Find a company you trust
Trust is fundamental. You will be allowing this company to access your systems, customer data and sensitive company intelligence. In effect, you’ll be permitting access into the inner workings of your organisation’s operations. Be sure that they can be trusted with your data and they have a proven track record. When was the company established and how many penetration tests they have performed for large security focused organisations? Ask if they have worked with clients in your industry sector and can provide references.
Can they meet my brief, or help me define it?
To get the best value for your IT security investment, you need to know exactly where you need help, why and what you want security tested. As the saying goes, the better the brief the better the job, so clearly define your objectives and outcomes from the start.
Are they able to answer my questions?
Ask questions about the testing methodology. What defined procedures and tools does the company use? How do they protect your business and data during the testing?
Is the testing out-sourced, sub-contracted or in-house?
Remember that a company does not conduct an application security test, people do. No matter which company you go with, it always comes down to the person or the team you have working on your business. Find out who exactly will be conducting the testing, is it outsourced, sub-contracted or in-house? Ask to see their credentials and interview them by phone, Zoom or in person. Finally, ask if you can be provided with interesting findings as they occur throughout the testing.
Can they show you a typical report?
Up front, ask the company exactly what you will receive at the end of the application security test. Ask to see what a real-world deliverable looks like. A quality report should detail the key findings and provide solid remediation advice, in priority order, to address every issue found. In short, the final report should be a valuable tool with a clearly defined action plan on the best ways to remediate vulnerabilities. Quality reports also detail how to re-test each vulnerability once the identified flaws have been fixed.
