Security audits & penetration testing help organizations proactively identify vulnerabilities and threats across applications, APIs, cloud environments, and internal networks. SHAPE simulates real-world attack paths, validates what’s exploitable (not just what’s theoretically risky), and delivers clear remediation guidance—so you can reduce breach risk, protect customer data, and meet security expectations with evidence.

Pen tests validate what can actually be exploited—turning vulnerability scans into actionable security outcomes.

What is penetration testing?

Penetration testing (pen testing) is an authorized, time-boxed security assessment where testers simulate adversary behavior to identify vulnerabilities and threats in a system. Unlike a purely automated scan, penetration testing combines tooling with human reasoning to uncover chained issues (e.g., a misconfiguration + weak authorization + exposed endpoint) that lead to real impact.

Security audits vs. penetration testing (and why you often need both)

• Security audits evaluate controls, configurations, and compliance readiness—policies, access control, logging, cloud settings, dependency hygiene, and operational processes.
• Penetration testing validates exploitability—how an attacker could actually use weaknesses to gain access, escalate privileges, or exfiltrate data.

Practical rule: If you only run a vulnerability scanner, you may detect issues—but you won’t know which paths are truly exploitable. Security audits & penetration testing close that gap by identifying vulnerabilities and threats with real-world context.

Related services (internal links)

Security audits & penetration testing are strongest when paired with scalable quality and delivery practices. Teams commonly combine them with:

• Compliance (GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA) to align pen test evidence with audit expectations.
• DevOps, CI/CD pipelines to integrate security checks and remediation verification into release workflows.
• Cloud architecture (AWS, GCP, Azure) when findings require secure-by-design cloud changes.
• API development (REST, GraphQL) when vulnerabilities relate to authentication, authorization, or data exposure.

Why identifying vulnerabilities and threats matters

Security failures rarely come from one dramatic bug. They come from small weaknesses that stack: outdated dependencies, overly permissive access, missing rate limits, misconfigured storage, or an authorization bypass. Security audits & penetration testing help you identify vulnerabilities and threats early—before they become incidents, downtime, regulatory exposure, or customer churn.

Measurable outcomes

• Reduced breach likelihood by removing exploitable paths.
• Faster remediation with prioritized, reproducible findings.
• Improved audit readiness with defensible evidence and controls.
• Lower risk in releases by validating fixes and preventing regression.
• Stronger customer trust during security reviews and procurement.

Common threats we test for

• Broken access control: IDOR, privilege escalation, role bypasses.
• Injection: SQL/NoSQL injection, command injection, SSRF.
• Authentication weaknesses: session flaws, MFA gaps, credential stuffing exposure.
• Misconfigurations: cloud storage exposure, overly open security groups, unsafe defaults.
• Data exposure: sensitive data in logs, responses, or public buckets.
• Client-side risks: XSS, insecure CORS, token leakage, supply-chain issues.

Security is not the absence of findings. It’s the presence of controls, visibility, and the ability to prove you’ve addressed vulnerabilities and threats.

Types of penetration testing (what we can assess)

SHAPE scopes security audits & penetration testing based on your systems and risk surface. Different environments require different techniques to accurately identify vulnerabilities and threats.

1) Web application penetration testing

Targets browser-based applications and backends: authentication, sessions, authorization, input validation, data handling, and business logic.

2) API penetration testing

Targets REST/GraphQL endpoints and service-to-service APIs: auth flows, object-level authorization, rate limiting, input validation, and data exposure.

3) Network and internal infrastructure penetration testing

Targets internal networks and services: exposed ports, segmentation issues, credential misuse, and privilege escalation paths.

4) Cloud security assessment (audit + attack simulation)

Targets cloud controls and misconfigurations: IAM, storage, networking rules, secrets management, and logging/monitoring posture—often paired with Cloud architecture (AWS, GCP, Azure) remediation.

5) Social engineering (when explicitly in scope)

Tests human attack surfaces (phishing, pretexting) with strict rules of engagement and approval.

6) Physical security (when explicitly in scope)

Evaluates physical access controls and on-site exposure (facility access, device access), only with explicit authorization.

Scope is a security decision: the best tests focus on the systems that matter most to business impact.

How SHAPE runs security audits & penetration testing

We treat pen testing as a controlled engagement: clear scope, safe execution, verifiable evidence, and actionable remediation. The objective remains the same throughout: identify vulnerabilities and threats that matter—and help your team fix them.

