Frequently Asked Questions

Penetration testing is a controlled, authorized security assessment where our certified testers simulate real-world attacks against your infrastructure, applications, and networks. The goal is to discover exploitable vulnerabilities before malicious actors do, giving you actionable findings and remediation guidance to strengthen your defenses.

Assessment duration depends on scope. The Compliance Quick-Start typically requires 2-3 days of testing with a 5-7 day turnaround for the report. The Full Compliance Assessment takes 4-5 days of testing with 10-14 day reporting. Larger or more complex environments may take longer. We always provide a timeline estimate during the initial consultation.

A vulnerability scan is an automated tool that identifies known weaknesses in your systems. A penetration test goes deeper: our certified testers manually verify findings, exploit vulnerabilities to demonstrate real impact, perform privilege escalation and lateral movement testing, and provide business-contextualized remediation guidance. Pentest findings are far more actionable and risk-focused.

Preparation is minimal. We'll need scope clarification (which systems, networks, or applications to test), emergency contact information, and approval from relevant stakeholders. For internal testing, ensure we have network access. For web applications, provide login credentials if needed. We'll handle the rest—no special setup required on your end.

Pricing is transparent and tiered. Our Compliance Quick-Start is $1,500 (external testing), Full Compliance Assessment is $2,500 (internal + external + web apps), and Annual Security Program is $4,500 per year (quarterly scans plus annual full pentest). Industry average is $10K-$50K+. We offer SMB-friendly pricing without hidden fees. Custom quotes available for specialized testing.

Our reports include an executive summary for non-technical stakeholders, detailed technical findings with vulnerability descriptions and proof-of-concept exploitation, risk ratings (critical, high, medium, low), business impact analysis, step-by-step remediation guidance, and compliance-ready language suitable for insurance or regulatory reviews. Reports are customized to your compliance needs.

Contact us via email at [email protected] or use our website form to schedule a consultation. We'll discuss your security goals, infrastructure, and compliance needs. We'll provide a detailed proposal with scope, timeline, and pricing. Once you approve and sign an NDA, we'll schedule the assessment. The entire process typically takes 1-2 weeks from initial contact to test start.

Yes. After you remediate vulnerabilities, we offer retesting to confirm fixes are effective. Retesting is typically 50% of the original assessment cost. This ensures that your team has properly addressed identified risks and that no new issues were introduced during remediation.

Many cyber insurance policies now require or strongly recommend penetration testing or vulnerability assessments as a condition of coverage or premium discounts. Our compliance-ready reports are accepted by most insurers and can help you demonstrate your security posture. Contact your insurance broker to confirm specific requirements—we can tailor our assessment accordingly.

Yes. Our Full Compliance Assessment and Annual Security Program both support HIPAA security assessments. We test for HIPAA-relevant vulnerabilities (access controls, encryption, audit logging, data integrity), provide HIPAA-compliant reporting, and deliver findings in a format suitable for your compliance documentation and BAA requirements.

Yes. Our Full Compliance Assessment and Annual Security Program include SOC 2-aligned testing. We assess security controls required under the SOC 2 framework, including access control, monitoring, change management, and vulnerability management. Reports are structured to support your SOC 2 Type II audit and can be included in control testing documentation.

We provide PCI-DSS-compliant penetration testing for organizations handling payment card data. Our assessments cover the 12 PCI-DSS control areas, include network segmentation testing, payment data security validation, and deliver compliance-formatted reports. Results can be submitted to your Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) or used internally for compliance remediation.

All testing is conducted by OSCP and CRTO certified security professionals. You'll work directly with the certified tester who performs your assessment—not a third-party vendor or junior analyst. This ensures direct communication, deeper expertise, and personalized attention to your specific security posture and business context.

Our team holds industry-leading certifications: OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional) for penetration testing expertise and CRTO (Certified Red Team Operator) for advanced adversary simulation. These rigorous, hands-on certifications ensure our testers have real-world security testing experience and current technical knowledge.

Trident Shell is based in Maryland and serves businesses across Maryland, Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, and surrounding regions. We also work with distributed teams and remote clients nationwide. Geographic location is no barrier to working with us—we conduct remote testing and deliver results digitally.

Yes. We offer specialized cloud security assessments for AWS, Azure, and GCP environments. Testing includes cloud configuration reviews, container security, IAM audits, serverless function testing, and cloud-native vulnerability discovery. Contact us with your cloud platform details for a custom proposal.

Absolutely. We sign mutual NDAs for all assessments. Your findings, infrastructure details, and business information are strictly confidential. Reports are delivered securely and remain your property. We maintain strict data security and never disclose client information or findings without explicit written consent.

You'll receive a detailed report with findings and remediation guidance. We recommend a post-assessment debrief call to discuss results, answer questions, and prioritize fixes. We're available for follow-up questions and can help your team understand the findings. After remediation, you can engage us for retesting to validate fixes. For ongoing security, consider our Annual Security Program.

Yes. We provide advanced red team operations that simulate sophisticated, multi-vector attacks including social engineering, physical security testing, and persistence simulation. Red team exercises test your organization's detection and response capabilities end-to-end. Contact us for a consultation on red team engagement scope and pricing.

Data security is paramount. We conduct testing with minimal data access—only what's necessary for the assessment. We use secure communication channels, encrypt all findings and reports, and never copy or exfiltrate production data. Our testers follow strict ethical guidelines and industry-standard protocols to protect your systems and data throughout the engagement.