Penetration testing for Dubai businesses: external, internal, web app, network.
Penetration testing simulates a real-world attacker against your environment to find what they would find before they find it. We deliver scoped pen-tests against your external attack surface, internal network, web applications, wireless, and social engineering vectors. Every engagement produces a written report with verified findings, exploitable proof-of-concept, and a prioritised remediation plan.
- 5Pen-test scopes
- CRESTMethodology aligned
- 2 wksTypical duration
- VerifiedFindings only
Five pen-test types, each answering a different question.
External penetration testing
Tests your internet-facing attack surface as an unauthenticated external attacker would see it. Domain reconnaissance, public-IP scanning, exposed-service exploitation, web-application surface testing. Answers: what could anyone on the internet do to us?
Internal penetration testing
Tests your internal network as an attacker who has already breached the perimeter (assumed-breach). Privilege escalation, lateral movement, Active Directory exploitation, sensitive-data access. Answers: how far could a breach spread before detection?
Web application penetration testing
Tests a specific web application against OWASP Top 10 + business-logic flaws. Authentication, authorisation, session management, input validation, deserialisation, business-logic abuse. Answers: how would an attacker compromise this specific application?
Wireless penetration testing
Tests your WiFi and Bluetooth attack surface. Rogue access points, WPA exploitation, captive portal bypass, guest-network segregation, BLE device exposure. Answers: how would an attacker in your premises compromise the wireless layer?
Social engineering and phishing
Tests the human attack surface. Phishing campaigns, vishing (voice phishing), pretexting, physical-access testing. Measures click-rate, credential-disclosure rate, in-person social-engineering success. Answers: how human-vector-resilient is your organisation?
Four reasons IT leaders engage GR for penetration testing.
Methodology-aligned, not script-aligned
CREST, PTES, OWASP, NIST SP 800-115 methodologies. Manual testing layered on top of automated tooling. Findings verified with exploitable proof-of-concept, not auto-generated false positives.
Reports written for two audiences
Executive summary for leadership: business risk, severity heat map, recommended priorities. Technical report for engineers: exploitation steps, evidence, remediation guidance. Both rigorous, both readable.
Remediation support included
Many pen-test firms hand over a report and disappear. We offer remediation-support hours included: clarification calls, technical guidance on fixes, re-test of remediated findings within the engagement window.
UAE-onshore engineers
Pen-testers based in Dubai. Sensitive findings stay onshore. Engagement coordinated in UAE time zone, not offshore. Compliant with DFSA, ADGM, and other UAE-jurisdiction expectations for sensitive security engagements.
Six triggers for a penetration test.
Annual security baseline (PDPL, ISO 27001)
Most security programmes mandate annual pen-test as a baseline control.
Pre-launch web application
Before launching a new customer-facing web app or API, pen-test the application before exposure.
Post-major-change validation
After a major infrastructure change (cloud migration, network redesign), validate security posture.
Regulator-mandated
DFSA, ADGM, NESA/IA Standards programmes typically require periodic pen-test evidence.
Post-incident
After a security incident or near-miss, pen-test validates the closure of the exploited gap and finds adjacent ones.
Customer or partner contractual requirement
Enterprise customers and government suppliers increasingly require pen-test evidence as part of vendor due-diligence.
Three security assessment types compared.
| Feature | Penetration testing | Vulnerability assessment | Red team |
|---|---|---|---|
Scope | Defined, scoped | Broad | Open, adversarial |
Methodology | Manual + tooling | Automated | Real-attacker emulation |
Exploitation attempts | Yes, scoped | No | Yes, full chain |
Duration | 1-3 weeks | 1-3 days | 4-12 weeks |
False-positive rate | Low (verified) | High | Very low |
Output | Verified findings | CVE list | Attack narrative |
Cost | Mid | Lower | Highest |
Best for | Annual baseline, pre-launch | Continuous hygiene | Mature programme stress-test |
From scoping call to remediation re-test.
- 1
Scoping and rules of engagement
2-5 days
Define scope (which targets, which exclusions), timing window, communication plan, rules of engagement (what is in/out of bounds), authorisation letter. Output: signed scope and ROE document.
- 2
Reconnaissance and discovery
2-3 days
Passive and active reconnaissance against in-scope targets. Asset mapping, technology fingerprinting, vulnerability surface enumeration. Output: target intelligence dossier.
- 3
Exploitation and post-exploitation
5-10 days
Active exploitation of identified vulnerabilities (within ROE). Privilege escalation, lateral movement, sensitive-data identification, persistence (no real persistence implants). Daily status updates to your security contact.
- 4
Reporting and remediation re-test
5-10 days
Written report (executive + technical), debrief presentation, remediation-support hours, re-test of remediated findings within 60 days. Final report after re-test with updated status per finding.
“We ran our annual pen-test with GR after using a regional vendor for three years. The difference was immediate. The previous firm produced 80-page reports with mostly auto-scanner output. GR produced a 35-page report with 12 verified, exploitable findings, including a critical Active Directory misconfiguration the other vendor never caught. The remediation-support hours got us to closure within four weeks. We have re-engaged annually since.”
What buyers ask before scoping a pen-test.
Services that pair with penetration testing.
Book a pen-test scoping call and get a written scope within a week.
A 60-minute scoping call to identify which tests fit your need, agree the rules of engagement, and produce a written scope. Pen-test execution starts within 2 weeks of scope sign-off.
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