Most weaknesses get found the same way — somebody tries. A penetration test is the controlled version of that: specialist testers attempting to get in, on your terms and in your timescales, with the results written up so you can act on them. It tends to matter when something has changed, when a client or insurer starts asking what you have tested, or when the honest answer to “has anyone actually checked?” is no. We test for businesses across Sheffield and South Yorkshire, scoping the work around what would genuinely hurt your business, running it, and then closing the findings — which is the part that usually gets left in a PDF.
Tested, then fixed
Findings that get closed, not filed
What is included
- Scoping against your actual risk, not a template
- External infrastructure and perimeter testing
- Internal network and privilege escalation testing
- Web application testing
- Prioritised report written in plain English
- Remediation carried out, not just recommended
- Retest available once the fixes are in place
What changes
You find out before somebody else does
A controlled test on your timescales, rather than an uncontrolled one on an attacker’s.
A report you can actually use
Findings ranked by what would genuinely cause damage, written so a director can read it — not a scanner export with three hundred pages of noise.
The findings get closed
Most tests end with a document. We carry out the remediation as well, and can retest to confirm once the fixes are in place.
Method
How we work
Assess
Document what exists, including the parts nobody wants to discuss.
Standardise
Remove the variation that causes most incidents.
Secure
Apply controls and prove they are working.
Operate
Run it day to day against agreed measures.
Improve
Review quarterly with real data, not a slide.
Then round again — reviewed quarterly
Questions
Questions we get asked about testing
Is a penetration test the same as a vulnerability scan?
No. A scan is automated: it compares what it can see against a list of known issues and hands you the list. A test is a person attempting to get in — chaining together things a scanner reports separately, and finding what it cannot see at all. Scans are useful between tests. They are not a substitute for one.
Who does the testing?
Independent third-party specialists, not us. We scope the test with you and we carry out the remediation afterwards, but we are not the ones judging whether our own fixes worked. Testing your own work and then approving it is not a test.
How often should we test?
Once a year is the usual baseline, plus any time something materially changes what is exposed: a new application, a move to different infrastructure, or a significant change to how people connect. Testing earns its money when something has changed, not because a date has come round.
Is a retest included?
A retest is available once the fixes are in place, and it is the part that matters. The first report tells you what is wrong. The retest confirms it is actually closed rather than assumed closed.
Will testing disrupt the business?
Scope and timing are agreed with you before anything starts. Anything carrying a realistic chance of disruption is discussed and scheduled up front rather than discovered while it is happening.
Do we need a penetration test for Cyber Essentials?
No. Cyber Essentials is a self-assessment against five controls, and Cyber Essentials Plus adds a hands-on audit of a sample of devices. Neither is a penetration test. They answer different questions: whether the basics are in place, and whether somebody determined could get in anyway.