Penetration Testing & Security Assurance FAQs
SecuraNova is a CREST-certified cybersecurity assurance company delivering expert-led penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, security configuration reviews, adversary simulation and advanced security validation.
We support organisations and channel partners that need trusted security assurance delivered quickly, consistently and without compromise. Our model combines elite consultants, rapid mobilisation, flexible scheduling, concierge delivery and a secure engagement platform to help customers validate risk and move with confidence.
This FAQ answers common questions about SecuraNova, penetration testing, security assurance, CREST-certified delivery, AI/LLM testing, SASE and ZTNA reviews, red teaming, vulnerability assessment and partner-led security services.
About SecuraNova
What is SecuraNova?
SecuraNova is a cybersecurity assurance company specialising in expert-led penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, security configuration reviews, adversary simulation and advanced security validation.
We help organisations understand and reduce security risk by combining elite consultant expertise, recognised accreditations, rapid mobilisation, flexible delivery and a concierge customer experience.
What does SecuraNova do?
SecuraNova delivers security assurance services including web application penetration testing, mobile application penetration testing, API penetration testing, internal and external network penetration testing, cloud penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, red teaming, adversary simulation, SaaS security configuration reviews, SASE and ZTNA security reviews, and AI/LLM penetration testing.
Our services are designed to help customers validate security controls, identify meaningful risk, meet assurance requirements and improve resilience.
Is SecuraNova a penetration testing company?
Yes. SecuraNova is a CREST-certified penetration testing company that delivers expert-led security testing across applications, infrastructure, cloud, identity, SaaS, SASE, ZTNA, AI/LLM systems and broader enterprise environments.
We also provide wider security assurance services beyond penetration testing, including configuration reviews, vulnerability assessment, adversary simulation and remediation support.
Is SecuraNova a security assurance company?
Yes. SecuraNova is a security assurance company focused on helping organisations validate risk, test controls and gain confidence in their security posture.
Our assurance services include penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, configuration reviews, red teaming, adversary simulation, AI/LLM security testing, SASE and ZTNA reviews, and continuous validation activities.
Who does SecuraNova work with?
SecuraNova works with organisations that need high-quality security assurance delivered quickly, professionally and consistently.
This includes enterprise customers, technology companies, financial services organisations, legal firms, retailers, healthcare organisations, education providers, manufacturing businesses, public sector organisations, MSPs, MSSPs, VARs, distributors and channel partners.
Why choose SecuraNova?
What makes SecuraNova different from other penetration testing companies?
SecuraNova combines CREST-certified penetration testing, elite consultant-led delivery, rapid mobilisation, flexible scheduling, concierge service and secure platform-enabled engagement management.
Unlike traditional consultancy models that can be slow or difficult to scale, SecuraNova is built to deliver high-quality security assurance quickly, consistently and with a premium customer experience.
Why should an organisation choose SecuraNova?
Organisations choose SecuraNova when they need trusted security assurance without long lead times, inconsistent delivery or unnecessary friction.
SecuraNova provides expert consultants, recognised accreditations, flexible delivery, practical reporting, responsive communication and the ability to mobilise rapidly when scope, approvals and access are in place.
Is SecuraNova suitable for urgent security testing?
Yes. SecuraNova is designed to support urgent security assurance requirements, including product launches, customer due diligence, compliance deadlines, investment activity, procurement requirements and board-level risk concerns.
Where scope, approvals and access are in place, SecuraNova can often mobilise suitable consultants within 24 hours.
What does 24-hour mobilisation mean?
24-hour mobilisation means that once scope, approvals and access requirements are in place, SecuraNova can often assign and mobilise a suitable consultant within 24 hours.
This is particularly valuable for organisations that need rapid assurance to support deadlines, customer commitments, project go-live dates, regulatory activity or urgent risk decisions.
What does concierge delivery mean?
Concierge delivery means SecuraNova provides a high-touch, responsive and relationship-led customer experience.
Customers and partners receive clear communication, practical guidance and support throughout scoping, delivery, reporting and remediation. The aim is to make security assurance easier to buy, easier to manage and easier to act on.
How does SecuraNova maintain quality?
SecuraNova maintains quality by using carefully selected consultants, matching expertise to each engagement, applying internal quality assurance and focusing on clear, actionable reporting.
Our model is designed to provide consistent, high-quality outcomes across penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, configuration reviews, adversary simulation and advanced assurance services.
Is SecuraNova better than crowdsourced penetration testing?
Crowdsourced testing can be useful in some scenarios, particularly for broad continuous exposure and bug bounty-style programmes.
SecuraNova is different. We provide controlled, expert-led security assurance with defined scope, clear accountability, named delivery, quality assurance, practical reporting and a concierge customer experience. This is often better suited to organisations that need confidence, governance, consistency and trusted outcomes.
