Remote SupportPenetration Testing
and Vulnerability Assessment
Find your weaknesses before attackers do. Real Bytes coordinates authorised penetration tests and vulnerability assessments by working alongside industry specialist practitioners to expose real risks across your network, applications, and people.
We orchestrate and manage the full engagement, forming part of a wider specialist team. You get a single point of accountability, expert coordination, and hands-on support through findings, remediation, and follow-up verification.
of penetration tests find at least one critical vulnerability
average time an attacker goes undetected inside a network
of breaches involve internal privilege escalation
of attacks start with stolen or weak credentials
Testing Services
thorough offensive security testing across your entire attack surface.
External Penetration Testing
Simulated attacks against your internet-facing systems, web applications, firewalls, and public infrastructure to identify exploitable vulnerabilities before real attackers do.
Internal Penetration Testing
Assumes an attacker has breached your perimeter. We test lateral movement, privilege escalation, Active Directory attacks, and internal network segmentation.
Web Application Testing
OWASP-aligned testing of your web apps, APIs, and portals. Covers injection flaws, authentication weaknesses, broken access controls, and logic vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Assessment
Automated and manual scanning of your environment to identify, classify, and prioritise vulnerabilities across endpoints, servers, and network devices.
Social Engineering
Phishing simulations, pretexting, and vishing campaigns to test how your people respond to real-world manipulation tactics used by threat actors.
Wi-Fi & Physical Testing
Wireless network attacks, rogue access point detection, and physical security assessments to test what an attacker with physical proximity could achieve.
Our testing methodology.
A structured, responsible approach from scoping through to verified remediation. Same sequence on every engagement.
- 01
Scoping
We define the rules of engagement, target scope, testing windows, and success criteria with you before any testing begins.
- 02
Reconnaissance
Passive and active information gathering on your systems, users, and infrastructure to map the attack surface.
- 03
Exploitation
Controlled, authorised attempts to exploit discovered vulnerabilities using real attacker techniques and tooling.
- 04
Post-Exploitation
Testing what an attacker could do after gaining initial access, including lateral movement and data exfiltration paths.
- 05
Reporting
Detailed findings report with risk ratings, proof-of-concept evidence, executive summary, and actionable remediation steps.
- 06
Remediation Support
We work with your team to remediate findings and offer a retest to verify fixes have been implemented correctly.
Managed Engagements,
Clear Deliverables
Real Bytes coordinates the specialist team and ensures every deliverable is produced to a high standard. You receive professional reports written for both technical teams and leadership, with Real Bytes on hand to explain, prioritise, and support the follow-up work.
ACSC Essential Eight Aligned
Our testing maps findings directly to Essential Eight controls so you know exactly where your maturity gaps are and what to prioritise for compliance.
Compliance Evidence Ready
Reports are structured to serve as audit evidence for ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and government security frameworks. We can tailor output to your specific compliance requirements.
We orchestrate the whole engagement.
Real Bytes manages the engagement end to end, working alongside specialist testers. One trusted partner coordinating scoping, testing, reporting, remediation, and the retest.
"Most businesses get handed a report and left to figure it out themselves. We stay involved as your coordinator and advocate throughout, so the engagement delivers a real outcome, not just a document."
Industry specialist partners
We work alongside vetted penetration testing practitioners (OSCP, CEH, CREST-aligned). You benefit from deep offensive security expertise with Real Bytes managing the relationship on your behalf.
Your single point of contact
Rather than managing a separate testing firm yourself, Real Bytes acts as your advocate. We brief the specialists, oversee the engagement, and translate findings into clear actions for your team.
Remediation coordination
After findings are delivered, we stay involved. We help your team understand what to fix, in what order, and why. We coordinate any follow-up technical work so nothing falls through the gaps.
Retest and verify
Once remediation is complete, we coordinate a retest with the specialist team to verify fixes are effective. You get confirmed closure on every finding, not just a tick in a spreadsheet.
What a penetration test report actually contains.
The output of the engagement is a written report that has to serve three audiences at once: the board, the engineers, and the auditors. Below is the section structure and an excerpt from a recent engagement, sanitised for confidentiality.
Typical engagement
Test window
1 to 3 weeks
Report length
40 to 80 pages
Standards
CREST, OWASP
Retest
Included
Executive summary
One page for the board: scope tested, overall risk rating, the three findings most likely to matter, and whether the business is materially exposed.
Scope and methodology
What was in scope, what was excluded, the rules of engagement, testing windows, and the testing standards followed (CREST, OWASP, OSSTMM, MITRE ATT&CK).
Findings register
Every finding rated against CVSS 3.1, mapped to MITRE ATT&CK and the relevant Essential Eight or ISO 27001 control. Proof-of-concept evidence inline.
