CyberCop

Penetration Testing and VAPT in the UAE

CyberCop provides penetration testing and vulnerability assessment (VAPT) for businesses in Dubai, Sharjah and across the UAE. We try to break into your networks, web applications, APIs and cloud accounts the way an attacker would. Then we hand you a list of what we found, ranked by how much it matters, so you know what to fix first.

The two halves do different jobs. A vulnerability assessment looks for known weaknesses across lots of systems: a missing patch, a weak setting, a service that should never have been on the internet. A penetration test takes the weaknesses it finds and tries to use them, to see how far an attacker could get. You usually want both. Customers and regulators sometimes ask to see the report, so it helps to plan for that.

Nothing starts until we have your written permission and an agreed scope. That keeps the test safe for your live systems.

The Difference

Penetration Testing vs Vulnerability Assessment

People mix these two up. They answer different questions.

Wide

Vulnerability assessment

Checks many systems for known weaknesses: missing patches, weak settings, exposed services. It is quick to repeat, so every quarter is a sensible rhythm.

Deep

Penetration test

A tester links weaknesses together and tries to use them, to show what an attacker could really reach. Admin access? Customer data? Another network? It takes longer, and a person does most of the work. Plan one at least once a year, and again after big changes.

Run the assessment to keep the list short. Run the test to find out which items on it are dangerous.

Scope

What We Test

We agree the scope with you first. These are the usual areas.

Network

External network

Everything facing the internet: firewalls, VPN, mail, remote access, and any service that should not be exposed.

Network

Internal network and Active Directory

What someone could reach after getting inside, whether an outside attacker or a member of staff. Weak admin controls are a common finding, which is where our privileged access management work comes in.

Application

Web applications

Logins, sessions, injection flaws and business-logic mistakes in your sites and portals. We test against the OWASP Top 10. See DAST and WAF.

Application

APIs and mobile apps

Who can call your APIs, what they can see, and whether one customer can read another customer’s data. See API gateway security.

Cloud

Cloud environments

Open storage, roles with too much access, management consoles left exposed. See cloud security.

People

Phishing

We send simulated phishing emails, see who clicks, and train staff afterwards. See phishing simulation.

Our Approach

How a Test Runs

A test is only useful if it ends with fixes.

1

Scope

We agree what is in scope, when we may test and what is off limits. You sign off in writing before we touch anything.

2

Discover and scan

We map your systems and scan for known weaknesses.

3

Test

A tester checks each finding by hand and tries to exploit it, taking care not to disrupt live services.

4

Report

You get a short summary for management and a detailed list for IT. Every finding comes with evidence and a risk rating.

5

Fix

We go through the findings with your IT team and help decide what to fix first.

6

Retest

Once the fixes are in, we test again and update the report to show what is closed.

Deliverables

What You Receive

Summary

Management summary

A short summary for management, written in plain language.

Findings

Detailed findings

What we found, where, how to reproduce it and how serious it is.

Fix plan

Fix plan and confirmation

A fix plan puts the findings in order. After the retest, you get written confirmation of what has been closed.

It is also the document to hand over when a regulator, bank or customer asks for proof of testing.

When To Test

When Does a UAE Business Need Penetration Testing?

Launch

Before a launch

Before you launch a new application or portal.

Yearly

At least once a year

For anything facing the internet.

Change

After a big change

Such as a cloud move, a merger or a network redesign.

Proof

When someone asks for proof

A customer, bank, insurer or regulator wants evidence of testing.

Incident

After an incident

To check the gap is really closed.

Vendors

Before a vendor connects

When a vendor is about to connect to your network or hold your data.

Compliance

What UAE Rules Say About Security Testing

Which rules apply depends on your sector and the data you hold. This is a guide for the conversation, not legal advice.

UAE

UAE Information Assurance Regulation

Issued by the TDRA, formerly known as NESA IAS. It covers managing technical vulnerabilities, so test and assessment reports are common evidence. It is mandatory for critical information infrastructure, and other organisations are encouraged to follow it.

Dubai

DESC Information Security Regulation (ISR)

Set by the Dubai Electronic Security Center for Dubai government entities, their suppliers and some other organisations. Check what your entity has to test, and how often.

Data

UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)

Personal data needs appropriate security. Testing the systems that hold it is a practical way to show you checked.

Standards

ISO 27001 and PCI DSS

ISO 27001:2022 has controls for technical vulnerabilities (A.8.8) and security testing (A.8.29). PCI DSS requires regular vulnerability scans and penetration tests wherever card data is handled.

Related Services

Related Services

Audit

Security configuration audit

We check firewall, server and cloud settings against CIS benchmarks and give you a hardening plan. Learn more.

Audit

Security architecture audit

A review of how your network and systems are designed, not just how they are set up. Learn more.

Managed

Managed security services

We keep watching for weaknesses after the test is done. Learn more.

Find the weak spots before an attacker does. Contact us to scope a penetration test or vulnerability assessment.
Penetration testing and vulnerability assessment for UAE businesses
Cyber security FAQs

FAQs

VAPT is vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. The assessment finds known weaknesses. The test tries to exploit them to show the real risk. You end up with a ranked list of what to fix.

An assessment is wide: it checks many systems for known weaknesses. A penetration test is deep: a person tries to use those weaknesses to see how far they can get. A common pattern is an assessment every quarter and a penetration test once a year.

At least once a year, and again after big changes: a new application, a cloud move, a network redesign. Assessments are better run more often, such as every quarter. Your regulator, customers or card-payment rules may set a minimum.

We agree the scope, test windows and rules in writing first, and we avoid anything destructive on live systems. No test is completely risk-free, so we also agree who to call if something unexpected happens.

It depends on the scope: how many systems, applications and APIs, and how complicated they are. A small external test takes far less time than a full internal and application test. We give you a timeline once the scope is agreed.

A summary for management, a detailed list of findings with evidence and risk ratings, a fix plan, and written confirmation after we retest.