NIST CSF Penetration Testing Providers
NIST Cybersecurity Framework · North America
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a voluntary framework for managing and reducing cybersecurity risk, widely adopted across industries in the US and internationally. NIST CSF 2.0, released in February 2024, organises cybersecurity activities into six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
Penetration testing directly supports several NIST CSF categories, particularly ID.RA (Risk Assessment), PR.IP (Information Protection Processes), and DE.CM (Security Continuous Monitoring). The framework's emphasis on risk-based approaches makes penetration testing a natural fit, as it provides real-world evidence of vulnerabilities and their potential impact.
NIST CSF is used as a reference framework by many regulatory bodies and is often required for government contractors through references in NIST SP 800-53 and related publications. Regular penetration testing helps organisations assess their current cybersecurity posture against the framework's tiers, identify gaps in their implementation, and demonstrate continuous improvement in their cybersecurity programme.
SECFORCE
Leading UK offensive security consultancy based in Canary Wharf, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing and adversary simulation to organisations with the most demanding security requirements.
NCC Group
Global cybersecurity consultancy with CREST, CHECK, and CBEST accreditation, renowned for deep technical research and comprehensive penetration testing services.
Nettitude
CREST, CHECK, and CBEST accredited UK consultancy within Lloyd's Register, delivering premium penetration testing for government and critical infrastructure.
NetSPI
Leading penetration testing firm with the Resolve platform for continuous attack surface management, trusted by nine of the top ten US banks.
Trustwave
Global managed security provider with the elite SpiderLabs penetration testing team and deep PCI DSS compliance expertise.
Bridewell
Fast-growing CREST and CHECK-accredited UK cybersecurity consultancy with deep expertise in critical national infrastructure sectors.
Mandiant
World-renowned cybersecurity firm now part of Google Cloud, delivering threat intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming informed by front-line incident response experience.
Bishop Fox
Premier US-based offensive security firm known for elite penetration testers, cutting-edge research, and the Cosmos continuous attack surface management platform.
Rapid7
Creators of Metasploit offering enterprise penetration testing integrated with their comprehensive vulnerability management and security operations platform.
Coalfire
Compliance-focused cybersecurity advisory firm and FedRAMP 3PAO specializing in penetration testing that meets stringent regulatory requirements.
HackerOne
World's largest ethical hacker platform with over one million researchers, offering bug bounties and structured penetration testing to the US DoD and Fortune 500.
Black Hills Information Security
Community-driven penetration testing firm known for free security education, open-source tools, Wild West Hackin' Fest, and practical offensive security services.
CrowdStrike
Global cybersecurity leader leveraging world-class threat intelligence from the Falcon platform to deliver intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming.
IOActive
Elite boutique security consultancy specializing in IoT, SCADA/ICS, embedded systems, and hardware security research with world-renowned researchers.
Secureworks
Dell Technologies-backed cybersecurity firm with elite Counter Threat Unit intelligence informing enterprise penetration testing and adversary simulation.
Trail of Bits
Elite security research firm specializing in source code review, blockchain auditing, and building industry-standard open-source security tools.
Rhino Security Labs
Cloud security penetration testing specialists known for the Pacu AWS exploitation framework and deep expertise across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
Praetorian
Offensive security firm founded by former DoD professionals, offering elite penetration testing and the Chariot continuous attack surface management platform.
Offensive Security
Creators of OSCP, Kali Linux, and Exploit-DB, offering elite penetration testing services from the team that trains the world's ethical hackers.
Synack
FedRAMP-authorized crowdsourced penetration testing platform combining vetted elite hackers with AI-powered Hydra technology for continuous security testing.
Aon Cyber Solutions
Cybersecurity consulting division of global insurance leader Aon, uniquely combining penetration testing with cyber risk quantification and insurance expertise.
Securin
Vulnerability intelligence-driven penetration testing firm providing contextual security assessments informed by threat actor exploitation data and ransomware tracking.
NIST CSF FAQs
Is NIST CSF mandatory?+
NIST CSF is voluntary for most organisations but is effectively required for US federal contractors and is referenced by many industry regulations. It has been widely adopted globally as a cybersecurity best practice framework.
How does penetration testing map to NIST CSF?+
Pen testing supports Risk Assessment (ID.RA), Information Protection (PR.IP), and Continuous Monitoring (DE.CM). Results help organisations assess their maturity across the framework's implementation tiers.
What is new in NIST CSF 2.0?+
NIST CSF 2.0 adds a sixth function (Govern), expands supply chain risk management, provides more detailed implementation guidance, and broadens applicability beyond critical infrastructure to all organisations.