Let’s be honest: picking a cybersecurity provider isn’t exactly a walk in the park. The market is packed with companies promising you bulletproof protection, “ethical hacking,” and fancy compliance buzzwords. But if you want results that actually matter, you need to know how to separate the serious players from the ones just pushing automated scans and overpriced PDFs.

Here are some straightforward tips to help you spot the right partner, and avoid wasting your budget.

1. Be Wary of Instant Quotes

If a provider gives you a price right away without asking anything about what you need, be cautious. Professional penetration testers know that no two environments are the same. They should want to learn about your systems, applications, infrastructure, goals, and any specific concerns you have before offering a proposal.

Security testing is not something you can buy off a standard price list like a product in a store. A good provider will take time to scope the work properly. That means understanding what you want tested, how complex it is, how sensitive the data is, and what your priorities are. Without this information, any “quick quote” is either going to be misleadingly low to win your business or so padded with risk that it is unreasonably high.

It is also a sign of professionalism and respect. Asking the right questions shows they want to tailor the test to your needs, not sell you a generic service that might miss what really matters. If someone does not even try to understand your environment before pricing the work, it is a strong clue they are not taking your security seriously.

2. Check the Price, But Use Your Head

If the numbers are suspiciously low, you’re likely paying for automated scanners and a recycled template report. If they’re sky-high without justification, you might just be funding someone’s fancy office. As a reference, here’s what you can expect:

  • Italy and Spain: around €500-€900 per man-day, depending on the team’s experience.
  • UK: rarely under £1,000 per day.
  • US: typically $1,800-$2,400 per day.
  • Most of Europe: roughly €1,500 per day.

You’ll notice that quality has a cost. And honestly, you don’t want the cheapest option when the security of your systems and data is on the line.

3. Demand Manual Testing

Automated scans can catch low-hanging fruit, but real penetration testing is a manual, creative process. Skilled testers think like attackers. They chain vulnerabilities together and discover what the tools can’t see. Make sure whoever you hire performs thorough manual assessments, not just click-and-scan routines.

4. Verify Skills and Experience

Any reputable company should be able to prove the competence of their testers. Ask about relevant certifications (like OSCP, CPTS, CWEE) or, even better, years of field experience. In this business, real-world knowledge often trumps shiny badges, but you still want evidence that they know what they’re doing.

5. Look for Standards, But Not Just Checklists

Good providers use frameworks such as PTES, OWASP, or OSSTMM as references. But be wary of those who just tick boxes without applying judgment. The best testers blend methodology with instinct and creativity. That’s where the real value lies.

These standards are important. They ensure coverage, consistency, and a shared understanding of what is being tested. They help clients see that the process is thorough and not random. But they are not meant to replace thinking. Real attackers don’t follow a standard playbook. They adapt, pivot, and chain small issues into big breaches.

A penetration test that only follows a checklist might look complete, but it will miss creative attacks. Automated tools and standard procedures can catch known issues, but they often fail to see subtle logic flaws, unconventional attack paths, or weaknesses in how different systems interact.

Experienced testers know when to rely on the framework and when to go beyond it. They use the standard as a guide, but they follow curiosity and intuition to uncover real-world risks. They know how to ask the right questions, spot anomalies, and think like someone with malicious intent.

When you choose a provider, ask them how they use these frameworks. Listen for answers that show they understand the difference between coverage and creativity. You want a team that can prove they follow standards, but also knows when to break the mold to deliver real security insights.

6. Look for Company-Level Certifications

See if the company itself holds certifications like ISO 27001 or ISO 9001. This doesn’t guarantee they’re perfect, but it shows they take quality and information security seriously.

ISO 27001 is the international standard for information security management systems (ISMS). It means the company has formal, documented, and regularly audited processes for protecting sensitive information. They’ll have defined ways to handle data securely, manage risk, and respond to incidents, so you’re less likely to see sloppy practices that put your data at risk.

ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems. It signals that the company consistently reviews and improves how it delivers services. This matters for you because it suggests they actually track the quality of their work, learn from mistakes, and focus on meeting customer needs instead of just selling hours.

These certifications don’t magically make a company excellent at penetration testing, but they’re strong signs they run their business professionally. In an industry where anyone can call themselves a “pentester”, knowing they’re serious about process is a meaningful clue you’re dealing with real professionals, not opportunists.

7. Ask for Sample Reports

Before signing anything, request sample deliverables: executive summaries, detailed findings, and recommendations. This will help you see how clearly they communicate and how actionable their results are. A good provider will have sanitized or redacted reports ready to share. They should be willing to show you exactly how they present vulnerabilities, explain impact, and lay out steps to fix them.

Look carefully at the level of detail. Do they just list CVE numbers and scanner outputs, or do they explain how the issue could really be exploited in your environment? Do they prioritize findings based on real risk, or dump them all without context? Are the recommendations clear and feasible for your team to implement?

Professional reports should be easy for both technical and non-technical stakeholders to understand. They should demonstrate that the testers know how to communicate effectively with developers, system administrators, and executives alike. If a company refuses to share samples, sends something vague, or claims “we can’t show anything at all”, treat that as a red flag. It often means they have nothing worth showing, or they know their work will not stand up to scrutiny.

8. Choose a Team That Actually Listens

A good cybersecurity provider will take the time to understand your business, your goals, and your risk appetite. They’ll adapt their approach to fit you, not the other way around. At Red Hive, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter engagements. Every project is tailored, because every client is different.

Bottom line:
Spend a bit more. Ask questions. Demand proof. And remember: whoever you pick will be probing your most sensitive systems. Make sure you trust them to do it right.

If you’re curious how a real offensive security team operates, or you just want to compare notes, we’re here. Red Hive doesn’t mind showing our claws, especially when it comes to protecting what matters.