A penetration test, sometimes also referred to as Ethical Hacking, is a pre-arranged and fully agreed simulated attack of a technological asset. The different phases of a full engagement may vary but they typically comprise a pre-assessment call where you’ll express your objectives and needs, the pentest itself and the reporting phase that culminates in a full report delivered to you within five days after finalisation. If you wish, we typically recommend a post-assessment call to allow both teams to discuss the results of the engagement.

Businesses are generally advised to conduct a pentest at least once a year, as well as after any migrations, significant upgrades or modifications to their network. However, Azacus strongly advise on quarterly pentesting due to the speed at which new exploits are identified. Regular testing is often required for compliance with regulations such as PCI DSS.

This varies based on the scope of the test but can be anything from a couple of days to weeks. Things that can affect the length of an engagement include the type of the test itself, network or application size, if it is internal or external facing, client-side technical limitations, etc.