NIST CSF Penetration Testing Providers
NIST Cybersecurity Framework · North America
The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is a voluntary framework for managing and reducing cybersecurity risk, widely adopted across industries in the US and internationally. NIST CSF 2.0, released in February 2024, organises cybersecurity activities into six functions: Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
Penetration testing directly supports several NIST CSF categories, particularly ID.RA (Risk Assessment), PR.IP (Information Protection Processes), and DE.CM (Security Continuous Monitoring). The framework's emphasis on risk-based approaches makes penetration testing a natural fit, as it provides real-world evidence of vulnerabilities and their potential impact.
NIST CSF is used as a reference framework by many regulatory bodies and is often required for government contractors through references in NIST SP 800-53 and related publications. Regular penetration testing helps organisations assess their current cybersecurity posture against the framework's tiers, identify gaps in their implementation, and demonstrate continuous improvement in their cybersecurity programme.
Aon Cyber Solutions
Cybersecurity consulting division of global insurance leader Aon, uniquely combining penetration testing with cyber risk quantification and insurance expertise.
Aristi
CHECK and CREST-accredited Birmingham-based cyber security consultancy with over 15 years of experience delivering penetration testing, red teaming, and OT security assessments for government and private sector clients.
Bishop Fox
Premier US-based offensive security firm known for elite penetration testers, cutting-edge research, and the Cosmos continuous attack surface management platform.
Black Hills Information Security
Community-driven penetration testing firm known for free security education, open-source tools, Wild West Hackin' Fest, and practical offensive security services.
Bridewell
Fast-growing CREST and CHECK-accredited UK cybersecurity consultancy with deep expertise in critical national infrastructure sectors.
Bulletproof
CREST-accredited UK cybersecurity and compliance provider offering penetration testing, managed security services, and regulatory consultancy to over 2,000 customers from its Stevenage headquarters.
Coalfire
Compliance-focused cybersecurity advisory firm and FedRAMP 3PAO specializing in penetration testing that meets stringent regulatory requirements.
CrowdStrike
Global cybersecurity leader leveraging world-class threat intelligence from the Falcon platform to deliver intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming.
Cyberis
CREST and CHECK-accredited UK penetration testing consultancy with CBEST approval, specialising in infrastructure, application, and simulated attack assessments across the public and private sectors.
Dionach
Global enterprise cybersecurity consultancy founded in 1999 in Oxford, holding rare CREST STAR-FS accreditation and delivering penetration testing, red and purple teaming, and PCI QSA services across five international offices.
HackerOne
World's largest ethical hacker platform with over one million researchers, offering bug bounties and structured penetration testing to the US DoD and Fortune 500.
IOActive
Elite boutique security consultancy specializing in IoT, SCADA/ICS, embedded systems, and hardware security research with world-renowned researchers.
IT Governance
Established Ely-based compliance and cybersecurity consultancy offering CREST-approved penetration testing as part of a comprehensive governance, risk management, and compliance portfolio.
JUMPSEC
Full-service London-based cybersecurity consultancy with CREST, CHECK, and NCSC accreditations delivering offensive testing, managed detection, and strategic advisory services.
Kolibërs Group
Mexico-based cybersecurity firm delivering pen testing services across Latin America with international standards alignment.
LRQA
The only organisation worldwide with a full suite of CREST accreditations. 250+ cybersecurity specialists operating in 55+ countries across pen testing, red teaming, and incident response.
Mandiant
World-renowned cybersecurity firm now part of Google Cloud, delivering threat intelligence-led penetration testing and red teaming informed by front-line incident response experience.
MDSec
Elite UK offensive security consultancy specialising in CBEST/STAR/TIBER red teaming, advanced adversary simulation, and CREST-accredited penetration testing for FTSE 100 clients.
NCC Group
Global cybersecurity consultancy with CREST, CHECK, and CBEST accreditation, renowned for deep technical research and comprehensive penetration testing services.
Netragard
Top 10-ranked US pen testing firm with proprietary Real Time Dynamic Testing methodology. Three-tier service model from standard to maximum-depth custom testing.
NetSPI
Leading penetration testing firm with the Resolve platform for continuous attack surface management, trusted by nine of the top ten US banks.
