Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT)

Understanding VAPT and the benefits for your business

Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) describes a broad range of security testing services designed to help identify and eliminate cyber security exposures.

In order to ensure that you choose the right type of assessment for your organisation’s needs, it’s important to understand 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 care must be taken to ensure your expectations will be met.

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What is VAPT?

VAPT is a term often used to describe security testing that is designed to identify and help address cyber security vulnerabilities. This could include anything from automated vulnerability assessments to human-led penetration testing and full-scale red team simulated cyber-attacks.

Why do you need VAPT?

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

By providing visibility of security weaknesses, VAPT helps to protect your business and provide the intelligence needed to efficiently allocate security resources.

VAPT is increasingly important for organisations wanting to achieve compliance with standards including the GDPR, ISO 27001/2 and PCI DSS.

VAPT services

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

Vulnerability Assessment

Vulnerability assessments, or vulnerability scans, use specialist, automated testing tools to scan an environment for known vulnerabilities and report on identified issues. This is often a cost-effective way to quickly identify common risks, but is no substitute for more comprehensive, human-led testing

Learn more about Vulnerability Assessments

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 across an organisation’s internal and external infrastructure, systems and applications. A pen test conducted by a specialist provider will include a custom report detailing any vulnerabilities discovered as well as how to address them.

Penetration testing can include:

- Network pen testing
- Web application testing
- Mobile application testing
- Build and configuration review

Red Teaming

A red team operation is the most in-depth security assessment available. By utilising modern adversarial techniques and replicating the highly-targeted and persistent approach of criminal adversaries, red teaming simulates the conditions of real-life cyber-attacks to comprehensively test an organisation’s ability to detect and respond to threats over a period of weeks and months.

Learn more about Red Team Operations

Choosing the right
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 a broad range of 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 ethical hackers among the highest qualified in the industry, so you can be confident that a Redscan VAPT engagement will provide you with the detailed threat information, complete post-test care and clear advice needed to help significantly enhance your organisation’s cyber security.

What our customers say

"We have been very impressed by the quality of Redscan’s engagement, communication and reporting. We will not hesitate to use them for any future testing requirements."

Will Twiss

Information Security Officer, LDF

“Redscan has given us a third party stamp of approval for our IT security and the reassurance to know we are as secure as possible.”

Glen Tamcken

IT Manager, WMBA

"Redscan’s hands on approach identified security flaws that had previously been overlooked by other vendors"

Andrew Jobson

Technical Operations Manager, Sporting Index

"Should I need any security testing again in the future, Redscan would be my first port of call!"

Stuart Barea

Project Analyst/Developer, STM Life

"Redscan's cost effective service gives us peace of mind that we are doing all we can to protect our clients, our business, our staff, our counterparties and other partners"

Ben Lloyd

Head of IT Infrastructure, TT International

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Vulnerability Assessment and Pen Testing (VAPT)

Understanding VAPT and the benefits for your business

What is VAPT?

Why do you need VAPT?

VAPT services

Choosing the right VAPT provider

Choosing the right
VAPT provider