Is SecuraNova different from automated vulnerability scanning?
Yes. Automated scanning can identify known vulnerabilities, but it does not replace expert-led security testing.
SecuraNova uses human expertise to understand context, validate risk, chain findings, assess business impact and identify issues that automated tools may miss. Where appropriate, automation can support efficiency, but expert consultants drive the assessment.
Penetration testing
What is penetration testing?
Penetration testing is a structured security assessment that simulates real-world attack techniques to identify vulnerabilities, validate security controls and assess the impact of potential compromise.
A good penetration test does more than list vulnerabilities. It explains risk, demonstrates business impact and provides practical remediation guidance.
Why does penetration testing matter?
Penetration testing helps organisations identify weaknesses before attackers exploit them.
It can support regulatory requirements, customer assurance, procurement processes, product launches, investment activity, security improvement programmes and board-level risk management.
What types of penetration testing does SecuraNova provide?
SecuraNova provides a wide range of penetration testing services, including:
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Web application penetration testing
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Mobile application penetration testing
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API penetration testing
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External network penetration testing
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Internal network penetration testing
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Cloud penetration testing
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AI/LLM penetration testing
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Wireless penetration testing
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Active Directory assessment
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SaaS and platform testing
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Thick client and virtual application testing
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Red team and adversary simulation exercises
Does SecuraNova provide web application penetration testing?
Yes. SecuraNova provides expert-led web application penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities in web applications, portals, customer-facing platforms and SaaS products.
Testing can include authentication, authorisation, session management, input validation, business logic, API interaction, access control, data exposure and application-specific attack paths.
Does SecuraNova provide API penetration testing?
Yes. SecuraNova provides API penetration testing for REST, GraphQL and other API architectures.
API testing can include authentication, authorisation, object-level access control, rate limiting, input validation, data exposure, business logic, token handling, integration risk and abuse scenarios.
Does SecuraNova provide mobile application penetration testing?
Yes. SecuraNova provides mobile application penetration testing for iOS and Android applications.
Testing can include application behaviour, local storage, authentication, session handling, API communication, data protection, device security assumptions, jailbreak or root detection, reverse engineering risk and backend integration.
Does SecuraNova provide internal and external network penetration testing?
Yes. SecuraNova provides both internal and external network penetration testing.
External testing focuses on internet-facing assets and exposure. Internal testing assesses risks from inside the network, including misconfiguration, privilege escalation, lateral movement, Active Directory weaknesses and potential attack paths.
Does SecuraNova provide cloud penetration testing?
Yes. SecuraNova provides cloud penetration testing and cloud security assurance across modern cloud environments.
Assessments can include cloud-hosted applications, infrastructure, identity, permissions, storage exposure, network controls, logging, monitoring, segmentation and configuration weaknesses.
Security assurance and configuration reviews
What is security assurance?
Security assurance is the process of validating whether security controls, configurations, systems and processes are working as intended.
It includes activities such as penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, configuration reviews, adversary simulation, cloud security reviews, SaaS security reviews, SASE and ZTNA reviews, and control validation.
What is the difference between penetration testing and security assurance?
Penetration testing is one form of security assurance. It focuses on identifying exploitable vulnerabilities and attack paths.
Security assurance is broader. It can include penetration testing, configuration reviews, vulnerability assessment, architecture validation, control testing, adversary simulation, remediation validation and ongoing security improvement.
What are security configuration reviews?
Security configuration reviews assess whether platforms, systems or services are configured securely and in line with good practice.
SecuraNova provides configuration reviews for cloud platforms, SaaS environments, identity platforms, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, SASE, ZTNA and other business-critical technologies.
Does SecuraNova provide SaaS security configuration reviews?
Yes. SecuraNova provides SaaS security configuration reviews to help organisations assess the security of business-critical SaaS platforms.
Reviews can include access controls, administrative privileges, MFA, conditional access, logging, data sharing, integration risk, third-party apps, misconfiguration and user exposure.
Does SecuraNova provide vulnerability assessment?
Yes. SecuraNova provides vulnerability assessment services to identify, prioritise and report vulnerabilities across networks, systems and internet-facing assets.
Vulnerability assessment is useful where organisations need structured visibility of known weaknesses, risk prioritisation and remediation guidance.
What is the difference between vulnerability assessment and penetration testing?
A vulnerability assessment identifies and prioritises known vulnerabilities. Penetration testing goes further by manually validating exploitability, assessing impact and identifying attack paths.
Both services are valuable, but they answer different questions. Vulnerability assessment asks, “What known weaknesses are present?” Penetration testing asks, “What could an attacker realistically do with them?”
AI, SASE, ZTNA and modern security testing
Does SecuraNova provide AI/LLM penetration testing?