Engagement approaches (black box, gray box, white box)

• Black box: minimal internal knowledge—simulates an external attacker’s view.
• Gray box: limited access (test accounts, basic docs)—balances realism and depth.
• White box: deeper access (architecture, code, configs)—maximizes coverage and speed of discovery.

Testing phases (high-level)

• Reconnaissance & mapping: identify attack surface, endpoints, and entry points.
• Vulnerability discovery: find weaknesses via manual testing + tooling.
• Exploit validation: prove impact safely (no unnecessary disruption).
• Privilege escalation & lateral movement: test realistic attacker paths within scope.
• Reporting & remediation support: deliver fixes, retest, and close gaps.

// Security audits & penetration testing principle:
// Prioritize evidence and exploitability.
// A good report explains (1) what the issue is, (2) why it matters,
// (3) how it can be reproduced, and (4) how to fix it.

What you get (deliverables)

Security work is only valuable if it leads to improved security posture. SHAPE deliverables are designed to make remediation fast, verifiable, and aligned to identifying vulnerabilities and threats that matter.

Typical deliverables

• Executive summary: risk overview, top exploit paths, and business impact.
• Technical findings report: prioritized vulnerabilities with reproduction steps and evidence.
• Severity ratings: risk scoring with clear rationale.
• Remediation guidance: fix recommendations with secure alternatives and patterns.
• Retest / verification: confirm fixes and prevent regressions.
• Security audit notes (when included): control gaps, configuration findings, and operational improvements.

Use case explanations

Below are common scenarios where teams engage SHAPE specifically for security audits & penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities and threats with high confidence.

1) You’re preparing for SOC 2, customer security reviews, or vendor risk questionnaires

We run security audits & penetration testing to produce defensible evidence, validate exploitability, and prioritize fixes that procurement and auditors care about. For formal alignment, pair with Compliance (GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA).

2) You’re shipping a new app, API, or major release (and want real confidence)

Before launch, we validate auth flows, authorization boundaries, and data exposure risks—identifying vulnerabilities and threats that could become launch-day incidents.

3) You suspect a security issue—but you need proof and a clear fix path

We reproduce likely attacker paths, confirm impact safely, and deliver remediation steps your team can implement quickly (plus retesting).

4) Your cloud environment grew fast and security hygiene didn’t keep up

We assess IAM, storage, network exposure, and logging gaps to identify vulnerabilities and threats rooted in misconfiguration—then support fixes with Cloud architecture (AWS, GCP, Azure).

5) You want security embedded into delivery, not treated as a yearly event

We help teams integrate controls into pipelines and release gates so security audits & penetration testing findings don’t recur—often paired with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines.

Step-by-step tutorial: run security audits & penetration testing the right way

This practical playbook mirrors how SHAPE runs engagements focused on identifying vulnerabilities and threats while keeping testing controlled and actionable.

1. Step 1: Define scope, goals, and rules of engagement

   List in-scope applications, APIs, environments, and test windows. Define what’s allowed (and prohibited), how to handle sensitive data, and escalation contacts.

2. Step 2: Choose test depth (black box, gray box, white box)

   Select the approach that matches your risk and timeline. Gray box is often the fastest way to identify vulnerabilities and threats that matter without losing realism.

3. Step 3: Map the attack surface

   Inventory endpoints, auth flows, integrations, subdomains, exposed services, and data stores. Document what an attacker can see and touch.

4. Step 4: Run a security audit baseline (configs + controls)

   Review identity/access controls, logging/monitoring, secrets handling, and critical cloud/network settings. This often reveals high-impact misconfigurations quickly.

5. Step 5: Execute targeted tests by risk area

   Test the highest-risk areas first: broken access control, injection, auth/session handling, and sensitive data exposure. Use manual testing to validate exploitability.

6. Step 6: Validate impact safely (proof, not disruption)

   Demonstrate exploitability with minimal impact: controlled payloads, limited data access, and documented evidence. The goal is identifying vulnerabilities and threats without creating an incident.

7. Step 7: Prioritize findings and map to remediation

   Rank issues by real-world exploitability, business impact, and exposure. Provide fix guidance with secure patterns and references.

8. Step 8: Retest and close the loop

   After fixes ship, retest the exact exploit paths to confirm closure and prevent regressions—especially important before audits or customer security reviews.

9. Step 9: Operationalize improvements (so issues don’t return)

   Turn repeated issues into guardrails: CI/CD checks, stronger configuration baselines, and monitoring alerts. This is how security audits & penetration testing becomes a long-term capability.

Practical tip: The best time to identify vulnerabilities and threats is before release—when fixes are cheapest. The second-best time is now.