Penetration Testing Dubai

Penetration testing and VAPT 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.

Book a pen-test scoping call See test types

Penetration tester working at multi-monitor workstation simulating real-world attacker techniques

5Pen-test scopes
CRESTMethodology aligned
2 wksTypical duration
VerifiedFindings only

Five penetration-test scopes

Five pen-test types, each answering a different question.

Pen-testing is not one engagement. Each scope answers a specific question about your security posture, and most mature programmes run multiple scopes annually.

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?

Why businesses choose us for pen-testing

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.

When to penetration-test

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.

Penetration test vs adjacent assessments

Three security assessment types compared.

Scope

Penetration testingDefined, scoped

Vulnerability assessmentBroad

Red teamOpen, adversarial

Methodology

Penetration testingManual + tooling

Vulnerability assessmentAutomated

Red teamReal-attacker emulation

Exploitation attempts

Penetration testingYes, scoped

Vulnerability assessmentNo

Red teamYes, full chain

Duration

Penetration testing1-3 weeks

Vulnerability assessment1-3 days

Red team4-12 weeks

False-positive rate

Penetration testingLow (verified)

Vulnerability assessmentHigh

Red teamVery low

Output

Penetration testingVerified findings

Vulnerability assessmentCVE list

Red teamAttack narrative

Cost

Penetration testingMid

Vulnerability assessmentLower

Red teamHighest

Best for

Penetration testingAnnual baseline, pre-launch

Vulnerability assessmentContinuous hygiene

Red teamMature programme stress-test

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

How a pen-test engagement runs

From scoping call to remediation re-test.

Standard PTES-aligned methodology: scoping, reconnaissance, exploitation, post-exploitation, reporting, 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.”

Head of Information Security

Information security · Mid-market financial services firm, DIFC

Critical AD misconfiguration found and remediated

Penetration testing FAQ

What buyers ask before scoping a pen-test.

Define authorised targets, methods, exclusions, testing windows and stop contacts in writing. Provide suitable access and test accounts where required. The deliverable should explain reproducible findings, impact and remediation priorities, with retesting identified as an explicit part of the scope.

Vulnerability scanning is automated identification of known vulnerabilities (CVEs). Penetration testing is manual exploitation of those (and other) vulnerabilities to verify which are actually exploitable and what the impact would be. Scanning produces a list; pen-testing produces a verified attack narrative.

Risk is managed through scope and rules of engagement. Most pen-tests can be run against production with low risk; high-risk activities (denial-of-service simulation, destructive exploitation) are either out of scope, run against staging, or run during agreed maintenance windows. We confirm risk tolerance during scoping.

External pen-test: 5-10 days. Internal pen-test: 5-10 days. Web app pen-test: 5-15 days depending on complexity. Wireless: 2-3 days. Social engineering: 5-10 days. Total elapsed time including scoping, testing, reporting, and re-test: typically 3-4 weeks.

Yes. Each of these frameworks recognises pen-testing as a compliance control. The report includes a control-mapping appendix referencing the relevant clauses in each framework. Auditors and regulators accept the report as evidence.

Yes, as a separate engagement model. Red-teaming is open-scope, adversarial, multi-week emulation of a real attacker (including social engineering, physical access, lateral movement to crown-jewel assets). More expensive, more impactful, but only appropriate for mature security programmes with established defensive operations.

Annual at minimum for baseline compliance. Twice-yearly if you have major change frequency or are in a heavily regulated sector. Pre-launch testing for new web applications. Post-incident testing after a near-miss.

Immediate notification to your security contact, with technical detail and recommended mitigation. We do not wait for the final report to surface critical findings. The remediation can start while the rest of the test continues.

Tester profiles and any certifications can be shared during scoping. Specific tester profile and certifications can be shared during scoping if your compliance framework requires named certifications.

Vulnerability assessment is breadth: scan everything in scope, list what is wrong and rank it by severity. Penetration testing is depth: take the most exploitable findings and prove whether they can be chained into a real compromise. The two are often bought together, which is where the combined term VAPT comes from.

Black-box simulates an external attacker with zero knowledge. Grey-box gives the tester limited internal access, simulating a compromised user account, and finds more in less time. White-box gives full source code and architecture; it is the most thorough and takes the longest. For annual compliance, grey-box is usually the right balance.

A security audit reviews policies, processes and configurations. A cybersecurity assessment is broader still: governance, risk and controls maturity. VAPT is the technical test that confirms whether your defences actually work against an attacker. They are complementary.

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Book a pen-test scoping call and get a written scope within a week.

Tell us about target systems, environment, testing restrictions, authorised owner and desired report use. We will confirm the requirements and proposed scope with you.

Book a scoping call See cybersecurity services

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Penetration testing and VAPT for Dubai businesses: external, internal, web app, network.

Five pen-test types, each answering a different question.

External penetration testing

Internal penetration testing

Web application penetration testing

Wireless penetration testing

Social engineering and phishing

Four reasons IT leaders engage GR for penetration testing.

Methodology-aligned, not script-aligned

Reports written for two audiences

Remediation support included

UAE-onshore engineers

Six triggers for a penetration test.

Annual security baseline (PDPL, ISO 27001)

Pre-launch web application

Post-major-change validation

Regulator-mandated

Post-incident

Customer or partner contractual requirement

Three security assessment types compared.

From scoping call to remediation re-test.

Scoping and rules of engagement

Reconnaissance and discovery

Exploitation and post-exploitation

Reporting and remediation re-test

What buyers ask before scoping a pen-test.

What must be agreed before a penetration test starts?

How is penetration testing different from vulnerability scanning?

Will the pen-test affect our production systems?

How long does a pen-test take?

Will the report help with PDPL, NESA, ISO 27001 compliance?

Do you do red-teaming?

How often should we pen-test?

What if you find a critical issue mid-test?

Do you provide a CREST or equivalent-certified tester?

What is VAPT, and how does a vulnerability assessment differ from a penetration test?

Do we need black-box, grey-box or white-box testing?

How is VAPT different from a security audit or cybersecurity assessment?

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