CREST-certified testers assess your networks, systems, web applications and APIs, then give you a practical roadmap for fixing the risks that matter.
A penetration test is an authorised, controlled attempt to find and prove weaknesses before a real attacker does. For UK SMEs, that might mean testing internet-facing servers, Microsoft 365 exposure, office networks, customer portals, booking systems, SaaS platforms or APIs that move sensitive data between systems.
SME Cyber Solutions provides human-led penetration testing for small and medium-sized businesses that need clear evidence, not vague scanner output. Our CREST-certified practitioners combine automated discovery with manual testing, business context and plain-English reporting so you know what to fix first.
Use this page as the main hub for penetration testing. If you already know what needs assessing, the core service pages below explain the likely scope, common findings and evidence you receive.
Web application penetration testing. Testing for customer portals, SaaS platforms, booking systems and authenticated web applications, including OWASP Top 10 risks, broken access controls, workflow abuse and data exposure.
API penetration testing. Testing for mobile backends, partner integrations and automation APIs, including token handling, object-level authorisation, excessive data return, unsafe methods and rate limiting.
External network penetration testing. Testing for internet-facing firewalls, VPNs, cloud services, remote access, exposed management interfaces and public servers.
Internal network penetration testing. Testing for lateral movement, privilege escalation, weak internal services, Active Directory risk and access to sensitive files or systems after a foothold is gained.
Social engineering and phishing assessments. We can assess how your staff respond to realistic phishing scenarios and pair the results with practical email security improvements.
Most small businesses are not attacked because someone has chosen them personally. They are found by automated scanning, leaked credentials, exposed services and repeatable attack patterns. A penetration test gives you an evidence-based view of what is actually exploitable in your environment.
Testing is also increasingly requested by cyber insurers, enterprise clients, regulated customers and procurement teams. A clear report from a qualified provider helps show that security has been independently assessed and that remediation is being managed.
Every engagement includes a written report with an executive summary, technical findings, risk ratings, affected assets, evidence, business impact and recommended remediation. Findings are prioritised as critical, high, medium or low so your team knows where to focus first.
We also provide a remediation roadmap and are available to talk through the findings. Re-testing is available once fixes are complete, giving you documented evidence that agreed vulnerabilities have been resolved.
Our penetration testing team includes CREST-certified practitioners with experience across SMEs, healthcare, professional services, cloud platforms and web applications. For organisations that need evidence of assessor quality, our credentials help satisfy client, insurer and compliance expectations.
Penetration testing is appropriate for any business that holds customer data, processes payments, operates web applications or APIs, handles commercially sensitive information, or needs assurance for a client, insurer or regulator. It is particularly valuable before a major launch, after a significant infrastructure change, after an incident, or as part of an annual security review.
Cyber Essentials confirms that key baseline controls are in place. Penetration testing goes further by actively probing your systems and applications to understand what an attacker could do in practice. Many SMEs use both: Cyber Essentials for baseline assurance, penetration testing for deeper technical validation.
Contact us to discuss your requirements. We will scope the engagement, agree what is in and out of scope, provide a fixed-price quote and schedule the work to minimise disruption. Most SME penetration testing engagements are completed within one to three days of testing time, depending on scope.
How much does a penetration test cost?
Cost depends on scope, including what systems are being tested, how complex they are and whether the work covers external infrastructure, internal systems, web applications or APIs. We provide a fixed-price quote after an initial scoping conversation.
How often should an SME do a penetration test?
Annual testing is standard for many SMEs. You should also test after significant infrastructure or application changes, before major launches, when clients or insurers ask for evidence, or after a security incident.
Will a penetration test disrupt our operations?
We schedule testing to minimise disruption and agree timing with you in advance. The rules of engagement define what can be tested, when testing happens and who should be contacted if anything unexpected occurs.
What is the difference between a penetration test and a vulnerability scan?
A vulnerability scan is automated and identifies likely known issues. A penetration test adds human-led investigation, validation and exploitation attempts to show which weaknesses are genuinely exploitable and what the real business impact would be.
Do you provide re-testing after remediation?
Yes. Once the agreed findings have been addressed, we can re-test them and provide updated documentation showing whether the vulnerabilities have been resolved.
A penetration test gives you a point-in-time view. 24/7 monitoring helps detect threats continuously after the test is complete, and together they form a stronger security programme.
Book a scoping call and get a fixed-price quote for your penetration test.