Penetration testing for Ottawa & Gatineau businesses
Authorized, real-world testing of your systems and applications — so you find the weaknesses before attackers do. Clear, prioritized reporting your team (and your insurer) can act on.
Realistic, end-to-end coverage
External network & perimeter
What’s exposed to the internet and exploitable from outside.
Web apps & APIs
Authentication, authorization and application-logic flaws.
Internal network & Active Directory
How far an attacker — or an insider — can get once inside.
Cloud & Microsoft 365
Identity and cloud misconfigurations that open the door.
Phishing & social engineering
How your people actually hold up against targeted attacks.
Wireless
Your Wi-Fi networks and the segmentation around them.
A report you can actually act on
Not just an automated scan: real manual exploitation, aligned to OWASP, NIST and PTES methodologies, and explained in plain language.
- Manual and automated testing.
- Real exploitation, not just scanning.
- Executive summary + technical findings.
- Prioritized remediation by real impact.
- Retest included to confirm the fixes.
- Bilingual reporting.
Complementary — but not interchangeable
Many organizations run both: regular scans as part of their vulnerability management, and a deeper penetration test once or twice a year. Here’s the difference at a glance.
| Vulnerability scan | Penetration test | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Largely automated scanning | Manual exploitation by a specialist, like a real attacker |
| What it proves | A list of potential weaknesses | The concrete impact on your data and systems |
| Cadence | Ongoing or regular (vulnerability management) | At least annually, and after any significant change |
| What you get | Findings to triage | Prioritized report, executive summary, retest included |
| Best for | Watching for new weaknesses between tests | Proving diligence — insurers, audits, client questionnaires |
For the ongoing side, see our vulnerability management service.
Local, bilingual and certified
An Ottawa-Gatineau firm, in English and French, whose work is backed by Microsoft expert certifications (SC-100) and 20+ years of experience. A pen test also helps you meet cyber-insurance requirements and compliance obligations (Law 25, PIPEDA).
- Ottawa & Gatineau. Local service on both sides of the river.
- Bilingual. Testing and reports in French and English.
- Certified. Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert (SC-100).
- Compliance & insurance. Evidence for your audits and insurers.
Penetration testing rooted in the National Capital Region
We’re based in the Outaouais and we work both sides of the river. Whether your organization is in Ottawa, in Gatineau — Hull, Aylmer, the Gatineau sector — or elsewhere across the Outaouais, we test on-site where it matters (internal network, Active Directory, wireless, workstations) and remotely for everything that suits it (external perimeter, web apps, APIs, cloud and Microsoft 365). You deal with a local partner, in your time zone, that understands the regional context — see our page on penetration testing in the Outaouais or on cybersecurity in Gatineau.
Delivery is French-first — intake, scoping, in-flight updates and the report — and because the National Capital Region is bilingual, we hand back the report in English too whenever your board, head office or partners need it, with no rushed machine translation. For French-speaking organizations in the Outaouais that’s the gap we fill: a locally based pen-test provider that genuinely delivers in French, not an English service translated after the fact.
Organizations here call us for the same handful of reasons: meeting Quebec’s Law 25, satisfying the tightening control requirements cyber insurers now impose (you can check your cyber-insurance readiness before you ask for a quote), answering client security questionnaires, and reassuring a prime contractor in the National Capital Region’s government-adjacent supply chains. In every case, a documented penetration test — with a retest of the fixes — gives you the concrete evidence you’re being asked for and feeds straight into your vulnerability management.
What drives the cost of a penetration test
There’s no flat rate for penetration testing — the price reflects the size and complexity of what we’re testing. We scope every engagement to your environment, then quote a fixed fee up front so there are no surprises. The main factors are scope (how many applications, networks, IP ranges or cloud environments are in play), depth (a focused external test versus a full internal, web-app or API assessment), and the kind of access and realism you need (black-box, grey-box or a full white-box review with credentials and source). Compliance or insurance requirements — SOC 2, NIST CSF, a client questionnaire — can also shape the methodology and reporting. We talk all of this through before you commit, so the quote matches the risk you actually need to address, not a generic package.
Frequently asked questions
What is a penetration test?
A penetration test is an authorized, simulated cyberattack against your systems, applications or networks, carried out by a specialist who behaves the way a real attacker would. The goal is to find and exploit weaknesses before a malicious actor does, then hand you a clear, prioritized report so you can fix them. Unlike a simple automated scan, a real penetration test includes manual exploitation aligned to OWASP, NIST and PTES methodologies, so it shows the real-world impact of each weakness.
Penetration test vs. vulnerability scan — what’s the difference?
A vulnerability scan is a largely automated check that lists potential weaknesses; it’s useful and ongoing, but it doesn’t confirm what an attacker could actually do. A penetration test goes further: a specialist manually exploits the weaknesses, chains them together and demonstrates the concrete impact on your data and systems. The two are complementary — many organizations run regular scans as part of their vulnerability management and a deeper penetration test once or twice a year.
How often should you run a penetration test?
As a general rule, at least once a year, and again after any significant change — a new application, an infrastructure overhaul, a cloud migration or a merger. Some compliance frameworks, client contracts or cyber-insurance policies require a set cadence, often annual. Between tests, continuous vulnerability scanning keeps an eye on new weaknesses; we help you set a rhythm that fits your risk level and your obligations.
Will a penetration test disrupt our operations?
Our goal is to find the weaknesses without harming your business. We agree on a clear scope and rules of engagement up front, set testing windows, and avoid techniques that could cause an outage on your production systems. The most intrusive tests can be run outside peak hours or in a staging environment, and we stay reachable throughout the engagement to pause any activity immediately if needed.
Is a penetration test required for Law 25 or cyber insurance?
Quebec’s Law 25 and the federal PIPEDA don’t literally require a penetration test, but they do require you to protect personal information with reasonable security measures — and a test is one of the best ways to demonstrate that diligence. On the insurance side, more and more cyber insurers now require security controls, and sometimes a penetration test, to issue or renew a policy. We provide documented evidence you can hand to auditors, insurers and clients; see also our cyber-insurance readiness self-check and our Quebec Law 25 compliance service.
How much does a penetration test cost?
It depends on scope and depth — a focused external test of a single application costs far less than a full internal, web-app and cloud assessment across a large environment. Rather than quote a number that wouldn’t fit your situation, we scope the work with you first, then give you a fixed fee up front. For most organizations the cost is a fraction of what a single breach or failed audit would cost, and we right-size the engagement to your budget and risk.
How long does a penetration test take?
Most engagements run from a few days to a couple of weeks of active testing, depending on scope, followed by a clear written report. A focused external test wraps up quickly; a larger internal or application assessment takes longer. We confirm the timeline when we scope the work and keep you informed throughout, including flagging any critical findings as soon as we confirm them rather than waiting for the final report.
Is a retest included?
Yes — a retest of the issues we reported is part of every engagement. Once your team has remediated the findings, we re-verify them to confirm the fixes hold and give you documented proof for auditors, insurers or clients. Finding the weaknesses is only half the job; confirming they’re actually closed is what makes the report worth acting on.