Most teams approach network penetration testing the same way: pick a few well-known tools, run automated scans, and call it a day. But in today’s evolving threat landscape, that is a losing strategy. Attackers do not just rely on off-the-shelf exploits but adapt, chain vulnerabilities, and find gaps that automated tools miss.
CTOs and engineering leaders need to rethink their approach with respect to context, strategy, and how they integrate into your security workflow. A toolset that works for a compliance-driven assessment will not necessarily cut it for real-world threat emulation.
In this article, instead of another generic list of companies, we will break down the most effective network penetration testing companies based on use cases, integration capabilities, and how they fit into a modern security strategy.
Top Network Pentesting Companies
What are Network Penetration Testing Companies?
Network pentesting companies help identify an organization’s infrastructure vulnerabilities by simulating real-world attacks, providing you critical insights into misconfigurations, outdated systems, and exploitable weaknesses.
The best network pentesting companies enable proactive risk mitigation and ensure compliance with security standards across industries and geographies to protect business-critical assets and data.
Why Astra is the best in Third-Party Pentesting?
- We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind PTaaS platform with SOC 2 vulnerability tags.
- Vetted scans ensure zero false positives. to avoid delays.
- Our intelligent vulnerability scanner emulates hacker behavior with 10,000+ tests to help achieve continuous compliance
- Astra’s scanner helps you simplify remediation by integrating with your CI/CD
- Our platform helps you uncover, manage & fix vulnerabilities in one place
- We offer 2 rescans to help you verify ptaches and generate a clean report
- Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.
Top 3 Network Pentesting Companies Compared
| Features | Astra | Nessus | OpenVAS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | Online | Online | Local, Docker, Cloud |
| Capabilities | Expert-led & AI-augmented pentests for networks, workspaces, & IoT devices | Automated web application & network pentesting | Automated web application & network pentesting |
| Remediation Support | Yes | Yes (at additional cost) | No |
| Compliance | HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001 | HIPAA, ISO, NIST, PCI-DSS | PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and other frameworks |
| Integrations | Slack, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, CircleCI, Jenkins | AWS, Microsoft, Splunk | Various SIEM tools |
| Pricing | Starts at $5999/yr | Starts from $5,180.20/ year | Open-source |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 |
Best Network Penetration Testing Companies in 2025
1. Astra Pentest
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Expert-led and AI-augmented pentests for networks, workspaces, & IOT devices
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001
- Integrations: Slack, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, Circle CI, Jenkins, etc.
- Price: Starts at $5999/ yr
- Rating on G2: 4.5 out of 5
Astra’s network penetration testing services continuously assess network infrastructure, identifying misconfigurations, open ports, rogue services, and exploitable vulnerabilities. Our AI-powered test cases and manual validation ensure accurate detection of security gaps, eliminating false positives.
With 10,000+ AI-augmented security checks, Astra simulates real-world attack scenarios to uncover firewalls, VPNs, and internal network weaknesses. As one of the leading network pentesting companies, its seamless integration with CI/CD tools, real-time reporting, and post-remediation rescans help security teams maintain a hardened network against evolving threats.
Pros:
- AI-powered test cases for improved manual pentesting
- Zero false positives (with vetted scans)
- Integrations with Slack, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, and Jenkins
- Publically verifiable certifications post 2 free rescans
- Unlimited automated scans for existing and emerging CVEs
- CXO-friendly dashboard with a dedicated CSM
- Customizable reports for management and developers, respectively
Limitations:
- Trial starts at $7
Astra Pentest is built by the team of experts that helped secure Microsoft, Adobe, Facebook, and Buffer
2. Nessus
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Automated web application and network pentesting
- Remediation Support: Yes (at additional cost)
- Compliance: HIPAA, ISO, NIST, PCI-DSS
- Integrations: AWS, Microsoft, Splunk
- Price: Starts from $5,180.20/ year
- Rating on G2: 4.5 out of 5
Under the Tenable umbrella, Nessus is a promising network vulnerability assessment tool that helps security teams detect, prioritize, and remediate weaknesses using automated scans for misconfigurations, missing patches, and malware across diverse environments, through CVSS v4, EPSS, and Tenable’s VPR for risk-based management.
