Data breaches have become a daily occurrence in the news cycle. Whether its an MNC, a local hospital, or a government agency, the fear of data breaches has driven a new wave of cyber security spending as organizations invest in tools and pentesting contracts to prevent, detect, and respond to attacks.
Cybercriminals, on the other hand, are becoming better at their craft. As the value of stolen data grows, the incentive to breach also increases, and the threat is no longer a matter of “if” but only of “when” and “how big.”
As such, penetration testing contracts are a great way to analyze an organization’s IT Infrastructure and protect its data and reputation from bad actors such as Hackers. Let’s take a deeper look at the same.
What is a Penetration Testing Contract?
A penetration testing contract is an agreement between the client and the penetration tester, who performs the penetration testing on the desired application or network. It is similar to any other contract. A penetration testing contract contains various elements that both the pentesting organization and a client are mutually agreed upon. An example pentesting contract may contain a consistent date for the commencement of pentesting, scope of work, service level agreement, potential pentesting completion date, and so on… It will also include the other terms and conditions as well as pricing details.
Why do you Need a Penetration Testing Contract?
If you use IT services or are involved in IT security, you might have the same question. Penetration testing is a service where a security tester tries to find security flaws in your company’s information systems.
Security is becoming a top priority for businesses. Bad actors are getting increasingly creative in how they steal and monetize data, which has become a significant concern for companies. It’s a whole different ball game in the world of cybersecurity. The bad actors are very creative and often use the same techniques repeatedly but in another way. That’s why it is such a challenge for security professionals.
What is even more challenging is that businesses typically have developers trying to make their applications more secure, but they don’t have any security people to help them. They need to know how to do it themselves. This gap is exceptionally high, and so the need to cover the same is critical.
Why Astra is the best in pentesting?
- We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind pentest platform.
- Vetted scans ensure zero false positives.
- Our intelligent vulnerability scanner emulates hacker behavior & evolves with every pentest.
- Astra’s scanner helps you shift left by integrating with your CI/CD.
- Our platform helps you uncover, manage & fix vulnerabilities in one place.
- Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.
10 Things to Note in Your Penetration Testing Contract
Let’s break this part into two different sections and understand what needs to be considered when getting a penetration testing contract.
- What should be the contents of your penetration testing contract?
- Things you should do before entering into your penetration testing contract/initiating a penetration test.
I. What Should be the Contents of the Penetration Testing Contract?
1. Scope of the test
A Scope of Work is a document created by a customer for a service provider to outline the deliverables the service provider will produce for the customer.
In a penetration testing engagement, the Scope of Work may include a description of what is to be tested and how it will be tested. The scope of work document also contains details of assets, that should not be tested while performing a pentest and essentials included in pentest reports.
2. Time Frame & Milestones
The work time frame is one of the main considerations that everyone should agree on before beginning a penetration test. The client wants the pentester to complete the test quickly; the pentester intends to take his time to be thorough. Neither side is wrong, but each wants their way.
When both sides agree to something like ‘2 weeks for the risk assessment, 1 week for the penetration test, 1 week for the report’, everyone wins. The client gets the report on time; the pentester gets to be thorough.
The client can also see the pentester’s progress and how the budget is being spent. The pentester can go into more detail for the client, and the client can budget more time if they want a more detailed report.
3. End of Contract
The client should ensure the testing firm has a proven track record of successful data security audits. If the client is unsatisfied with the services rendered, there should be a provision to terminate the contract without any penalties.
In addition, the client should have the right to request a refund.
4. Payment Details
Client payment terms are one of the things that you should ensure are clearly outlined in your contract. The amount should be paid based on the agreed testing period. The payment terms should also outline how the payment will be made to the third-party contractor.
For instance, the contract should specify whether payment will be made as a lump sum or an installment.
5. Key Deliverables
A key deliverable is any product or service based on your project’s goals. Make sure the penetration testing contract correctly outlines the deliverables with respect to assets to be tested, such as web app, API, cloud, etc., the contractor provides to the company.
6. Weekly Updates
Since the penetration test involves many unknowns and uncertainties, it is essential to get regular updates from the testing team and the client organization.
The client organization should also immediately report any detected issues to the testing team. Communication is essential in this sort of security testing to keep the client organization informed of the testing progress.
II. Things You Should do Before Entering into Initiating a Penetration Test
7. Prepare Documentation Map and Assets List
Create a list of assets and documents that should be available to the penetration testing team. It is essential to ensure the team has access to the correct information about your website and its environment.
8. Create a Staging Environment (If necessary) and Dummy Accounts
If the pentest is to be performed on a staging environment, ensure it has an exact number of functionalities that are the same as those of the main application. Generate dummy credentials such as application login credentials, AWS credentials (If Cloud Infra is in the contract), etc.
9. Notify your customers
There is a high chance that the pentest might affect your customers. Email all your customers who may be using that software or application, detailing the pentest and any planned or expected downtime.
10. Alert your Developers
Based on the methodology, the pentest team would need support from the development team to understand the applications that they have made. It is highly recommended for both parties to maintain open communication and be on the same page.
How Much Does an Average Penetration Testing Contract Cost?
Pinpointing the exact cost of a penetration testing contract can be tricky. While the range falls between $2,500 and $50,000, several factors influence the final price. The cost varies from one company to another and depends on the number of assets involved in the test, complexity, and duration.
The monthly web app penetration testing with Astra Security costs $199.
Why Should Astra’s Security Professionals be Handling Your Security?
Penetration Testing is a sensitive job that requires trained and experienced individuals. Therefore, the best way to conduct penetration testing is to outsource it to an experienced penetration testing company.
Astra is a team of highly skilled security engineers whose only job is to keep your application secure from attackers.
Astra offers an optimum level of security to any kind of asset of your organization, such as cloud infrastructure, blockchain apps, SaaS applications, mobile applications, etc., and protects it against a wide range of cyberattacks, malware, and hacking attempts.
One of the essential things that most penetration contractors miss is manual testing, Astra’s pentest contract offers a wide range of benefits.
Some of the Benefits Offered by Astra’s Penetration Testing Contracts
- Provides more than 9300+ vulnerability tests
- Manual and Automated penetration testing
- Ensures all industry compliances such as ISO, GDPR, PCI-DSS, SWIFT CSP, NHS DSP are met
- A user-friendly dashboard for developers and management teams
- Direct collaboration with other team members
- Patch advice and sessions for development teams
- Detailed reports and Publicly verifiable certificates
Astra Pentest is built by the team of experts that helped secure Microsoft, Adobe, Facebook, and Buffer
Final Thoughts
Security is one of the biggest concerns for any organization. No one wants to see their data being leaked or their network being hacked. The best way to prevent that is to hire a penetration testing company that will have an expert check out your network, infrastructure, and even your website.
It takes years for an organization to establish a reputation in the market, and a single attack on your network or infrastructure can ruin that. Contact a professional team of security analysts and set up quality penetration testing agreements today.
FAQs
How much do companies pay for penetration testing?
While the range falls between $2,500 and $50,000, several factors influence the final price. The cost varies from one company to another and depends on the number of assets involved in the test, complexity, and duration.
What is the SOP for penetration testing?
A penetration testing contract SOP follows a structured approach: Define scope, gather intel, assess vulnerabilities, exploit them ethically, document findings, and report for remediation.
