What is a penetration test, in plain words?

A penetration test is an authorised attempt to get into your systems the way an attacker would, followed by a report of what worked.

What makes it different

Nothing is hypothetical. A tester does not list what might be wrong: they try, and record what they actually managed to do, with the steps to repeat it.

What you receive

• A list of confirmed weaknesses, ordered by how much they matter.
• Evidence for each one, so a developer can see it for themselves.
• Practical advice on how to fix it.

What it is not

It is not a guarantee that nothing else is wrong. It is a picture of the system, in the agreed scope, at the time of the test. That is why fixes should be tested again, and why important changes deserve a new test.