Attack path narrative
How the most consequential findings chain together into an attack path. Diagrams, not just text. Demonstrates real-world impact without leaving the reader to imagine it.
Remediation roadmap
Findings sorted into Now (under 30 days), Next (30 to 90 days) and Later (90+ days). Each item costed in engineer hours so the business can budget the response.
Retest plan
What we will retest, how and when. Retest results are appended to the original report so audit and insurance evidence stays in one place.
Excerpt: Section 03 findings register
SanitisedFixed-price scoping. Retest included. Engagements scheduled three to four weeks ahead.
The fastest path in is now the unpatched edge device
The Verizon 2026 DBIR confirms what our engagements show in the field: vulnerability exploitation has overtaken stolen credentials as the top initial access vector. For edge devices specifically, the median time from public CVE disclosure to mass exploitation is now effectively zero. That is the window penetration testing closes, and the gap third-party risk reviews exist to manage.
Read the Verizon 2026 DBIRTop vector
Vulnerability exploitation now the leading initial access vector for breaches
Overtook stolen credentials in 2026. The patch backlog has become the front door.
0 days
0 days median time from edge-device CVE disclosure to mass exploitation
Firewalls, VPN gateways and remote-access appliances are now hit at internet speed.
48%
48% of breaches involved a third party globally, up from 15% two years ago
Your supplier list is now part of your attack surface.
62%
62% of breaches still involved a human element across all sectors
Identity, awareness and process discipline remain the controllable variables.
Source: Verizon 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report. Dataset window Oct 2024 to Nov 2025. 31,000+ incidents and 22,000+ confirmed breaches across 145 countries.
Your Suppliers Are Your Attack Surface
Modern attacks don't always hit you directly. They compromise a trusted vendor, then pivot in. Real Bytes extends risk assessment beyond your perimeter to cover the suppliers, software, and third parties you rely on.
Third-Party Software Compromises
Attackers target software vendors to push malicious updates to thousands of downstream customers at once.
Vendor Access Vulnerabilities
Suppliers with privileged access to your systems become an entry point if their security posture is weak.
Counterfeit Hardware
Tampered or counterfeit hardware components can introduce backdoors before equipment ever reaches your site.
Data Leakage via Subcontractors
Your data passes through multiple hands. Each handoff is a potential exposure without contractual and technical controls.
Vendor Risk Assessments
Structured questionnaires and scoring frameworks to evaluate the security posture of every supplier with access to your systems or data.
Third-Party Access Controls
Least-privilege access policies, just-in-time provisioning, and session monitoring for all external vendor connections.
Software Bill of Materials (SBOM)
Visibility into every component in your software supply chain so you can respond immediately when a vulnerability is disclosed.
Contractual Security Requirements
Template clauses and audit rights to enforce security standards across your supplier agreements and procurement processes.
62%
of breaches originate from a third-party vendor
245 days
average time to detect a supply chain compromise
4x
more costly than direct breaches on average
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about penetration testing and vulnerability assessments.
What is the difference between a penetration test and a vulnerability assessment?
A vulnerability assessment scans and identifies weaknesses but does not attempt to exploit them. A penetration test goes further by actively attempting to exploit vulnerabilities to determine real-world impact. Both are valuable and serve different purposes. We recommend starting with a vulnerability assessment and scheduling penetration tests annually or after significant changes.
Will a penetration test disrupt our operations?
We agree on testing windows and scope before starting. Most tests can be conducted during business hours without disruption. For sensitive environments we can schedule after-hours testing. We maintain constant communication throughout so your team knows exactly what is happening.
How often should we run penetration tests?
At minimum annually, and after any significant changes such as major infrastructure upgrades, new applications going live, mergers or acquisitions, or changes to compliance requirements. Many frameworks including Essential Eight and PCI DSS require regular testing.
Do you test cloud environments?
Yes. We test AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud environments including misconfiguration reviews, IAM privilege escalation, storage bucket exposure, and container security. Cloud testing requires careful scoping to stay within provider acceptable use policies.
Who actually conducts the testing?
Real Bytes works alongside vetted industry specialist penetration testing practitioners. We manage and coordinate the full engagement on your behalf, acting as your single point of accountability. The specialists we work with hold credentials including OSCP, CEH, and CREST-aligned certifications. All testing follows responsible disclosure practices and agreed rules of engagement.
Can a penetration test help us meet compliance requirements?
Yes. Penetration testing is a requirement or recommendation under many frameworks including the ACSC Essential Eight, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and the Australian Government ISM. We can map findings to specific compliance controls and provide evidence for auditors.
Ready to test your defences?
Get a scoped proposal for your penetration test or vulnerability assessment. We assess your environment, define rules of engagement, and deliver a clear, fixed-price engagement with remediation support and a follow-up retest.
CREST-aligned testers. Australian engineers. Fixed-price scoping.