NIST Penetration Testing Providers
National Institute of Standards and Technology SP 800-115 · Published by National Institute of Standards and Technology
NIST Special Publication 800-115, the Technical Guide to Information Security Testing and Assessment, provides a structured methodology for planning and conducting security assessments developed by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology. This publication establishes a framework for organisations to evaluate the effectiveness of their security controls through testing techniques including vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and social engineering.
NIST SP 800-115 defines four phases of security testing: planning, discovery, attack, and reporting. The planning phase covers scope definition, rules of engagement, and approval processes. The discovery phase includes information gathering, vulnerability scanning, and analysis. The attack phase covers exploitation, privilege escalation, and lateral movement. The reporting phase defines how findings should be documented, prioritised, and communicated to stakeholders.
As a US government publication, NIST SP 800-115 is authoritative for federal agencies and contractors, and is widely referenced in private sector security testing programmes. It aligns with the broader NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) and NIST SP 800-53 security controls, making it particularly relevant for organisations that use NIST as their primary security framework. The methodology's emphasis on thorough planning and clear reporting makes it a strong foundation for regulatory-driven penetration testing programmes.
Key Features
- —Four-phase testing framework
- —US government authoritative standard
- —Aligns with NIST CSF and SP 800-53
- —Covers planning through reporting
- —Social engineering testing guidance
Best For
- —US federal agency testing
- —FedRAMP assessments
- —CMMC compliance
- —NIST CSF aligned organisations
- —Regulatory-driven testing programmes
Providers using NIST (57)
Aon Cyber Solutions
Cybersecurity consulting division of global insurance leader Aon, uniquely combining penetration testing with cyber risk quantification and insurance expertise.
Aristi
CHECK and CREST-accredited Birmingham-based cyber security consultancy with over 15 years of experience delivering penetration testing, red teaming, and OT security assessments for government and private sector clients.
Bishop Fox
Premier US-based offensive security firm known for elite penetration testers, cutting-edge research, and the Cosmos continuous attack surface management platform.
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.
Blaze Information Security
CREST-accredited boutique pen testing firm with offices across Europe and Brazil, serving 200+ organisations in 25 countries.
BreachLock
Cloud-based Penetration Testing as a Service platform combining AI-driven automation with expert manual testing at accessible price points.
Bridewell
Fast-growing CREST and CHECK-accredited UK cybersecurity consultancy with deep expertise in critical national infrastructure sectors.
Bulletproof
CREST-accredited UK cybersecurity and compliance provider offering penetration testing, managed security services, and regulatory consultancy to over 2,000 customers from its Stevenage headquarters.
Coalfire
Compliance-focused cybersecurity advisory firm and FedRAMP 3PAO specializing in penetration testing that meets stringent regulatory requirements.
CrowdStrike
Global cybersecurity leader leveraging world-class threat intelligence from the Falcon platform to deliver intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming.
CyberLab
Cardiff-based CREST and CHECK-accredited cyber security company delivering penetration testing, red teaming, and OT security assessments as part of the Chess Group.
Cyphere
CREST-accredited Manchester-based cyber security firm delivering penetration testing, managed security services, and compliance consultancy across the UK, Europe, and the USA.
Dionach
Global enterprise cybersecurity consultancy founded in 1999 in Oxford, holding rare CREST STAR-FS accreditation and delivering penetration testing, red and purple teaming, and PCI QSA services across five international offices.
DTS Solution
Dubai-based cybersecurity firm providing pen testing and security consulting across the GCC with expertise in critical infrastructure.
Equilibrium Security
CREST-accredited Birmingham-based cyber security consultancy delivering penetration testing, social engineering assessments, and Cyber Essentials certification for public and private sector clients.
Evalian
CREST-accredited UK cyber security and data protection consultancy offering penetration testing, ISO consultancy, and managed SOC services from offices across the UK and Ireland.
IOActive
Elite boutique security consultancy specializing in IoT, SCADA/ICS, embedded systems, and hardware security research with world-renowned researchers.
JUMPSEC
Full-service London-based cybersecurity consultancy with CREST, CHECK, and NCSC accreditations delivering offensive testing, managed detection, and strategic advisory services.
Kolibërs Group
Mexico-based cybersecurity firm delivering pen testing services across Latin America with international standards alignment.
Komodo Consulting
Tel Aviv-based offensive security consultancy leveraging Israel's deep cybersecurity talent for pen testing, red teaming, and threat intelligence.
LRQA
The only organisation worldwide with a full suite of CREST accreditations. 250+ cybersecurity specialists operating in 55+ countries across pen testing, red teaming, and incident response.
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.
MDSec
Elite UK offensive security consultancy specialising in CBEST/STAR/TIBER red teaming, advanced adversary simulation, and CREST-accredited penetration testing for FTSE 100 clients.
Netragard
Top 10-ranked US pen testing firm with proprietary Real Time Dynamic Testing methodology. Three-tier service model from standard to maximum-depth custom testing.
NetSPI
Leading penetration testing firm with the Resolve platform for continuous attack surface management, trusted by nine of the top ten US banks.
OnSecurity
CREST-accredited, platform-driven penetration testing vendor in Bristol offering AI-augmented testing with rapid self-service booking for over 400 global customers.
