VAPT Certification Cost: Key Amplifiers & Tips to Optimize Your Price

If your business needs to be VAPT certified, you should include budgeting in your project’s roadmap. This, however, is easier said than done—businesses often exceed the allocated budget. In most cases, the culprit is a lack of understanding of pricing. 

To help you plan better, we have listed the key factors that are the biggest drivers of pricing, to help you arrive at a rough estimate. We quoted an estimate based on industry standards and our partner pricing structures. Read on to understand these in detail. 

How much does VAPT cost?

On average, you can expect to spend anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. VAPT cost varies on several internal and external factors like the complexity of your infrastructure, the size of the systems being tested, the scope, the vendor’s pricing module, tools used, and testing models.

Before breaking down the factors of VAPT certification, let’s clarify a common myth around the term ‘VAPT.’ While almost always used together, it is not quite a single requirement. 

There are subtle differences between a vulnerability assessment and a pen test – and you may or may not require both – a VA or a PT may be a standalone service and arise from specific needs. 

External and internal cost amplifiers for VAPT certification

As previously mentioned, the cost depends on many factors. Let’s dive a little deeper into each. 

1. Type of test

The type of test relates to the scope of your test—it can be external or internal. Note that in some cases, you may be required to conduct both. 

External pen tests assess the effectiveness of your security controls that prevent people from gaining access to remote systems or secure the initial attack vector by simulating remote malicious actors. 

On the other hand, internal pen tests explore the depth of the damage that a malicious program or attacker can cause once they have access to the system. 

Internal pen tests will generally cost you more. This mainly boils down to the size of the attack surface the test covers – access points, firewalls, servers, WiFi networks, domain controllers, and more. If these are compromised, attacks can inflict a lot of damage. 

Apart from the scope, the type of application also affects VAPT pricing. Broadly, these can be web applications (run on a browser), desktop applications (installed on a computer or laptop), and mobile applications (smartphones or tablets). Of course, the size and number of these applications make the ultimate difference in the VAPT cost. 

Want to strengthen your network defenses? Get our External Network VAPT Report and discover critical insights.

2. Method of test

Another crucial factor that affects total cost is the testing method, which adds to the complexity and directly impacts your budget. There are three testing methods – white box, black box, and gray box. 

In white box testing, the tester has full transparency to the network data, system information, and documents. It is primarily used to test specific systems and is the most cost-effective option of the three. 

Compare this to black box testing, where testers have zero knowledge of the codes, functions, or processes of the system – in many cases, only the company name is revealed. As the closest simulation of an actual attack, it involves all possible methods to breach the system. It is the costliest of the three. 

Finally, gray box or translucent testing is a mix of both approaches. The tester has limited information about the system components – what they are but not how they interact. It is used to assess the damage that an insider or privileged user can cause. 

3. Scope of the test

Apart from the type and method, the size and complexity of your infrastructure also factor into the overall cost of VAPT certification. Bear in mind that you won’t be testing your entire infrastructure; your tester will scan selected components of your network—specific assets, applications, and IP addresses. 

If your organization has complex and highly distributed systems composed of segmented networks, siloed platforms, and multiple types of endpoints, it means that the attack surface is larger – and so will be the scope of the test.  

To add to these, if you rely on custom codes, heterogeneous deployment of systems, unique integrations, and legacy systems, the test can be even more challenging. 

From the service provider’s perspective, this means they need more time to conduct the test, additional resources, and use tools – all leading to a higher quote compared to a smaller and simpler environment. 

4. Tools and techniques 

The scanning tools and technologies used by your assessment partner are another direct cost amplifier. The ultimate price will vary based on the type of vulnerability assessment tools or pen testing tools your vendor uses. The cost of licensing, certifications, and subscription – all ultimately flow into your VAPT bill. 

Apart from the tools, the technique used to conduct the test is also a cost differentiator. You can conduct VAPT in two ways – automated and manual. 

Automated VAPT scans are faster, identify common or known vulnerabilities, and can be conducted more frequently. This method is cost-effective compared to manual tests as it does not require human intervention. 

