Cyberattacks are getting smarter with every year, driving businesses to implement strong security measures to effectively protect their systems and applications.
The single way to check whether your systems are secure enough to survive a cyberattack is to perform penetration testing. This proactive approach allows you to detect possible vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by cybercriminals, causing financial and reputational losses to your organization.
It goes without saying that penetration testing should be done by IT security specialists who have the necessary expertise and access to specialized penetration testing tools.
If you’re looking to hire penetration testers, stay on this page. We’ve done a big deal of research to create a list of the top penetration testing companies you can rely on.
Penetration Testing Companies At A Glance
This table compares where each penetration testing company on our list is based and the main industries named in its profile.
Company
Location
Industries
1. XRAY CyberSecurity
London, UK
Business Services, Consumer Products & Services, Energy & Natural Resources
2. White Knight Labs
Guys Mills, PA, US
Financial Services, Healthcare, Information Technology
3. BreachLock Inc
New York, NY, US
Information Technology, Financial Services, Retail
4. Ebryx
Salem, NH, US
Information Technology, Telecommunications, Financial Services
5. Rapid7
Boston, MA, US
Information Technology, Healthcare, Retail
6. Vumetric
Toronto, Canada
Business Services, Information Technology
7. Packetlabs Ltd.
Toronto, Canada
Financial Services, Information Technology, Education
8. Raxis
Atlanta, GA, US
Financial Services, Information Technology, Manufacturing
9. Foresite Cybersecurity
Overland Park, KS, US
Government, Education, Information Technology
10. FRSecure
Edina, MN, US
Government, Healthcare, Financial Services
11. RSK Cyber Security
Hildenborough, UK
Information Technology, Energy & Natural Resources, Financial Services
The team at the London-based XRAY CyberSecurity focuses solely on pentesting, which has helped them accumulate valuable expertise in various fields of pentesting and social engineering attacks.
Cybersecurity engineers at XRAY CyberSecurity have over 15 years of experience and possess all specialized international certifications in Ethical Hacking (BSCP, CEH, OSCP, PNPT, and others). They take pride in their proven track record of working with global leaders across numerous verticals, including energy, gas, IT, financial services, and manufacturing.
According to XRAY CyberSecurity, they are as honest and objective as possible since they don’t sell any software or hardware and never upsell unnecessary services. So, if you’re looking for a team to provide you with completely impartial recommendations, consider partnering with this company.
Industries: Business Services, Consumer Products & Services, Energy & Natural Resources, Financial Services, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Retail, Telecommunications, eCommerce
Clients: Carlsberg, Zeppelin, SoftwareOne, VEON, Danone, OTP Leasing, LAPP, St. Paraskeva Medical Center, Colonnade Insurance, DiStar, Global Mediator, and others
The next outstanding name on our list of the top penetration testing companies is White Knight Labs, a cybersecurity consultancy specializing in offensive cyber engagements.
Since 2017, the team at White Knight Labs has been providing a comprehensive range of penetration testing services, including network, web, and mobile application testing. They serve clients of all sizes across a variety of verticals, with medical and financial organizations dominating their portfolio.
Cyber security engineers at White Knight Labs are renowned for working closely with their clients, which allows them to personalize solutions to the unique needs of each business. These guys successfully combine top-notch technical expertise and tailored support so that you get effective cybersecurity protection and ultimate peace of mind.
The New York-based BreachLock unites the power of human hackers, AI, and next-gen automation to deliver the best penetration testing services in the United States. The company offers Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) to help businesses like yours meet compliance and security requirements in half the time.
BreachLock has been providing security testing services for five years. During this time, their team has performed over 30,000 penetration tests and detected 1M+ vulnerabilities in their clients’ systems. Thanks to this invaluable experience, cybersecurity specialists at BreachLock accumulated thorough knowledge of potential attack paths and TTPs tailored to various contexts, which has earned the company recognition as the top penetration testing company.
Ebryx is a penetration testing service provider with over a decade of experience serving a diverse range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies and governments.
HQed in Nevada, USA, the company maintains a global presence through regional offices and its partner network. The company’s global reach, which spans North America, EMEA, and APAC, is an obvious sign of the team’s comprehensive understanding of international cybersecurity landscapes.
