{"id":9357,"date":"2025-01-21T14:09:05","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T19:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/non-classifiee\/pentest-why-how-much-how\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T17:42:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:42:46","slug":"pentest-why-how-much-how","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/blog\/pentest-why-how-much-how\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentest: Why, how much, and how?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s a common misconception that only large companies are targeted by hackers. Yet 45% of cyber attacks<\/strong> target small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).1<\/em><\/sub>. Why? Because they are often less well prepared, with limited or obsolete safety measures.<\/p>\n\n

The consequences of an attack can be catastrophic: loss of sensitive data, business interruption, damage to reputation, and of course high costs to repair the damage. Yet these risks can be greatly reduced thanks to a simple but effective practice: penetration testing, more commonly known as pentesting. <\/p>\n\n

In this article, we’ll look at why pentests are essential for SMEs, and why opting for automatic pentests is often a solution better suited to the time and budget constraints of smaller structures.<\/p>\n\n

1-According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)<\/em><\/sub><\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Pentests: a method for detecting invisible faults<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

What is a pentest?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

A pentest (or penetration test) is a simulated attack carried out to assess the security of a computer system. Imagine a tester who puts himself in the shoes of a hacker to detect weak points in your network, your applications or even your connected equipment. <\/p>\n\n

Here’s what a pentest can analyze:<\/p>\n\n

    \n
  • Flaws in your web or mobile applications<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Vulnerabilities in your internal or external network<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Cloud infrastructure security<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Risks associated with IoT (Internet of Things) devices<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

    In short, the aim is to discover vulnerabilities before an ill-intentioned hacker does.<\/p>\n\n

    Why are pentests essential for SMEs?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

    SMEs, often limited in resources, have everything to gain by investing in regular pentests. Here are the main advantages: <\/p>\n\n

      \n
    1. Prevent cyber-attacks<\/strong>A pentest identifies vulnerabilities in your system, enabling you to correct them before they are exploited by hackers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Comply with regulations<\/strong>In some sectors, complying with standards such as RGPD or ISO 27001 is mandatory. Pentests help prove that you’re taking the necessary steps to protect your customers’ data. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Limit financial losses<\/strong>A cybersecurity incident can be very costly. Pentests are an investment that can prevent much higher costs associated with attacks. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Strengthen your customers’ trust<\/strong>When you prove that your systems are secure, you gain credibility with your partners and customers.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
      \n\n

      Automatic pentests: the right solution for SMEs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

      The limits of traditional pentests<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

      A manual pentest is often carried out by a cybersecurity expert, who analyzes your systems in detail. Although this approach is extremely effective, it does have its limitations: <\/p>\n\n

        \n
      • High cost<\/strong>: Manual pentests can represent a major investment, sometimes out of reach for SMEs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Completion time<\/strong>: It often takes several weeks to complete a full pentest.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

        This is where automatic pentests<\/strong> come in.<\/p>\n\n

        What is an automatic pentest?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n

        An automated pentest uses software tools to carry out a complete analysis of your system, without the need for extensive human intervention. These tools scan your infrastructures, identify vulnerabilities, and provide detailed reports on the flaws detected. <\/p>\n\n

        Why do automatic pentests make sense for SMEs?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
          \n
        1. Speed and efficiency<\/strong>Unlike time-consuming manual testing, an automated pentest can be carried out in a matter of hours or days. This enables vulnerabilities to be identified quickly and action taken accordingly. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Low cost<\/strong>Automatic tools are much less expensive than manual pentests, making them accessible even to small companies on a limited budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Regular scans<\/strong>With automatic pentesting, frequent scans can be carried out to maintain a constant level of security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Ease of use<\/strong>Automatic pentesting solutions are often designed to be simple to use, even without in-depth technical expertise.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
          \n\n

          How much does an automated pentest cost?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

          The cost of an automatic pentest varies according to the size and complexity of the environment to be analyzed. For an SME with a few hundred workstations and 1 or 2 external sites<\/strong>, you can expect to pay around $5,000 for two annual pentests<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

          This rate generally includes :<\/p>\n\n

            \n
          • A detailed vulnerability analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • A full report with recommendations for correcting the flaws<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n

            This price is well below that of a manual pentest, which can cost several tens of thousands of dollars, and remains largely affordable when you consider the potential losses in the event of a successful attack.<\/p>\n\n

            How do you choose the right approach for your business?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

            There is no universal solution. It all depends on your budget, your security needs and the complexity of your system. Here are a few tips to help you decide:<\/p>\n\n

              \n
            • If you have critical or highly sensitive systems<\/strong>, opt for a manual pentest or a combination of manual and automatic analyses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • If your budget is limited<\/strong>, start with an automatic pentest for a quick and affordable analysis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Make sure you correct any vulnerabilities<\/strong> identified after each test to maintain a good security posture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
              \n\n

              Conclusion: pentests, an essential investment for SMEs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

              Whether you’re a growing small business or an established SME, investing in pentests is an essential step in protecting your data, reputation and finances. Automatic pentesting, in particular, offers a practical and cost-effective solution for rapidly detecting vulnerabilities and maintaining robust cybersecurity.<\/p>\n\n

              Don’t let hackers take advantage of your weaknesses. Act now to secure your systems and guarantee the future of your business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Find out why penetration testing is essential for SMB cybersecurity, and how automatic pentests are becoming an essential solution for detecting vulnerabilities quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":9646,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[77,64],"class_list":["post-9357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-cybersecurite","tag-cybersecurity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9357"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9683,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9357\/revisions\/9683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9646"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mofco.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}