Penetration Testing

Penetration testing provides an independent validation of how well security controls protect real systems against attack. We deliver controlled, CREST‑aligned testing that reflects real‑world attacker techniques across infrastructure, applications and cloud environments.

Why regular Penetration Testing is critical

Security controls and environments change constantly, and new vulnerabilities are discovered every day. Regular penetration testing provides ongoing, independent validation of real‑world security, ensuring weaknesses are identified and addressed before attackers exploit them, rather than relying on outdated assumptions or point‑in‑time assurance.

Evolving Threats

New attack techniques emerge constantly, making point‑in‑time assurance quickly outdated.

Environment Change

System changes, updates and new services can introduce weaknesses without immediate visibility.

Real‑World Validation

Testing confirms whether vulnerabilities are genuinely exploitable, not just theoretically present.

Control Effectiveness

Penetration testing validates that security controls work under realistic attack conditions.

Risk Prioritisation

Exploitation‑focused findings help organisations prioritise remediation based on impact, not volume.

Regulatory Assurance

Regular testing provides independent evidence to support audits, accreditations and assurance requirements.

CREST Accredited. Confidence Guaranteed.

D2NA is CREST‑accredited, providing independent assurance that our penetration testing is delivered to recognised industry standards. CREST accreditation validates the competence of our testers, the robustness of our methodologies and the professionalism of our reporting. For our customers, this means penetration testing that is ethical, credible and trusted, producing results that stand up to scrutiny from regulators, auditors and security stakeholders.

CyberAscend forms the DNA of our Pen Testing

CyberAscend gives our clients confidence by providing clarity on what to expect and where they are on their journey.

Initiate

We start by understanding what the penetration test needs to achieve for your organisation. This includes agreeing objectives, scope (e.g., external, internal, cloud, applications), rules of engagement, key stakeholders, and what assurance evidence looks like.

Discover

We perform CREST‑aligned testing to identify realistically exploitable risk, showing how an attacker could compromise your environment and which weaknesses matter most. This provides a clear view of exposure (e.g., perimeter or internal attack paths) that can’t be achieved through scanning alone.

Remediate

Following testing, we provide structured reporting with clear, prioritised remediation guidance and practical recommendations. We also close the engagement with a debrief session to walk through findings, answer questions, and ensure your teams are equipped to address the highest‑impact issues effectively. We also have an in-house team optionally available for remediation tasks if required.

Confirm

We support organisations as remediation progresses by validating that actions taken align with recommendations and that improvements are applied correctly. Where needed, we can provide additional expertise and focussed re‑checks to help confirm risk has genuinely reduced, not just that changes were made.

Continue

Penetration testing is most valuable when it becomes repeatable. Through CyberAscend, we help organisations run regular or risk‑based testing, track improvement in security maturity over time, and adapt assurance activity as technology and priorities change, shifting pen testing from a compliance task into an ongoing resilience capability.

What our Pen Testing clients receive as standard...

CREST‑accredited penetration testing
Clearly defined scope and rules of engagement
Real‑world, risk‑focused testing methodology
Clear, prioritised remediation reporting
Structured debrief and expert walkthrough
Practical guidance to support remediation

The types of testing we can do...

We deliver a broad range of CREST‑aligned penetration testing services designed to reflect real‑world risk. From external and internal infrastructure testing to cloud, application and targeted assessments, our testing is tailored to your environment and objectives. By covering multiple attack surfaces, we help organisations understand how vulnerabilities chain together, prioritise remediation effectively and gain assurance across their entire security posture.

Testing available:

Insights

Explore our Penetration Testing content and discover how proactive testing strengthens cyber resilience.

Blog

A Focus on Penetration Testing – Part 1

10 July 2026

Start the journey to finding those discoveries...

If you’re facing cyber security challenges or want expert guidance on finding the vulnerabilities in your stack, book a complimentary 30‑minute 1:1 session with one of our D2NA specialists.