Here, the expected cost of exploitation would be the cost of data breaches, business operations disruptions, and IT system damages from any potentially successful attack on the systems tested. ROI compares the cost of the benefit against the cost of the investment, or in the case of penetration testing, the exploitation cost divided by the test cost: ROI = Expected Cost of Exploitation / Cost of Penetration Test The value of a penetration test will be different for every organization and will be based on the calculation of the return on investment (ROI). Penetration Testing Value and Return On Investment Bottom Line: Execute a Penetration Test to Obtain Maximum Value.Criteria and Requirements for a Pentest Quote.Third-Party Vendor Tests: Challenges and Maximizing Value.Self-Administered Tests: Challenges and Maximizing Value.Penetration Testing Value and Return on Investment.Use the links below to jump ahead to a specific topic of interest: A low-quality penetration test can be an enormous waste of money that leaves the organization unaware of exploitable vulnerabilities. Organizations have two choices: perform penetration tests with their internal teams, or hire an external vendor and find ways to lower costs.Įither case presents challenges, but to maximize the value of a penetration test, the organization must balance cost savings with quality.

All organizations should perform penetration tests, yet many worry about not receiving the full value of their investment.

Viscosity and penetration test