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Definition

What is VAPT?

VAPT, short for Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, is a comprehensive security testing approach aimed at identifying and addressing cyber security vulnerabilities. By combining both vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, VAPT provides a thorough analysis to strengthen your organisation’s cyber security.

The meaning of VAPT can vary from one geographical region to another, either as a bracket for multiple distinct services, or a single, combined offering. VAPT as a whole could include anything from automated vulnerability assessments to human-led penetration testing and red team operations.

Overview

The value of VAPT

VAPT describes a broad range of security assessment services designed to identify and help address cyber security exposures across an organisation’s IT estate.

To ensure that you choose the right type of assessment for your company’s needs, it’s important to understand the various types of VAPT services and the differences between them. The diverse nature of VAPT assessments means that they can vary significantly in depth, breadth, scope and price, so this understanding is critical to ensure tests deliver the best value for money.

Threats penetrating security defences

About

Why do you need VAPT?

The evolving tools, tactics and procedures used by cybercriminals to breach networks means that it’s important to regularly test your organisation’s cyber security.

VAPT helps to protect your organisation by providing visibility of security weaknesses and guidance to address them. VAPT is increasingly important for organisations wanting to achieve compliance with standards including the GDPR, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS.

Services

VAPT Services

The broad definition of VAPT means the various services it describes are often confused and used interchangeably. Before commissioning any form of VAPT security testing, organisations should be aware of the services an assessment could include:

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing, or pen testing for short, is a multi-layered security assessment that uses a combination of machine and human-led techniques to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in infrastructure, systems and applications.

A pen test conducted by a professional ethical hacker will include a post-assessment report detailing any vulnerabilities discovered and remediation guidance to help address them.

Types of penetration testing:

Vulnerability Assessment

A vulnerability assessment, often encompassing vulnerability scanning, is designed to help identify, classify and address security risks. Vulnerability assessment services also provide the ongoing support and advice needed to best mitigate any risks identified.

Red Team Operations

A red team operation is the most in-depth security assessment available. By utilising modern adversarial techniques and intelligence, red teaming simulates the approach of real-life adversaries to test an organisation’s ability to detect and respond to persistent threats.

VAPT providers

Choosing a VAPT provider

When selecting a VAPT provider, it’s essential to look for an organisation with the necessary accreditations, expertise and experience to not only identify risks, but also provide the support needed to address them.

As an award-winning and CREST-accredited provider of offensive security services, Redscan can be trusted to meet your VAPT requirements. Our security consultants are among the highest qualified in the industry, so you can be confident that a Redscan VAPT engagement will provide the outcomes and complete post-test care needed to level up your organisation’s cyber security.

A range of security assessment services

Expertise

Our security qualifications

Types

Types of Penetration Testing

Network Infrastructure Testing

Redscan rigorously investigates your network to identify and exploit a wide range of security vulnerabilities. This enables us to establish if assets such as data can be compromised, classify the risks posed to your overall cyber security, prioritise vulnerabilities to be addressed, and recommend actions to mitigate risks identified.

Web Application Testing

Web applications play a vital role in business success and are an attractive target for cybercriminals. Redscan’s ethical hacking services include website and web app penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities including SQL injection and cross-site scripting problems plus flaws in application logic and session management flows.

Cloud Penetration Testing

With specific rules of engagement set by each provider, cloud penetration testing is not straightforward. Our range of custom cloud security assessments can help your organisation overcome these challenges by uncovering and addressing vulnerabilities that could leave critical assets exposed.

Wireless Testing

Unsecured wireless networks can enable attackers to enter your network and steal valuable data. Wireless penetration testing identifies vulnerabilities, quantifies the damage these could cause and determines how they should be remediated.

Social Engineering

People continue to be one of the weakest links in an organisation’s cyber security. Redscan’s social engineering pen test service includes a range of email phishing engagements designed to assess the ability of your systems and personnel to detect and respond to a simulated attack exercise.

Mobile Security Testing

Mobile app usage is on the rise, with more and more companies enabling customers to conveniently access their services via tablets and smartphones. Redscan carries out in-depth mobile application assessments based on the latest development frameworks and security testing tools.

Agile pen testing

The benefits of an agile methodology

Agile pen testing is a method of integrating regular testing into your software development lifecycle (SDLC), rather than testing at infrequent points in time. This form of continuous pen testing works with release schedules to ensure that new features are secure and don’t translate into risk for your customers.

Learn more about agile pen testing

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Meet some of our team

Faisal
“Our remit is to think creatively to find solutions that will help keep your organisation more secure. We’re continually improving our knowledge of how adversaries think so that we can better identify security weaknesses and enhance detection of new and emerging threats.”
Faisal
Security Consultant
Philip Veness
“We aim to make sure that your organisation gets the best possible value from a pen test. We'll talk you through the assessment at every stage and answer any questions you might have along the way.”  

 

Philip
Security Consultant
Teiss Awards 2020 Winner

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Chief Research Officer

As Chief Research Officer in Kroll's Cyber Risk team, Mark is responsible for driving continuous improvements to our services. One of the UK’s leading security professionals, Mark is a lifetime CREST fellow.