To choose a penetration testing company in Colombia, ask for five things before you sign: the scope in writing, the certifications of the people who will test (not just the company's), a sample report with proof of concept and CVSS scores, a defined retest and a contract with explicit authorization and confidentiality. If any is missing, the «pentest» is usually an automated scan under another name. This guide explains what to check on each point, what it should cost and which red flags rule a provider out.
Which certifications should the tester hold?
Certifications matter when they belong to the person running the test and when the exam is hands-on. Ask for the names of the testers and their credentials; a company can hold a badge and assign your project to someone with no experience.
What must the report include?
Ask for an (anonymized) sample report before you hire. A serious report has these parts:
If the sample report is a list of findings with a tool's name and no proof of concept, it is the output of a vulnerability assessment, not a pentest. They are different services with different prices.
What to ask about the methodology?
How much should a pentest cost in Colombia?
It depends on the scope (how many applications, APIs or network ranges), the depth and the retest. As a reference, a T.I. RESCUE pentest starts at COP 5,000,000 + VAT and the retest is quoted separately. A practical rule: if one proposal costs a fraction of the others for the same scope, ask how many hours of manual testing it includes; it is most likely an automated scan.
What must the contract say?
Local or international provider? Remote or on site?
A pentest of web applications, APIs or the external network is done remotely without losing anything; the internal network too, through a VPN or a device inside your network. What does matter is context: a provider in Colombia works in your time zone, invoices in pesos, knows the financial regulator's Circular 007 and Law 1581, and can sit with your board to explain the report. Ask where the testing team is, not just where the sales office is.
Seven red flags
Checklist: 10 questions to compare providers
Frequently asked questions when hiring a pentest
How often should a pentest be done?
At least once a year and after major changes: a new application, a cloud migration, a merger or an incident. Standards such as PCI DSS require it annually and after significant changes.
Pentest or vulnerability assessment?
The assessment detects known flaws with tools and is cheaper and more frequent; the pentest validates and exploits them in a controlled way to prove the impact.
Pentest or red team?
A pentest looks for as many vulnerabilities as possible within a defined scope; a red team simulates a real attacker with an objective and tests whether your team detects it.
Does a pentest give me a certificate?
It gives you a report with a date and a scope. No pentest «certifies» that a system is secure; anyone promising that is not being honest.
Is a provider outside my city fine?
Yes. Tests are run remotely with the same methodology; what matters is that the team works in your hours and knows Colombian regulation.
Want to compare against a real proposal?
We'll send you the scope, deliverables and price of a T.I. RESCUE pentest, with the name and credentials of the person who would run it.
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