Authorized security testing
Penetration Testing for Michigan businesses.
Penetration testing examines agreed systems through controlled, authorized testing. CTS helps connect the engagement to clear boundaries, useful findings and a practical remediation discussion.
The business question
Find the gaps. Understand what to fix next.
A report is useful when the business understands what was tested, what the findings mean and who will address them. The engagement needs an agreed purpose before any testing begins.
A new application is ready for customers.
Testing the public application may answer different questions from testing internal access or the wider cloud environment. Define the boundary explicitly so the final report does not imply coverage of systems that were excluded.
Explore the decision
Build the boundary of a testing engagement.
Choose the environments in scope. See which decisions and deliverables the engagement needs.
Change the inputs below. The explanation updates here, without leaving the page.
Illustrative planning exercise, not an assessment, live monitoring or a product configuration. No input is sent or stored. Service capabilities and decisions are agreed with your team.
Define the service
What the relationship needs to cover.
The useful scope connects the technical capability with the people and operating work around it.
A defined scope
Identify the systems, applications, access and exclusions for the engagement.
Useful findings
Expect documented observations with enough context to understand the issue and its business significance.
Remediation planning
Decide who owns corrections, how priorities are set and whether verification or retesting is included.
From discussion to operation
Make the next step explicit.
Start with the current environment, define the responsibility and agree on how the work will be reviewed.
- 01
Agree on the engagement
Document authorization, scope, timing, contacts and testing boundaries.
- 02
Perform the agreed testing
Keep the work aligned with the engagement and coordinate any operational concerns.
- 03
Review and improve
Discuss findings, remediation ownership and the next validation step.
Testing is limited to authorized scope and agreed methods. A successful engagement does not prove that every weakness has been found or provide a compliance certification.
Questions before you decide
Understand what you are buying.
These distinctions help make the service conversation more useful.
Is scanning the same as penetration testing?
No. Scanning identifies potential known weaknesses. Penetration testing uses an agreed approach to examine how weaknesses may affect the systems in scope.
Will the test disrupt work?
Discuss operational risk, scheduling, exclusions and escalation before the engagement. The approach depends on the environment.
Is retesting included?
Confirm it in the proposal. Initial testing, remediation assistance and later verification can be separate responsibilities.
Part of the wider environment
Connect the responsibilities.
This service works alongside other parts of your IT and security operating model.
Useful reading
Keep exploring the question.
Related CTS articles offer background and practical perspectives.
What Are The Differences Between Automated And Manual Penetration Testing Services?
Read more about the operating decisions behind this service.
Read the articleCan Penetration Testing Providers Assist With HIPAA Risk Assessments?
Read more about the operating decisions behind this service.
Read the articleStart with your environment
Talk through penetration testing with CTS.
Tell us what is changing, what concerns you and how the responsibility is handled today. We will help you identify a useful next step.