With extensive pre-built policies, customizable reporting, and continuous threat updates, Nessus delivers high-accuracy scanning with minimal false positives—making it a trusted choice for penetration testers and security professionals worldwide.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Offers extensive automation and reporting capabilities
Limitations:
- Larger scans can cause downtime in operations
- Can be expensive
3. OpenVAS
Key Features
- Platform: Local, Docker, and Cloud
- Capabilities: Automated web application and network pentesting
- Remediation Support: No
- Compliance: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and other compliance frameworks
- Integrations: Various SIEM tools
- Price: Open-source tool
- Rating on G2: 4.4 out of 5
OpenVAS is an open-source scanner under the GVM framework, designed to identify security weaknesses across networks and web applications by leveraging a comprehensive CVE database to detect misconfigurations, outdated software, and exploitable flaws while streamlining security assessments with built-in automation and scheduling.
Its flexible deployment across local, containerized, and cloud environments alongside seamless integration capabilities simplify adoption while supporting credentialed and uncredentialed scans, enabling deep analysis of internal and external threats.
Pros:
- Offers multiple deployment options
Limitations:
- It can be resource-intensive.
- Necessitates technical expertise for configuration
4. Nmap
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Open source network pentesting tools for security engineers
- Remediation Support: No
- Compliance: None
- Integrations: None
- Price: Open-source tool
- Rating on G2: 3.8 out of 5
As the name suggests, Nmap, or Network Mapper, is a powerful open-source network scanning tool that maps network structures, identifies open ports, and detects running services on target systems.
Its OS detection feature provides deeper intelligence on host environments, while version detection and the Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) enable automated, customizable security testing.
Pros:
- Houses an active community
- Offers great versatility in application
Limitations:
- Requires some technical knowledge
- Aggressive scanning techniques can be intrusive
5. Sophos NDR
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Automated traffic analysis to pinpoint network anomalies, insider threats, & zero-days
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: HIPAA, CIS, PCI-DSS, and SOX
- Integrations: Microsoft, AWS, and Crowdstrike
- Price: Available on quote
- Rating on G2: 4.6 out of 5
As one of the best network vulnerability & penetration testing companies, Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR) provides continuous visibility into network activity, detecting threats beyond firewalls and endpoints. Going beyond traditional pentests, it identifies rogue assets, unmanaged devices, zero-day attacks, and insider threats using AI-driven detection and deep packet inspection.
Integrated with Sophos Firewall, XDR, and MDR, it enables real-time automated threat response while analyzing (un)encrypted traffic empowers you to enhance network security, reducing reliance on manual pentesting.
Pros:
- Scan networks and connected IOT devices
- Offers continuous monitoring
Limitations:
- Can trigger false positives
- Integration with certain network models can be at an additional cost
6. Symantec
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Automated network security visibility with real-time threat detection and forensics.
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: ISO, SOC, PCI-DSS, and GDPR
- Integrations: JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, and more
- Price: Available on quote
- Rating on G2: 4.3 out of 5
Symantec’s network penetration testing companies simulate real-world attack scenarios to identify vulnerabilities across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid infrastructures, leveraging solutions like Secure Web Gateway and Advanced Threat Protection for deep traffic inspection, threat isolation, and policy-driven access controls.
It sandboxing and deep file inspection help detect zero-days while exposing hidden attack vectors with network forensics and encrypted traffic analysis. Most importantly, its integrated security analytics reduce the attack surface and strengthen network resilience.
Pros:
- Offers full packet capture and real-time threat intelligence
- Enables continuous monitoring and rapid incident response
Limitations:
- Necessitates high resources that may slow down systems
- Can be expensive for SMBs
7. Arctic Wolf Aurora
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Automated network pentesting at scale among other assets
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and ISO
- Integrations: Azure IaaS, Microsoft, AWS, and Okta
- Price: Available on quote
- Rating on G2: 4.46 out of 5
As one of the rising network security penetration testing companies, Arctic Wolf’s network penetration testing services go beyond routine assessments by leveraging their Security Operations Cloud to provide real-time threat detection and response using continuous monitoring, risk management, and security awareness training to create a resilient security framework.
