If You’re Here, You Care About Security — We Got You!
Let’s crush ISO 27001 certification together. Before diving in, you need to know a few key things.
Our goal? To make you a smarter, more confident buyer who knows exactly what’s up when it comes to ISO 27001 requirements around pentesting.
Why Should You Care About ISO 27001 Compliance?
ISO 27001 compliance demonstrates that your organization has a solid plan for managing and protecting sensitive information. Being such a popular certification, it may be a key factor in your company winning over larger enterprise clients. ISO 27001 is all about showing customers, partners, and auditors that you take security seriously. Like any other security framework, it does not equal good security.
What is ISO 27001 Compliance?
(noun): The world’s most recognized standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS).
Provides a framework for companies of all sizes and industries to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve their ISMS. Compliance means your organization manages risks related to the security of data you own or handle, following best practices and principles outlined in this international standard.
“ISO 27001 compliance is like having a blueprint for building and maintaining trust with customers and partners.”
Is Penetration Testing Mandatory for ISO 27001?
No, penetration testing isn’t formally required. However, auditors typically want to see that you’re proactively identifying and addressing vulnerabilities. Penetration testing is one of the best ways to do this.
What Is Penetration Testing, and Why Is It Valuable?
To put it simply, penetration testing is like training for the Olympic Games. It’s the closest thing to a real cyberattack. Think high-stakes scenarios, but in a controlled environment where you call the shots.
This helps you find critical vulnerabilities and pinpoint areas to improve before cybercriminals do. Plus, with the right security partner, penetration testing doesn’t just check a box, it can help you level up your security maturity. Unlike a one-and-done strategy, security maturity is all about consistent growth, staying sharp, and staying ready for what’s next.
What Are the Key ISO 27001 Controls Related to Penetration Testing?
The ISO 27001 standard provides specific controls where penetration testing plays a critical role in ensuring compliance. These include:
- A.12.6.1: Management of Technical Vulnerabilities
Organizations must identify, evaluate, and address technical vulnerabilities in a timely manner. - A.8.29: Security Testing in Development and Acceptance
This control emphasizes the importance of testing security features during the development and acceptance phases of systems. - A.14.1: Secure Development and System Implementation
Secure design and implementation processes are critical. Penetration testing validates these processes by finding gaps before attackers do. - A.18.2: Compliance with Security Standards
Ensuring alignment with relevant legal, regulatory, and contractual security requirements is vital.
How Often Should You Perform Penetration Testing?
Ideally, your organization should look to implement both an internal pentesting strategy and an external one. The internal relates to what your internal security team can do every quarter to assess risks the way a pentester would. The external one is about having a trusted partner who comes in as an unbiased third-party to validate and find gaps not already identified. We recommend this to happen at least two times per year.
Other times you may consider a pentest:
- Significant network, application, or system changes
- Major updates or releases
- New product lines added
- Acquisition of new companies
What Types of Systems Should Be Tested?
Every organization is different. So we recommend doing a quick assessment with our team to identify what key areas should be covered for your ISO 27001 certification.
- Most likely it will be any system that processes, stores, or transmits sensitive data.
- Can include:
- Web apps, APIs, and cloud services (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Public servers (web, email, VPN, DNS)
- Firewalls and remote access security
- Internal servers, databases, and employee devices
- Active Directory, network segmentation, and Wi-Fi security
- Code repositories, CI/CD pipelines, and container security
What Methodologies Should Be Used for Penetration Testing?
A reputable security partner will use industry-standard methodologies, such as:
- OWASP Top 10: Tackles common web and API vulnerabilities
- PTES: Comprehensive system security testing
- NIST 800-115: Focused on thorough testing and clear reporting
How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost?
Since every organization is different, pricing depends on things like scope, complexity, pentest partner expertise, and more, but here’s a ballpark:
- Small to medium-sized projects range from $8,000 to $50,000.
- Be cautious of low-cost providers. They often rely solely on automated tools and miss critical vulnerabilities.
Do You Need to Fix Everything Before the Audit?
Not necessarily. Auditors want to see that you’re identifying and managing risks. A prioritized action plan is a good start to show you’re serious about addressing vulnerabilities. Of course, critical and high severity findings should be prioritized for the health of the business.
Not sure where to start? Let’s team up and make ISO 27001 certification feel easy.
Key Takeaways
- Testing isn’t mandatory, but it’s a game-changer for compliance and risk reduction.
- Prioritize systems with sensitive data or frequent threats.
- Manual testing digs deeper than automated tools, uncovering what others miss.