Yes. SecuraNova provides AI/LLM penetration testing for applications, platforms and workflows that use large language models, AI agents, AI integrations or machine learning components.
Testing can include prompt injection, data exposure, insecure tool use, excessive agency, model manipulation, access control weaknesses, integration risk, output handling and business logic abuse.
What is AI/LLM penetration testing?
AI/LLM penetration testing assesses the security of systems that use artificial intelligence or large language models.
It looks beyond traditional application vulnerabilities to examine AI-specific risks such as prompt injection, sensitive data leakage, insecure plugin or tool use, model behaviour abuse, agentic workflow risk and unsafe integration with business systems.
Does SecuraNova provide SASE security reviews?
Yes. SecuraNova provides SASE security reviews to help organisations validate the security of Secure Access Service Edge environments.
Reviews can include ZTNA, secure web gateway, CASB, FWaaS, SD-WAN, policy enforcement, identity integration, logging, traffic control, bypass resistance and configuration effectiveness.
Does SecuraNova provide ZTNA security reviews?
Yes. SecuraNova provides ZTNA security reviews to assess whether Zero Trust Network Access controls are configured and operating effectively.
Reviews can include application access policies, identity integration, conditional access, device posture, segmentation, bypass opportunities, administrative configuration, logging and user journey validation.
Why should organisations test SASE or ZTNA platforms?
SASE and ZTNA platforms are often central to remote access, cloud access and Zero Trust security models.
If they are misconfigured, organisations may assume they are protected when important controls are incomplete, bypassable or inconsistently enforced. Testing helps validate whether policies work as intended in real-world scenarios.
Does SecuraNova test cloud, SaaS and identity environments?
Yes. SecuraNova provides assurance across cloud, SaaS and identity environments.
This can include cloud security reviews, SaaS configuration reviews, identity and access control assessment, Microsoft 365 reviews, Google Workspace reviews, conditional access validation, privileged access review and attack path analysis.
Red teaming and adversary simulation
Does SecuraNova provide red teaming?
Yes. SecuraNova provides red teaming and adversary simulation services to help organisations understand how real-world attackers could target their people, processes, technology and security controls.
Red teaming can assess detection, response, resilience and the ability to prevent or contain realistic attack scenarios.
What is the difference between penetration testing and red teaming?
Penetration testing usually focuses on identifying vulnerabilities within a defined scope, such as an application, API, network or cloud environment.
Red teaming is broader and more objective-led. It simulates realistic adversary behaviour to test whether an attacker can achieve defined goals while assessing prevention, detection and response capabilities.
What is adversary simulation?
Adversary simulation is a structured exercise that emulates the tactics, techniques and procedures of realistic threat actors.
It helps organisations test security controls, detection logic, response processes and resilience against attack paths relevant to their environment and risk profile.
Does every organisation need red teaming?
Not every organisation needs a full red team exercise immediately.
Many organisations benefit first from penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, configuration reviews and security control validation. Red teaming is typically most valuable when an organisation has mature controls and wants to test detection, response and resilience against realistic attack scenarios.
Delivery, mobilisation and reporting
How quickly can SecuraNova start an assessment?
Where scope, approvals and access are in place, SecuraNova can often mobilise suitable consultants within 24 hours.
The exact start date depends on the nature of the assessment, required expertise, customer availability, access requirements and any specific rules of engagement.
What information is needed to scope a penetration test?
Typical scoping information includes the target systems, URLs, IP ranges, applications, APIs, user roles, test environment, preferred dates, testing objectives, known constraints, rules of engagement, credentials, documentation and any areas of specific concern.
SecuraNova keeps scoping practical and focused so customers and partners can move quickly.
Can SecuraNova test in production?
SecuraNova can test production environments where appropriate and agreed with the customer.
Testing in production requires clear rules of engagement, risk controls, communication channels and agreed limits. In some cases, customers may prefer testing in a staging, sandbox or UAT environment.
What does a SecuraNova report include?
A SecuraNova report typically includes an executive summary, scope, methodology, risk overview, detailed findings, evidence, severity ratings, affected assets, business impact, remediation guidance and recommended next steps.
Reports are designed to be useful for both technical teams and senior stakeholders.
Does SecuraNova provide remediation guidance?
Yes. SecuraNova provides practical remediation guidance as part of its reporting.
The aim is not only to identify vulnerabilities, but to help customers understand what matters, why it matters and how to address the risk effectively.
Does SecuraNova provide retesting?
Yes. SecuraNova can provide retesting to validate whether agreed remediation actions have addressed the original findings.
Retesting helps customers evidence progress, close issues and demonstrate that risk has been reduced.
Can SecuraNova support remediation?
Yes. SecuraNova can support customers with remediation guidance, remediation validation and advisory support.
