A penetration test is a controlled, authorized attempt to breach your company's IT systems, conducted by security experts you have hired. The goal is to identify weaknesses before a real attacker finds them. It may sound like something only large enterprises need and can afford. That is not entirely correct.

What happens during a penetration test?

A pentest (as it is often abbreviated) typically follows the same steps as a real attack, but with clear rules and documentation:

  1. Reconnaissance: the testers map out your visible attack surface: domains, IP addresses, public services, email addresses.
  2. Scanning and vulnerability identification: automated and manual tests uncover potential entry points.
  3. Exploitation: the testers actively attempt to exploit the vulnerabilities found in order to gain access.
  4. Post-exploitation: what can an attacker do once they are inside? Can they escalate privileges, move laterally, reach sensitive data?
  5. Report: a detailed report covering all findings, severity, and concrete remediation recommendations.

Penetration test vs. vulnerability scanning

These two are often confused. A vulnerability scan is automated: a tool scans systems and reports known vulnerabilities based on a database. It is relatively cheap and fast, but it does not tell you whether the vulnerabilities can actually be exploited.

A penetration test is manual and intelligent. A security expert combines technical tools with creative attacker thinking, just like a real attacker would. It reveals not only known vulnerabilities, but also logical weaknesses, misconfigured systems and chained attacks that no automated scanner would find.

Pricing example for Denmark: An external penetration test of a typical SMB network usually costs DKK 15,000–60,000, depending on scope and complexity. A web application test typically falls in the DKK 20,000–80,000 range. It sounds like a lot of money, but it is cheap compared with the consequences of a successful attack.

Who needs a penetration test?

Not all SMBs have an immediate need for a full pentest. But these signals indicate it is time to consider one:

  • You are subject to regulation: NIS2, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, or industry-specific requirements
  • You handle sensitive personal data or confidential customer information
  • You have recently made significant changes to your IT infrastructure (cloud migration, new firewall, new system)
  • An important customer or partner requires documentation of your security posture
  • You want to know what an attacker would find, and get an honest answer

What do you do with the results?

A pentest is worthless if the report ends up in a drawer. Use it actively:

  • Prioritize findings by severity: remediate critical issues within days, not months
  • Use the report as a basis for your security budget and priorities
  • Conduct a follow-up test 6–12 months later to verify that remediation efforts remain effective

A penetration test is a snapshot of your security posture at a given point in time. Combine it with ongoing vulnerability scanning and good IT hygiene to achieve full effectiveness.