In addition to the common network, cloud, desktop, mobile, and web application security services, the team at Ebryx provides IoT and blockchain penetration testing. The clients underscore Ebryx’s easy-to-understand reports that describe solid steps to implement security measures.
One of the top penetration testing services providers, the Boston-HQed Rapid7 has offices in multiple locations across the globe, including Canada, England, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and India. More than two decades of experience and over a thousand industry-leading attack experts let Rapid7 deliver top-quality security services and solutions.
According to Rapid7, their success in cybersecurity stems from advanced analytics and a deep understanding of the attacker mindset. This is why, unlike most cybersecurity providers, they don’t hire recent grads or people with more experience in IT than as pen testers — they find good people who know about bad things. If this is what you’re looking for, consider working with this team.
Services & expertise: penetration testing, incident & breach response, threat hunting, IT managed services, IT strategy consulting
Location: Boston, MA, United States
Team size: 500+ experts
Industries: Information Technology, Healthcare, Retail, Education, Financial Services
If you believe that experience is what truly matters when picking your best penetration testing company, consider partnering with Vumetric. This Toronto-based company was founded back in 2007. Since then, the team at Vumentric has served 1,000+ clients, including Fortune 1000, SMEs, and government agencies, and completed 2,500+ projects.
Qualified penetration testers at Volumetric use industry-leading standards to check IT systems, provide step-by-step plans to fix vulnerabilities they find, and give practical advice on how to build security into your digital infrastructure.
As one of the top-rated penetration testing companies, Vumetric holds over 80 of the industry’s most recognized certifications, proving the company’s expertise and commitment to cybersecurity excellence.
Packetlabs is a Canadian cybersecurity firm that delivers best-in-class solutions for SMBs and enterprises across North America.
The team at Packetlabs goes beyond just checking boxes and ensuring compliance — they provide their clients with actionable intelligence to fortify their defenses. 95% manual penetration testing methodology and 0% outsourcing guarantee have rightfully earned the company a place among the best penetration testing companies.
To effectively cater to diverse needs, Packetlabs offers two types of penetration testing: Infrastructure Penetration Testing and Objective Based Penetration Testing. While the first is a comprehensive test that provides an in-depth analysis of security defenses, the latter also includes additional components for a more extensive assessment.
If you’re looking for the best penetration testing companies that have prominent experience working with medical institutions, electrical power plants, and financial services providers, consider partnering with Raxis. This firm specializes in performing industry-specific, tailored penetration testing, which is possible due to its team’s in-depth knowledge of the specific security challenges faced by different industries.
The team of expert engineers at Raxis boasts a track record of 1,000+ satisfied customers from all over the world and 600+ tests performed annually. Raxis PTaaS combines the accuracy of cutting-edge security scanning tools and human-powered penetration testing, spanning internal and external network testing, web application testing, and API testing.
Founded in 2013, Foresite is a global provider delivering a range of managed cybersecurity and compliance solutions, including penetration testing services. Acting as an extension of the client’s team allows the company to provide the best penetration testing services, entirely focusing on their specific cybersecurity needs.
In addition to the robust network, application, cloud, and social engineering tests, they offer a managed autonomous penetration testing service, a continuous assessment of your networks from a hacker’s perspective. Foresite’s strategy goes beyond mere simulation — they incorporate full emulation tactics, techniques, and procedures, creating real-life scenarios that help improve your ongoing defense against sophisticated adversaries.
Industries: Government, Education, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Non-Profit
Clients: Broxap Limited, Seaside Healthcare, NG-IT LTD, MB HAYNES Corporation, GR Lane Health Products Ltd, The New England Center for Children, Sacred Heart University, Universal Screen Arts, and others
A thorough recruitment process, a pure-play IT security focus, and a people-first approach won FRSecure multiple national awards and a place among the top penetration testing companies in the United States.
Since 2018, the company has been helping businesses of all sizes and across a variety of industries uncover system vulnerabilities through emulated, real-world attacks.
Besides world-class pentesting services, the team at FRSecure offers solutions and training to help organizations build and reinforce their information security programs. So whether you’re looking for the best penetration testing services or just wondering where to start, FRSecure is an optimal option in both cases.