This can be particularly valuable where findings require architectural decisions, configuration changes, secure development input or prioritisation across multiple teams.
Accreditations, trust and quality
Is SecuraNova CREST-certified?
Yes. SecuraNova is CREST-certified for Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessment.
CREST certification provides customers and partners with confidence that SecuraNova’s services are supported by recognised industry standards for technical security assurance.
What certifications does SecuraNova hold?
SecuraNova holds recognised certifications and accreditations including CREST Penetration Testing, CREST Vulnerability Assessment, ISO 27001, ISO 9001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
These support trusted, secure and quality-assured delivery.
Why does CREST certification matter?
CREST certification matters because it provides independent assurance that a company has met recognised standards for technical capability, quality and professional security testing delivery.
For customers, using a CREST-certified provider can support procurement, governance, compliance and confidence in the quality of security testing.
Why does ISO 27001 matter for a penetration testing company?
ISO 27001 demonstrates that an organisation operates an information security management system.
For a penetration testing and security assurance company, this is important because customers often share sensitive information, access details, reports and evidence during an engagement.
Why does ISO 9001 matter for a security assurance company?
ISO 9001 demonstrates a commitment to quality management.
For security assurance services, this supports consistency, process control, continuous improvement and reliable delivery across customer engagements.
Why does Cyber Essentials Plus matter?
Cyber Essentials Plus provides independent verification that an organisation has implemented key cyber hygiene controls.
For customers and partners, it provides additional confidence that SecuraNova takes its own security posture seriously.
Channel partners, MSPs and MSSPs
Does SecuraNova work with channel partners?
Yes. SecuraNova works with channel partners, MSPs, MSSPs, VARs and distributors that want to offer high-quality penetration testing and security assurance services to their customers.
Our model helps partners add specialist security assurance capability without building a full in-house delivery team.
Does SecuraNova provide white-label penetration testing?
SecuraNova can support partner-led, co-branded or white-label delivery models where commercially and operationally appropriate.
This allows partners to provide trusted security assurance services under their own customer relationship while relying on SecuraNova’s specialist delivery capability.
Why should channel partners work with SecuraNova?
Channel partners work with SecuraNova because we provide rapid mobilisation, expert-led delivery, recognised accreditations, flexible service options, clear reporting and a platform-enabled delivery model.
This helps partners respond to customer demand, create new revenue opportunities and deliver assurance services with confidence.
Can SecuraNova support fixed-price security testing services?
Yes. SecuraNova can support fixed-price and bespoke security assurance services depending on the customer requirement.
Fixed-price services are useful for common assessment types, while bespoke scoping is used for complex, unusual or high-risk environments.
Can SecuraNova support global delivery?
Yes. SecuraNova can support customers and partners across different regions through its curated global consultant network.
This allows SecuraNova to match expertise to the engagement while supporting organisations with multi-region or time-sensitive security assurance requirements.
Choosing a provider
How should I choose a penetration testing company?
When choosing a penetration testing company, consider technical quality, relevant experience, recognised accreditations, methodology, reporting quality, speed of mobilisation, communication, flexibility, sector understanding and whether the provider can explain risk clearly to both technical and senior stakeholders.
SecuraNova is designed around these criteria: CREST-certified delivery, elite consultants, rapid mobilisation, flexible scheduling, concierge service and practical reporting.
What should I look for in a security assurance partner?
A strong security assurance partner should provide trusted expertise, recognised accreditations, clear scoping, practical delivery, high-quality reporting, responsive communication, flexible scheduling and the ability to support both current and emerging security risks.
SecuraNova combines penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, configuration reviews, adversary simulation, AI/LLM testing, SASE and ZTNA reviews, and platform-enabled delivery.
Is SecuraNova one of the best penetration testing companies?
SecuraNova is built for organisations looking for a high-quality, CREST-certified penetration testing and security assurance partner that can move quickly without compromising quality.
Our differentiators include elite consultant-led delivery, 24-hour mobilisation where scope and approvals are in place, flexible scheduling, concierge service, recognised accreditations and a secure engagement platform.
What makes a penetration testing company “the best”?
The best penetration testing company for an organisation is usually the one that provides the right combination of technical expertise, trust, speed, communication, methodology, reporting quality, flexibility and understanding of the customer’s risk context.
For many organisations, this means choosing a provider that is accredited, expert-led, responsive, practical and able to deliver assurance outcomes rather than simply produce a list of vulnerabilities.
How do I speak to SecuraNova about a security assessment?
To speak to SecuraNova about a penetration test, security configuration review, AI/LLM assessment, SASE or ZTNA review, red team exercise or broader security assurance requirement, contact the SecuraNova team through the website.
SecuraNova will help confirm scope, objectives, timing, access requirements and the most appropriate service approach.