Top 10 Vulnerability Assessment Companies You Need To Know

The process of detecting, analyzing, and prioritizing vulnerabilities found through vulnerability assessments is an essential part of maintaining cyber security. Cyber security assessment services that provide vulnerability assessments are highly sought after with the increasing number of threats in the cyber world.  

Vulnerability assessment companies are the best solution when it comes to fulfilling the requirements of a good security posture. This article will provide a list of the top vulnerability assessment companies as well as enumerate their importance, and a complete how-to on choosing the right vulnerability assessment company.

Factors In Choosing a Vulnerability Assessment Company in Brief

Some of the factors to keep in mind while considering vulnerability assessment companies are:

1. Reputation and experience of the companies in question.
2. Assess the qualifications and the certifications of the security professionals in the companies.
3. Understand the methodologies deployed by them to detect vulnerabilities within your assets.
4. Evaluation of the tools used by the companies and their effectivity
5. Ensure that the company provides compliance scans for regulatory standards required by you.

Top 10 Vulnerability Assessment Companies

1. Astra Vulnerability Scanner
2. ScienceSoft
3. Intruder
4. Sophos
5. Rapid7
6. Qualys
7. Acunetix
8. Cobalt
9. SecureWorks
10. Invicti

Top Vulnerability Assessment Companies [Reviewed]

1. Astra Vulnerability Scanner

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Web and Mobile Applications, Cloud Infrastructure, API, and Networks
• Accuracy: Zero False Positives Assured (Vetted Scans)
• Scan Behind Logins: Yes
• Compliance: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC2, and ISO 27001
• Integrations: Slack, Jira, GitHub, GitLab
• Expert Remediation: Yes
• Pricing: Starts at $199/month

One of the best security assessment companies, Astra’s vulnerability scanner provides continuous scanning facilities with its comprehensive scanner that is capable of conducting more the 3000 tests to find any and every hidden vulnerability.

It offers deep scans for web applications, APIs, networks, mobile applications, and cloud infrastructure.

Astra Security provides a world-class comprehensive vulnerability scanner with the following features: 

CI/CD Integrations

Astra offers CI/CD integration services for organizations. This helps companies move from DevOps To DevSecOps, thus giving more priority to security within every phase of a project’s development. It offers integrations with Slack, GitHub, and GitLab to name a few. 

Compliance-specific Scans

Astra offers the option to scan for specific compliances required by your organization. It provides a compliance-specific dashboard where you can opt for the specific compliance to scan for. 

Once the scan is complete the results reveal the areas of non-compliance. Compliance-specific scans provided by Astra include PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC2, ISO 27001, and GDPR. 

Regular Pentests

Astra provides regular manual or automated pentests at the request of customers. These pentests are entirely customizable according to the needs of the customer. Pentest provided by Astra are carried out by ethical hacker experts with years of experience.

Intuitive Dashboard (CXO friendly)

Astra’s vulnerability scanner boasts a CXO-friendly dashboard that is super easy to navigate. It displays the vulnerabilities as and when they are found. 

Members of the development team can be added to the dashboard to collaborate with pentesters for quicker vulnerability resolution. 

The dashboard also offers the option to comment under each vulnerability so that the development team can clear queries quickly.

Detailed Reports

Once the vulnerability scanning is completed a report is generated which includes the scope of testing, a list of vulnerabilities found, their details, and possible remediation measures. 

It also mentions their CVSS score and Astra goes a step further by providing customers with an actionable vulnerability risk score based on which critical vulnerabilities can be prioritized.

Remediation Support

Once vulnerability scanning with Astra is complete Astra also provides detailed steps for remediation based on risk prioritization. This is done with the aid of POC videos and collaboration within the vulnerability dashboard.

Pros 

• Can detect business logic errors and conduct scans behind logins. 
• Provides rescanning upon successful remediation of vulnerabilities. 
• Provides compliance-specific scans and reports. 
• Ensure zero false positives through vetted scans.

Cons

• Could have more integrations.

2. Sciencesoft

Features:

1. Scanner Capacity: Web and mobile applications
2. Accuracy: False positives possible
3. Scan Behind Logins: No
4. Compliance: GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, NIST
5. Expert Remediation: Yes
6. Pricing: Quote on Request

Sciencesoft is one of the well-known cybersecurity assessment companies that provide its customers with a network, web applications, social engineering, and physical security testing.

It is an ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 compliance-certified company. This guarantees data safety for clients of a wide diaspora ranging from banking to healthcare and retail.

Their major advantages include their expert team having years of experience, partnerships with IBM, Microsoft, and more as well providing data analytics.  

Pros:

• Wide range of services
• Enviable clientele

Cons:

• Weak remediation support

3. Intruder

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Websites, servers, and cloud.
• Accuracy: False Positive Present
• Scan Behind Logins: Yes
• Compliance: SOC2, and ISO 27001
• Integrations: GitHub, GitLab, Slack, Jira
• Expert Remediation: No
• Pricing: $163/month

Intruder is a top-notch online vulnerability scanner that helps avoid costly data leaks and breaches through vulnerability scanning. 