Nettitude
CREST, CHECK, and CBEST accredited UK consultancy within Lloyd's Register, delivering premium penetration testing for government and critical infrastructure.
Offensive Security
Creators of OSCP, Kali Linux, and Exploit-DB, offering elite penetration testing services from the team that trains the world's ethical hackers.
Pen Test Partners
The UK's largest independent security testing firm, renowned for IoT/OT research, CBEST red teaming, and CHECK/CREST-accredited penetration testing across all sectors.
Praetorian
Offensive security firm founded by former DoD professionals, offering elite penetration testing and the Chariot continuous attack surface management platform.
PwC Cyber Security
Global Big Four professional services firm delivering CREST, CHECK, and CBEST-accredited penetration testing and red teaming services from London, serving the UK's largest enterprises and regulated organisations.
Rapid7
Creators of Metasploit offering enterprise penetration testing integrated with their comprehensive vulnerability management and security operations platform.
Raxis
Gartner-recognised PTaaS provider with 14+ years of experience. Expert-led pen testing combining manual techniques with AI-powered tooling across web, cloud, mobile, and SCADA/ICS.
Redbot Security
Denver-based boutique pen testing firm with senior-only testers. Personalised engagements across penetration testing, red teaming, and vulnerability management.
Redpoint Cybersecurity
US-wide pen testing firm serving major cities including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, and Miami with comprehensive security assessments.
Redscan (A Kroll Business)
London-based cybersecurity provider, now part of Kroll, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing, managed detection and response, and incident response with a 550-strong cyber team.
Redspin
Miami-based cybersecurity firm with 300+ employees and deep healthcare/HIPAA expertise. Delivering pen testing since 2000.
RedTeam Security
Atlanta-based pen testing firm serving major enterprises. Known for physical penetration testing alongside network and application assessments.
Rhino Security Labs
Cloud security penetration testing specialists known for the Pacu AWS exploitation framework and deep expertise across AWS, Azure, and GCP environments.
Salus Cyber
Award-winning Cheltenham-based cybersecurity consultancy with NCSC CHECK Green Light status and CREST approval, specialising in defence, government, and critical national infrastructure security.
Secarma
Manchester-based independent cybersecurity consultancy with over 20 years of experience delivering CREST and CHECK-accredited penetration testing, red teaming, and compliance certification services.
SECFORCE
Leading UK offensive security consultancy based in Canary Wharf, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing and adversary simulation to organisations with the most demanding security requirements.
Secureworks
Dell Technologies-backed cybersecurity firm with elite Counter Threat Unit intelligence informing enterprise penetration testing and adversary simulation.
Securin
Vulnerability intelligence-driven penetration testing firm providing contextual security assessments informed by threat actor exploitation data and ransomware tracking.
SpecterOps
Adversary-focused security firm created by former DoD red team operators. Creators of BloodHound. CREST-accredited for penetration testing, red teaming, and purple team assessments.
Synack
FedRAMP-authorized crowdsourced penetration testing platform combining vetted elite hackers with AI-powered Hydra technology for continuous security testing.
Tevora
CREST-accredited California consultancy blending compliance expertise with penetration testing. First to earn ISO 17020 for MITRE ATT&CK and PTES frameworks.
Trail of Bits
Elite security research firm specializing in source code review, blockchain auditing, and building industry-standard open-source security tools.
TrustedSec
Elite offensive security firm founded by a former NSA operator, delivering CREST-accredited penetration testing, red teaming, and adversary simulation to Fortune 500 and government clients.
NIST CSF FAQs
Is NIST CSF mandatory?+
NIST CSF is voluntary for most organisations but is effectively required for US federal contractors and is referenced by many industry regulations. It has been widely adopted globally as a cybersecurity best practice framework.
How does penetration testing map to NIST CSF?+
Pen testing supports Risk Assessment (ID.RA), Information Protection (PR.IP), and Continuous Monitoring (DE.CM). Results help organisations assess their maturity across the framework's implementation tiers.
What is new in NIST CSF 2.0?+
NIST CSF 2.0 adds a sixth function (Govern), expands supply chain risk management, provides more detailed implementation guidance, and broadens applicability beyond critical infrastructure to all organisations.