it helps reduce manual pen testing by 90%. So, you can minimize your efforts in manual pen tests by 90% as well as the costs. It is capable of detecting vulnerabilities with near-zero false positives, making it the most reliable tool for pen testing.
Take a look at it to know more about its benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of pen testing per hour?
Pen testing in the USA can cost around $40 per hour. However, the actual fees vary depending on the experience of the pen tester, certifications, tools, and skills.
How much time does it take to conduct pen tests?
Does the size of an organization influence the cost of pentesting?
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