Manual VAPT is a human-led approach involving a professional security expert testing vulnerabilities using various methods and tools. It is more comprehensive and helps detect complex or unknown threats. 

We recommend balancing both methods, as it combines the best of both worlds. Having said that, the type of VAPT that best suits you boils down to your specific environment and custom requirements, so it’s best to discuss this with your vendor first. 

5. Reporting and compliance

The reporting should be thorough and comprehensive if your need to conduct a VAPT arises from an obligation to comply with a regulatory framework. For example, compliance frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS require organizations to conduct VAPT. The depth of the report compiled by your tester is also a pricing factor – the comprehensiveness of the report’s details is directly proportional to the cost. 

Note that if you have to adhere to multiple compliance frameworks, that too will reflect in the cost. 

You can refer to the table below to understand a rough estimate of the pricing structure for the frameworks mentioned above based on the number of employees in your organization. 

Number of employees	Pricing range for common frameworks
1-10	Starting engagement at $1000+
11 – 50	Starting engagement at $2500+
51 – 200	Starting engagement at $5500+
200+	Starting engagement at $7500+

As far as comprehensiveness goes, this depends on several other factors apart from compliance needs. These include the type of report, the depth of the steps, if an attestation letter is needed, and more. A detailed VAPT report consists of the scan results, executive summary, test details, risk assessment result, risk severity, and corrective actions. 

6. Pricing module

Apart from internal factors, your VAPT certification cost can vary from one vendor to another. Let’s understand some of the common pricing modules. 

• Coupon or credit module: Considered to be the most flexible module, the coupon/credit system allows organizations to purchase a testing window to conduct any type of test. This is recommended if you are confident about the scheduled testing timeline. 
• Fixed cost module: Here, vendors generally list their pricing structure on their website and do not quote custom prices to customers. Organizations with large infrastructure would not benefit from this module. 
• Bundled module: Many vendors offer multiple services at a discounted price. This module is the best choice for you if your organization has to undergo multiple assessments or has a complex infrastructure consisting of a large inventory of endpoints. 
• Time-bound module: Some vendors use time as a metric to charge their customers. Here, you pay for the amount of time spent on conducting the tests rather than the type of applications or the scope. 

Apart from these, many vendors offer additional discounted rates to their existing customers. This is because if your partner already knows your infrastructure and its requirements, completing the test is easier (and often quicker). 

Moreover, retaining an existing customer is cheaper than finding new ones, so offering discounts ultimately saves their time and money. 

How to reduce VAPT cost?

Conducting VAPT, in most cases, is not a one-time activity but a recurring requirement. This can become an expensive concern in the long run. To optimize for VAPT certification costs, you can: 

• Evaluate the pricing modules and choose the option based on your testing requirements that offer the highest value. 
• Communicate the expectations and responsibilities of concerned stakeholders before the test to reduce the total time taken to complete the test. Lesser time = lower cost. 
• Implement security best practices and train your employees to reduce the time and effort taken to complete the test. By reducing the overall risk, you can test specific targets rather than the larger environment. 
• If you have compliance requirements, choose an all-in-one compliance + vulnerability management tool like Sprinto. This way, you don’t just automate compliance processes and continuously scan for vulnerabilities in real time but remediate them in a timely manner based on priority. Using an integrated view of risks, assets, and vulnerabilities, you can continuously improve your posture by patching security lapses. See Sprinto in action. 

FAQs

How much does a vulnerability scanner cost?

A vulnerability scanner can cost you anything between $1,000 to $5,000 annually. This price fluctuates based on factors like features, functionality, and ability to operate in a complex environment. 

What are the best VAPT tools? 

Some of the best VAPT tools to identify and manage security vulnerabilities are Wireshark, Nessus, Nmap, Metasploit, Burp Suite, and Sqlmap. 

What is required for VAPT certification?

There are no specific requirements if you want to be a certified VAPT professional. Relevant experience, exam results, and training courses make a difference.