Packetlabs
Canada's most reviewed cybersecurity company. CREST-certified, SOC 2 Type II-attested pen testing from Toronto.
Pen Test Partners
The UK's largest independent security testing firm, renowned for IoT/OT research, CBEST red teaming, and CHECK/CREST-accredited penetration testing across all sectors.
Penetration Testing ME
Dubai-based CREST and ISO certified pen testing specialist serving the GCC region with full VAPT services.
Praetorian
Offensive security firm founded by former DoD professionals, offering elite penetration testing and the Chariot continuous attack surface management platform.
PwC Cyber Security
Global Big Four professional services firm delivering CREST, CHECK, and CBEST-accredited penetration testing and red teaming services from London, serving the UK's largest enterprises and regulated organisations.
Rapid7
Creators of Metasploit offering enterprise penetration testing integrated with their comprehensive vulnerability management and security operations platform.
Raxis
Gartner-recognised PTaaS provider with 14+ years of experience. Expert-led pen testing combining manual techniques with AI-powered tooling across web, cloud, mobile, and SCADA/ICS.
Redbot Security
Denver-based boutique pen testing firm with senior-only testers. Personalised engagements across penetration testing, red teaming, and vulnerability management.
Redpoint Cybersecurity
US-wide pen testing firm serving major cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, and Miami with comprehensive security assessments.
Redscan (A Kroll Business)
London-based cybersecurity provider, now part of Kroll, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing, managed detection and response, and incident response with a 550-strong cyber team.
RedSecLabs
CREST-certified and PCI QSA penetration testing consultancy in London, delivering offensive security and compliance services across 25+ countries with research-driven expertise.
Redspin
Miami-based cybersecurity firm with 300+ employees and deep healthcare/HIPAA expertise. Delivering pen testing since 2000.
RedTeam Security
Atlanta-based pen testing firm serving major enterprises. Known for physical penetration testing alongside network and application assessments.
Rhino Security Labs
Cloud security penetration testing specialists known for the Pacu AWS exploitation framework and deep expertise across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
Salus Cyber
Award-winning Cheltenham-based cybersecurity consultancy with NCSC CHECK Green Light status and CREST approval, specialising in defence, government, and critical national infrastructure security.
Secarma
Manchester-based independent cybersecurity consultancy with over 20 years of experience delivering CREST and CHECK-accredited penetration testing, red teaming, and compliance certification services.
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.
Secureworks
Dell Technologies-backed cybersecurity firm with elite Counter Threat Unit intelligence informing enterprise penetration testing and adversary simulation.
Securin
Vulnerability intelligence-driven penetration testing firm providing contextual security assessments informed by threat actor exploitation data and ransomware tracking.
Securing (SecuRing)
Poland's longest-running independent pen testing firm with 50+ consultants. Specialises in application security, cloud testing, and red teaming.
Sencode
CREST-accredited North East England penetration testing specialist founded in 2019, offering accessible and transparent security testing with free retests and a strong focus on social engineering.
SensePost (Orange Cyberdefense)
Elite ethical hacking team within Orange Cyberdefense with 20+ year track record. Known for building industry-standard security tools and groundbreaking research.
Shielder
Independent Italian offensive security firm specialising in web, mobile, network, and embedded security assessments with a strong research focus.
Stripe OLT
Award-winning CREST-certified managed cyber security and IT support provider with offices in Bristol, London, and Manchester, specialising in penetration testing and Microsoft security technologies.
Swascan
Italian cloud-based security testing firm offering black, white, and grey box pen testing with strong European compliance expertise.
Synack
FedRAMP-authorized crowdsourced penetration testing platform combining vetted elite hackers with AI-powered Hydra technology for continuous security testing.
Tevora
CREST-accredited California consultancy blending compliance expertise with penetration testing. First to earn ISO 17020 for MITRE ATT&CK and PTES frameworks.
ThreatSpike Red
London-based cybersecurity firm offering unlimited, fixed-price penetration testing and red teaming services with ISO 27001 certification and a unique subscription model.
TrustedSec
Elite offensive security firm founded by a former NSA operator, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing, red teaming, and adversary simulation to Fortune 500 and government clients.
Trustwave
Global managed security provider with the elite SpiderLabs penetration testing team and deep PCI DSS compliance expertise.
Vumetric (TELUS)
ISO 9001-certified Canadian pen testing firm conducting 500+ tests annually. Now part of TELUS, serving Fortune 1000 to SMBs.
NIST FAQs
Is NIST SP 800-115 mandatory for US federal agencies?+
While not universally mandatory, NIST SP 800-115 is the authoritative technical guide for federal security testing and is widely adopted across US government agencies and their contractors. FedRAMP and CMMC reference NIST testing standards.
How does NIST SP 800-115 relate to the NIST Cybersecurity Framework?+
SP 800-115 provides the technical testing methodology that supports the NIST CSF's Identify and Protect functions. It helps organisations assess whether the security controls defined by NIST SP 800-53 are effectively implemented.
Can non-US organisations use NIST testing methodology?+
Absolutely. While developed for US government use, NIST SP 800-115 is freely available and widely adopted internationally. Many organisations outside the US use it alongside other frameworks like OWASP and PTES.