Services & expertise: threat/attack simulations, breach detection & incident response, digital forensics & auditing, IT managed services
The UK-based RSK Cyber Security is a leading cybersecurity company renowned for its exceptional services. The company offers a comprehensive range of cybersecurity services, from penetration testing to DevSecOps. RSK Cyber Security is chosen by numerous clients for its 360-degree approach, affordable rates, and expert defense consulting.
According to this team, they can be your perfect partner if you’re searching for the highest level of cyber protection that aligns with your unique requirements and ensures your organization’s resilience. Undoubtedly, working closely with clients, 200+ successfully completed projects, and 500+ years combined experience make it easy to achieve.
Industries: Information Technology, Energy & Natural Resources, Financial Services, Supply Chain, Logistics & Transport, Healthcare, Education, eCommerce
Clients: Deg Signal, Glenfield Software, The Institute of Cancer Research (the ICR), Interreg, Linbrooke, Logistics UK, Macom, National Grid, National Theatre, Nature Positive, Network Rail, RSSB, Taylor Wimpey, and others
Types Of Penetration Testing
Penetration testing companies offer several kinds of tests, each focused on a different part of your attack surface:
External network testing: targets internet-facing systems such as firewalls, VPNs, mail servers and exposed services.
Internal network testing: simulates an attacker who already has a foothold inside your network, such as a compromised laptop or a malicious insider.
Web application testing: looks for flaws such as injection, broken authentication and access control issues in websites and web apps.
Mobile application testing: examines iOS and Android apps, their data storage and the APIs they call.
API testing: checks REST and GraphQL APIs for authorization gaps, data exposure and business logic flaws.
Cloud testing: reviews configurations and permissions in AWS, Azure and Google Cloud environments.
Wireless testing: assesses Wi-Fi networks and connected devices for weak encryption and rogue access points.
Social engineering: tests staff with phishing campaigns, phone pretexting or physical access attempts.
Red teaming: a longer, goal-based exercise that combines several techniques to test detection and response, not just vulnerabilities.
Most penetration testing companies quote each engagement after a scoping call. Common pricing models are:
Fixed price per engagement: the most common model, based on an agreed scope such as a number of IP addresses, applications or user roles.
Daily or hourly rates: used for open-ended or complex work, with the price based on the number of tester days.
Subscription or penetration testing as a service (PTaaS): a recurring fee for ongoing or on-demand testing through a platform, often with continuous reporting.
Retesting: some providers include a retest after you fix issues, while others charge for it separately.
The main cost drivers are the size and complexity of the scope, the type of test, the depth of manual testing, the tester experience and certifications required, compliance reporting needs such as PCI DSS or SOC 2, and whether testing must happen outside business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you run a penetration test?
Most organizations run a penetration test at least once a year and after any major change, such as a new application, a large infrastructure change or a cloud migration. Standards such as PCI DSS require regular testing, and high-risk businesses often test more frequently. Continuous or on-demand testing is also an option for teams that release software often.
What is the difference between a vulnerability scan and a penetration test?
A vulnerability scan is an automated check that looks for known weaknesses, such as missing patches or misconfigurations, and produces a list of findings. A penetration test is carried out by skilled testers who try to exploit weaknesses, chain them together and show the real business impact. Scans are fast and can run often, while penetration tests go deeper and find issues that tools miss.
How is a penetration test priced?
Most providers price a penetration test as a fixed fee based on the scope, such as the number of applications, IP addresses, user roles or API endpoints. Complex or open-ended work may be priced by the number of tester days instead. Retests, compliance reports and out-of-hours testing can add to the price, so confirm what is included before you sign.
Conclusion
With today’s extensive digitalization and a strong focus on customer data protection, shielding IT infrastructure against cyber threats is a must for every organization, regardless of size and industry.
Effective protection starts with penetration testing, which provides you with a clear view of your systems’ security level. When selecting the best penetration testing company to partner with, check whether they have experience with companies of your size and industry, consider the level of your internal team’s involvement you want, and evaluate their ability to provide customized solutions that align with your specific security goals.
We hope that our list of top-rated penetration testing companies helps you find a reliable partner to ensure the maximum security of your business’s IT systems.
If you want to feature your penetration testing company on this list, email us or submit a form in the Top Choices section. After a thorough assessment, we’ll decide whether it’s a valuable addition.