It offers continuous vulnerability management, compliance reporting, and monitoring as well as attack surface monitoring. 

Intruder is a scalable solution that’s flexible enough to scan websites for vulnerabilities, no matter the size or the industry your company belongs to.

Pros

• Continuously monitors attack surfaces for any chinks in security. 
• Provides comprehensive security checks to find vulnerabilities like misconfigurations, injections, OWASP Top 10, and more. 
• Automated scanning with real-time alerts for exposed ports and other services. 

Cons

• Could have better integrations. 
• Confusing interface.
• Zero false positives are not assured. 

4. Sophos

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Web, Mobile, Cloud, Network and API scanning
• Accuracy: False positives possible
• Scan Behind Logins: No
• Compliance: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, GDPR
• Integrations: Splunk, Slack, Jira, Jenkins, BitBucket
• Expert Remediation: Yes
• Pricing: Quote upon request

Established in 1985 Sophos Cloud, a top vulnerability assessment company, offers simplified enterprise-level solutions for cloud security including vulnerability scanner solutions, 24/7 cloud threat detection and response, native protection, and security automation for DevOps.

These services are typically offered as part of Sophos’ larger suite of cybersecurity solutions, which also include endpoint protection, email security, and network security.

Pros

• Available for AWS, GCP, and Azure.
• Helps with security automation through DAST, SAST, and SCA code analysis.
• Intuitive user-friendly dashboard.

Cons

• It can be expensive.
• Difficult to set up.
• Customer support could be better.

5. Rapid7

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities:  Cloud and Web Applications
• Accuracy: False Positives Possible
• Scan Behind Logins: No
• Compliance: CIS, ISO 27001
• Integrations: Splunk, AWS, Microsoft
• Expert Remediation: No
• Pricing: $175/month

Rapid7 is an upcoming vulnerability scanning service. The tool provides vulnerability testing, risk management, and threat intelligence. 

Their vulnerability scanner software also helps achieve compliance with various regulatory standards through their vulnerability assessments. 

Other services include detection and response for threats.

Pros

• Great scanning abilities that help meet compliance requirements.
• Their services are easy to use and deploy.
• The services are scalable based on customer requirements.

Cons

• Scanned devices can only be removed manually. 
• Inadequate customer satisfaction. 

6. Qualys

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Cloud, web applications
• Accuracy: False positives possible
• Scan Behind Logins: Yes
• Compliance: PCI-DSS,
• Integrations: Cisco, IBM, Splunk
• Expert Remediation: Yes
• Pricing: Quote Upon Request

Qualys is a cloud-based website vulnerability scanner that allows the assessment of cloud assets, vulnerabilities, and compliance status. 

Qualys has a large database of known CVEs that is constantly updated. Its scalability and accuracy are some of the reasons that make this tool a popular choice.

Pros

• The highly scalable vulnerability scanning solution
• Provides vulnerability management, detection, and response.
• Accurate reporting that is easy to follow. 

Cons

• Can be slow when scanning. 
• Difficult to navigate for beginners. 
• Slightly on the expensive end. 
• No zero false positive assurance. 

7. Acunetix

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Web applications
• Accuracy: False positives possible
• Scan Behind Logins: Yes
• Compliance: OWASP, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, NIST
• Integrations: Azure, Jira, GitHub
• Expert Remediation: Yes
• Pricing: $4,495/website

Acunetix is a vulnerability scanner that was designed for efficiency promising 90% security scan results by the time the scan is halfway completed. 

It also allows the scanning of multiple environments as well as the prioritization of vulnerabilities. 

Its key features include the ability to pinpoint vulnerability locations, and optimization for script-heavy sites among others. 

Pros

• Time release of updates
• Can find a wide array of vulnerabilities.
• Agile testing with detailed reports

Cons

• Does not provide expert remediation assistance with professionals. 
• Does not ensure zero false positives.
• Pricing is not mentioned. 
• Dated user interface with scope for improvement.

8. Cobalt

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Web and mobile applications, APIs, Networks, and Cloud.
• Accuracy:  False positives possible
• Scan Behind Logins: No
• Compliance: SOC2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, CREST
• Integrations: GitHub, Jira, Slack
• Expert Remediation: Yes
• Pricing: $ 1650/Credit (8 pentesting hours)

This cloud-based vulnerability assessment as a service, is automated and generally availed for web applications. It provides management service for an organization’s infrastructure.

Cobalt’s SaaS platform helps you gather real-time insights so that your teams can get on with the remediation quickly. It helps you with cloud scanning and other forms of pentesting.

