The average penetration testing service cost for websites usually varies between $2500 and $50,000. The cost of pentest services for apps can range anywhere between $1500 and $5000. The variations in the cost are due to a variety of facts such as the size of an organization, scope of work, etc.

The most important thing in a pentest service offering is the combination of manual and automated pen testing as you do not want to miss out on either of those. Automated testing brings speed, vetted scans offered by Astra ensure zero false positives, and manual pentest ensures that you detect business logic errors, payment gateway hacks, and other such cryptic security loopholes.

There are 5 stages of penetration testing. First, the scope of the pentest is defined. This is followed by sharing the URL of your website or application, providing proof of ownership alongside recording a video to let pentesting companies scan behind logins. The next step is to monitor and analyze vulnerabilities, followed by remediation and rescans.

Often auditors conducting compliance assessments highly recommend undergoing a pentest by a professional penetration testing company. Compliances like SOC2, ISO27001, HIPAA, CERT-IN etc. often recommend continuous vulnerability scanner and pentest.

Penetration testing service providers usually take somewhere between 4-7 days to complete an in-depth pentest procedure, especially if you are hiring a professional. The re-scans after remediation usually require half as much time, thus 2-3 days for the same usually suffice.

Penetration testing services require a team that balances a combination of technical and problem-solving skills, along with security acumen. Proficiency in networking, OS, programming, and cybersecurity tools as well as creative thinking, communication, and languages like Python, PowerShell, and Java can be crucial for successful tests.

The top benefits of penetration testing services can differ quite a bit depending on your context - size and type of business. Nevertheless, some advantages are common.
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1. You stay a step ahead of the hackers by conducting hacker-style pentest of your application and network assets.
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2. You stay compliance ready by tackling vulnerabilities that could have hindered your compliance effort.
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3. By staying secure and compliant you build trust and reliability that translates into revenue.