Unlike one-off tests that offer a real-time snapshot, the 24/7 MDR and Concierge Security Team provide ongoing insights to help you proactively identify vulnerabilities. In the event of a breach, its incident response services enable swift recovery while strengthening long-term security posture.
Pros:
- Offers quality real-time monitoring
- Quick turnaround on vulnerabilities detected
Limitations:
- The UI for some web consoles is a bit dated
- Steep learning curve especially for the risk dashboard
8. Sciencesoft
Key Features
- Platform: Online
- Capabilities: Web, mobile applications, network, IoT pentesting
- Remediation Support: Yes
- Compliance: HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and ISO 27001
- Integrations: Slack, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, Circle CI, Jenkins, etc.
- Price: Available on quote
- Rating on G2: 4.7 out of 5
With more than two decades of expertise in network penetration testing companies, Sciensoft offers black, white, and grey-box testing to identify weak encryption, misconfigurations, and inadequate access controls.
With clients spanning BFSI, healthcare, telecom, and beyond, the ISO 27001-certified provider stimulates real-world attacks to deliver actionable reports to businesses to fortify their network security.
Pros:
- Easy to use dashboard
Limitations:
- Lacks direct access to database
- Has a risk of downtime
No other pentest product combines automated scanning + expert guidance like we do.
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How to Choose Network Penetration Testing Companies
Align with Organizational Goals
Security companies should serve business objectives, not the other way around. If your company operates in a high-compliance industry, your tool should provide clear evidence for auditors and regulators.
If uptime is a priority, it should simulate real-world attacks without disrupting operations. A tool that looks great in a demo but doesn’t align with your business risks will become shelfware.
Plan for Scalability and Growth
Your infrastructure is growing, and your pentesting tool needs to keep up. Run a proof of concept against your largest environments. Check how it handles cloud, hybrid, and on-prem networks. Stress-test automation features to see if they reduce manual effort or create more work. If a tool struggles under load or locks scalability behind expensive add-ons, walk away.
Precision vs Speed
Run test scans and analyze the output. Measure how quickly the tool identifies vulnerabilities and how much noise it creates. Track the false positive rate and assess how much time security teams spend verifying results instead of fixing real issues. A tool that slows teams down with excessive triage is a liability.
Seamless Integration into Your Security Ecosystem
Look for seamless integration with SIEMs, SOAR platforms, vulnerability management systems, and developer workflows. Set up automated data transfers and verify that remediation steps can be assigned directly to engineering teams. Reject any network penetration testing companies that forces security findings into static reports or standalone dashboards.
Evaluate Vendor Trustworthiness
Go beyond marketing claims. Demand transparency into how vulnerabilities are identified, validated, and updated. Scrutinize the vendor’s track record for delivering timely updates and real-world attack simulations.
Speak with current customers to assess reliability and support quality. If a vendor struggles to provide clear answers on methodology, innovation, or responsiveness, they are not the right fit.
Make your SaaS Platform the safest place on the Internet.
With our detailed and specially curated SaaS security checklist.
Final Thoughts
Selecting a network penetration testing company is not just about features; rather, it is about precision, efficiency, and how well it integrates with your existing tech and workflow.
Tools such as Astra offer AI-driven validation, Nessus and OpenVAS provide robust scanning and continuous monitoring solutions like Sophos NDR, and Arctic Wolf adds an extra layer of defense beyond traditional pentesting.
Security isn’t static, and neither should your pentesting strategy be. Attackers adapt, and so must you. Invest in companies that provide real-world threat validation, actionable insights, and seamless integrations. Anything less leaves your business exposed to avoidable risk.
FAQs
What is network penetration testing?
Network penetration testing is a simulated cyberattack that evaluates security defenses by identifying vulnerabilities in networks, systems, and devices. Ethical hackers exploit weaknesses to assess risks, helping organizations strengthen security, prevent breaches, and ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
What is network testing tool?
A network testing tool assesses a network’s performance, security, and reliability by identifying vulnerabilities, monitoring traffic, and analyzing protocols. It helps detect issues like latency, packet loss, or misconfigurations, ensuring optimal functionality, security compliance, and resilience against cyber threats in diverse network environments.
