We run penetration tests for Perth businesses every month. The pattern is almost always the same: the business owner assumes their IT is secure because they have a firewall and antivirus, and the pen test reveals a dozen ways an attacker could walk straight through.
Penetration testing is not a vulnerability scan. A scan checks for known software flaws. A pen test simulates what an actual attacker would do — chaining together small weaknesses to gain access, escalate privileges, and reach sensitive data. The difference matters because vulnerability scans miss the human and configuration gaps that attackers exploit most often.
A penetration test is a controlled, authorised attempt to break into your systems using the same techniques real attackers use. The tester tries to gain access to your network, applications, or data — then documents exactly how they did it and what they could reach.
There are several types, and the right one depends on your environment:
External testing simulates an attacker with no internal access — probing your internet-facing systems, firewalls, email gateways, and web applications from the outside. This is the most common starting point for businesses that have never been tested.
Internal testing assumes an attacker already has a foothold inside your network — through a phishing compromise, a rogue employee, or a compromised VPN credential. This tests whether your internal segmentation, privilege controls, and monitoring can detect and contain lateral movement.
Web application testing targets customer portals, client-facing applications, and APIs. If your business runs any web-based system that handles sensitive data, this is where attackers will focus.
Social engineering tests your people rather than your technology. Phishing simulations, pretexting calls, and physical access attempts reveal whether your team can recognise and resist manipulation.
Penetration testing in Australia typically costs between $6,000 and $40,000 depending on scope and complexity. For a Perth SMB with a standard Microsoft 365 environment, a small server footprint, and one or two web applications, expect to pay between $8,000 and $15,000 for a combined external and internal test.
The variables that drive cost are the number of IP addresses and hosts in scope, the complexity of your web applications, whether you need social engineering included, and the depth of reporting your compliance framework requires.
Cheap pen tests exist. They are usually automated scans dressed up with a report template. If the quote seems too low, ask what percentage of the testing is manual versus automated. A credible pen test requires a human tester spending days inside your environment, not a tool running overnight.
Some businesses need pen testing for compliance. Others need it because they have no idea what their actual exposure looks like. Both are valid reasons.
Essential Eight compliance. If you are working toward Essential Eight Maturity Level 2 or above — which is increasingly expected for businesses working with government or holding sensitive data — penetration testing validates that your controls actually work against realistic attacks. The ACSC does not explicitly mandate pen testing at every maturity level, but auditors and assessors expect evidence that controls have been tested under real-world conditions.
APRA CPS 234. If you are in financial services, insurance, or superannuation, APRA requires you to regularly test the effectiveness of your information security controls. Pen testing is explicitly recognised as a method of compliance validation.
ISO 27001 certification. The standard requires organisations to assess risk and evaluate control effectiveness. Pen testing is the most common way to satisfy this requirement during certification audits. We hold ISO 27001 certification ourselves, so we understand what auditors expect.
Cyber insurance. Insurers are increasingly asking for evidence of security testing before issuing or renewing policies. A recent pen test with documented remediation strengthens your application significantly.
Government contracts. WA Government agencies are tightening their Essential Eight requirements for contracted service providers. If you are bidding on government work, a pen test report demonstrates that your security posture has been independently verified.
Across the pen tests we have conducted and commissioned for Perth businesses, the most common findings are:
Weak or reused credentials — particularly service accounts and admin accounts that have not been rotated in years. Default passwords on network equipment, printers, and infrastructure devices. Missing or incomplete MFA deployment — often MFA is enabled for some accounts but not enforced across the entire tenant. Overprivileged user accounts — staff with administrator access they do not need for their role. Unpatched systems — particularly legacy applications and firmware on network devices. Poor network segmentation — meaning an attacker who compromises one system can move freely through the network.
None of these are exotic vulnerabilities. They are basic hygiene gaps that exist in the majority of environments we assess. The pen test reveals them in context — showing not just that the weakness exists, but how an attacker chains it with other weaknesses to achieve a meaningful compromise.
Not all pen testers are equal. When evaluating providers, look for:
Methodology alignment. The tester should map their approach to recognised frameworks — OWASP for web applications, the ACSC guidelines for infrastructure, and your specific compliance requirements.
Manual testing emphasis. Automated scanning is a starting point, not the whole test. Ask what percentage of the engagement is manual, human-driven testing.
Actionable reporting. The report should prioritise findings by business risk, not just technical severity. It should include clear remediation steps your IT team or MSP can act on immediately.
Australian regulatory awareness. Your tester should understand the Essential Eight, APRA CPS 234, and the Privacy Act — not just generic international frameworks.
Retesting included. A pen test without remediation verification is incomplete. The provider should retest after you have fixed the critical findings to confirm the vulnerabilities are actually closed.
We offer penetration testing as part of our cyber security services. Our approach combines external and internal testing, maps findings directly to Essential Eight controls, and delivers reporting that is useful for both your leadership team and your technical team.
For businesses already on our managed security platform, pen testing integrates with your existing security posture — we know your environment, your controls, and your risk profile, which means the test is targeted rather than generic.
If you have never had a pen test, or if your last one was more than 12 months ago, talk to us. The threat landscape has shifted significantly, and what was secure in 2024 may not be secure now.
Talk to our team about scheduling a penetration test for your business. 1300 EPIC IT.
At minimum, annually. If your environment changes significantly — new systems, new offices, major staff changes — test again after the change. Businesses pursuing Essential Eight compliance or ISO 27001 certification should test at least once per year and retest after remediation.
A vulnerability scan is an automated tool that checks for known software flaws. A penetration test is a manual, human-driven exercise that simulates a real attacker chaining together multiple weaknesses to gain access to your systems. Scans find surface-level issues. Pen tests find the paths an attacker would actually take.
A well-managed pen test should not cause downtime. Testing is conducted within agreed rules of engagement, and critical production systems can be scoped carefully to avoid disruption. We schedule testing around your business hours and agree on boundaries before starting.
The Essential Eight framework does not explicitly mandate penetration testing at every maturity level. However, at Maturity Level 2 and above, assessors expect evidence that controls have been validated against realistic attack scenarios. Penetration testing is the most effective way to provide this evidence.
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