Pros

• Impressive existing clientele including Nissan and Vodafone.
• 14- day trial period.
• Accelerated find to fix cycles

Cons

• The retest often takes too much time
• Complex pricing structure
• Reported false positives

9. SecureWorks

Features:

1. Scanner Capacity: web and mobile applications, networks, APIs
2. Accuracy: False positives possible
3. Scan Behind Logins: Yes
4. Compliance: PCI-DSS, HIPAA
5. Expert Remediation: Yes
6. Pricing: Not mentioned

This vulnerability assessment company offers security solutions and services for information assets, networks, and systems. They offer services like pentesting, application security testing, malware detection, risk assessments, and many more. 

The company’s tools and services are capable of performing nearly 250 billion cyber programs that help in threat detection and mitigation making them one of the leading cybersecurity solutions. 

Pros:

• Easy to align security environment with industry standards like NIST and ISO
• Active communications

Cons:

• Too expensive for SMEs
• There’s a delay between suspicious activity and the alert raised

10. Invicti

Features:

• Scanner Capabilities: Web applications and APIs
• Accuracy: False Positives Possible
• Scan Behind Logins: No
• Compliance: PCI-DSS, HIPAA, OWASP, ISO 27001
• Integrations: GitHub, BitBucket, Jira, Kenna
• Expert Remediation: Yes
• Pricing: Quote upon request

Yet another popular choice among security assessment companies is Invicti. The company provides a powerful, highly accurate, automated web app vulnerability scanner. It is the de-facto standard for detecting, locating, and reporting application security risks. 

Invicti or as it was previously known as Netsparker can be used to scan any web application regardless of the technology stack or development framework used. 

It is used by developers, auditors, and security professionals to improve the security of web applications.

Pros:

• A lot of options to select security policies from
• IAST enabled scans
• Zero false positives

Cons:

• No support for 2FA and MFA apps
• Slows down while scanning large applications

Why Is Vulnerability Assessment As A Service Important?

Cost-effective

Vulnerability assessment as a service is typically more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house security team to perform the same function. This is particularly true for smaller organizations that may not have the resources to maintain a dedicated security team.

Scalability

Cybersecurity assessment services can be scaled up or down as needed, allowing organizations to adapt to changing needs and budgets. This flexibility allows organizations to perform assessments on a regular basis, ensuring that their systems remain secure over time.

Risk management

Vulnerability assessment companies help organizations to manage their risk by identifying potential vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. This proactive approach can help to prevent security breaches and other incidents, reducing the risk of data loss, financial loss, and damage to reputation.

Compliance

Many regulations and industry standards like HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR and more require organizations to perform regular vulnerability assessments. This can help organizations meet these requirements and maintain compliance with relevant standards.

How To Choose A Good Vulnerability Assessment Company?

Here are some factors to consider when selecting a vulnerability assessment company:

1. Reputation

Look for a company with a strong reputation in the industry and extensive experience in vulnerability assessment. Look for reviews and testimonials from past clients, and research the company’s history and track record.

2. Qualifications

Check the qualifications and certifications of the company’s security professionals, such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), or Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). These certifications indicate that the company has the necessary knowledge and expertise to perform effective vulnerability assessments.

3. Methodology

Look for a company that uses a rigorous, well-documented methodology for vulnerability assessment. The methodology should be based on industry best practices, such as OWASP Top 10, NIST or the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).

4. Tools 

Evaluate the company’s tools for vulnerability assessment. The company should use the latest and most effective tools like vulnerability scanners for identifying vulnerabilities and should have the capability to perform both automated and manual testing.

5. Reporting and Remediation 

Look for a company that provides clear, comprehensive reports detailing the vulnerabilities identified, their severity with actionable risk scores based on CVSS scores, and recommended remediation strategies. The company should also be able to provide guidance and support for addressing the vulnerabilities identified.

6. Compliance

Check if the company has experience working with compliance and regulatory requirements relevant to your industry, such as GDPR, ISO 27001, SOC2, HIPAA, or PCI DSS.

Limitations of Vulnerability Assessment Services

While vulnerability assessment services can provide valuable insights into potential security vulnerabilities, there are some limitations to be aware of:

1. False Positives

Vulnerability assessment tools can sometimes generate false positives, indicating that a vulnerability exists when it does not. This can lead to wasted time and resources investigating and addressing non-existent vulnerabilities.

2. Missed Vulnerabilities 

Similarly, vulnerability assessment tools may miss certain vulnerabilities, leading to a false sense of security. This is particularly true for vulnerabilities that are difficult to detect, such as zero-day exploits or advanced persistent threats.

3. Limited Scope

Vulnerability assessments are typically limited in scope, focusing on a specific system, network, or application. This means that they may miss vulnerabilities in other parts of the organization’s infrastructure.

4. Security Not Guaranteed

Even with a vulnerability assessment, there is no guarantee that an organization’s systems and data will be completely secure. Attackers are constantly developing new tactics and techniques, and organizations must remain vigilant and adaptive to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Final Thoughts

This article has explained what vulnerability assessments are, the factors one needs to consider when opting for a good vulnerability assessment company, and the top 10 vulnerability assessment companies that have been mentioned in detail.

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