Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing for UAE businesses, in one engagement.
VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) is what UAE regulators, insurers, and enterprise procurement teams ask for by name. It combines automated vulnerability scanning across your estate with manual exploit testing by certified ethical hackers. We run VAPT for DFSA, ADGM, DHA, NESA-aligned firms and for businesses preparing for ISO 27001 or SOC 2 certification. Output is a regulator-ready report you can hand to an auditor.
- CRESTTester credentials
- 2-4wkEngagement duration
- RetestIncluded after fixes
- RegulatorReady report
Four engagement scopes, each fits a different ask.
Vulnerability assessment (VA)
Automated scanning across infrastructure (Nessus, Qualys), web applications (Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP), cloud configurations (Defender for Cloud, Prowler), and identity (Entra ID, Active Directory). Output: ranked CVE list with severity and exploitability rating.
Penetration testing (PT)
Manual exploit testing by CREST-certified ethical hackers. Black-box (no internal knowledge), grey-box (limited credentials), or white-box (full source code and architecture). Output: written exploit narrative showing attacker steps from initial access to crown-jewel compromise.
Web application VAPT
OWASP Top 10 coverage: injection, broken access control, authentication, sensitive data exposure, security misconfiguration. Custom business-logic flaws tested manually. Common ask for fintech, e-commerce, customer portals.
Red team simulation
Multi-week adversary simulation mimicking a real APT or ransomware group. Tests prevention, detection, and response capabilities together. Common ask before ISO 27001 or major regulator audit. Output: TTPs matrix mapped to MITRE ATT&CK framework.
Four reasons compliance teams pick GR for VAPT.
CREST and OSCP-certified testers
Testers hold CREST CRT, OSCP, OSCE, and CISSP credentials. Reports are accepted by DFSA, ADGM, and DHA auditors without follow-up clarification rounds, which is where uncertified providers usually stall.
Regulator-ready reports
Each report includes executive summary, technical findings, exploit reproduction steps, CVSS scoring, remediation guidance, and a sign-off page auditors can stamp. Format approved by DFSA and ADGM compliance teams in prior engagements.
Retest included
After you remediate findings we retest at no extra cost. Critical findings retested within five business days; full retest within 30 days. Final report reflects the post-remediation state, which is what auditors want to see.
Microsoft-stack expertise built in
Most UAE business estates are Microsoft-first. We know Entra ID, Defender, Sentinel, Azure, and M365 exploit paths in detail. Findings are specific to your stack with vendor-aligned remediation guidance, not generic CVE references.
Six profiles where VAPT is non-negotiable.
DFSA and ADGM-licensed firms
Annual VAPT typically required by financial regulators. Report submitted with the GEN / PRU return.
DHA, DOH, MOHAP-licensed providers
Healthcare data classification requires VAPT before EMR go-live and annually thereafter for accredited providers.
ISO 27001 / SOC 2 candidates
Both standards require independent penetration testing as part of the certification cycle.
E-commerce and fintech apps
Card-handling, customer logins, KYC flows. Web app VAPT before launch and after major releases.
Critical-infrastructure operators
NESA / IA Standards require VAPT including OT segments. Specialised testing required for SCADA, ICS.
Cyber-insurance applicants
Insurers increasingly request VAPT evidence to underwrite or renew cyber-insurance policies.
Four scopes, four price points, four use cases.
| Feature | Vulnerability assessment only | VA + Pen Test (standard VAPT) | Web application VAPT | Red team simulation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Automated scanning | ||||
Manual exploit testing | ||||
Web app OWASP Top 10 | Limited | |||
Business-logic testing | Limited | |||
Lateral movement testing | ||||
Detection-evasion tactics | ||||
Multi-week sustained attack | ||||
Regulator submission ready | Some regulators | |||
Duration | 3-5 days | 2-4 weeks | 2-3 weeks | 4-8 weeks |
Best for | Quick gap check | Annual compliance | Pre-launch app | Maturity validation |
From scope agreement to retested final report.
- 1
Scoping and rules-of-engagement
1 week
Asset inventory, IP ranges, application URLs, user accounts in scope. Test windows agreed. Out-of-scope items documented (no DoS testing, no social engineering unless explicitly added). Written rules-of-engagement signed by both parties.
- 2
Testing phase
2-4 weeks
Vulnerability scanning followed by manual exploit testing. Daily progress reports. Critical findings flagged immediately by phone, not held for the final report. Lateral-movement testing once initial access is achieved (if in scope).
- 3
Reporting and walkthrough
1 week
Written report: executive summary, technical findings with CVSS scoring, exploit reproduction steps, remediation guidance. Walkthrough call with your IT and compliance teams. Q&A on each finding.
- 4
Remediation and retest
Variable + 1 week
You remediate; we retest. Critical findings retested within 5 business days of fix confirmation; full retest within 30 days. Final report updated to reflect remediated state, which is what auditors want.
“Our DFSA audit was 6 weeks away and our previous VAPT vendor had delivered a report the regulator rejected for insufficient detail on remediation evidence. GR ran the full engagement in 3 weeks, delivered a report that the DFSA accepted on first read, and the retest after our fixes was included in the original price. Saved our audit window.”
What compliance and security leads ask before engaging.
Services that pair with VAPT.
Book a scoping call and we will return a fixed-scope, fixed-fee VAPT proposal.
A 30-minute scoping call covers asset inventory, regulator requirements, target dates, and engagement style. Output: written proposal with scope, timeline, fees, and report format.
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