Protect Your Business from Cyber Threats
Professional security assessments tailored for small and medium businesses
WHY PENETRATION TESTING?
- Compliance Requirements: Meet HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and CMMC standards
- Cyber Insurance Requirements: Many insurers now mandate annual penetration testing to qualify for coverage or reduce premiums. Testing helps demonstrate security controls are working and can significantly lower your insurance costs.
- Ransomware Defense: Get ahead of ransomware attacks by identifying and fixing the vulnerabilities criminals exploit to gain initial access. Testing reveals weak points before threat actors do.
- Prevent Costly Breaches: Average breach costs $4.45M vs. preventive testing at a fraction of the cost
- Stay Ahead of Threats: Identify vulnerabilities before attackers do
- Board & Stakeholder Confidence: Demonstrate due diligence and security posture
WHO WE ARE
An engineering-first security organization built by industry veterans
Sphere is powered by a team of security engineers who cut their teeth at the world's most demanding cybersecurity companies. We're not career consultants—we're builders, breakers, and defenders who understand both offensive security operations and enterprise-scale defensive architecture.
Battle-Tested Expertise
Our team holds industry-leading certifications including Security+, CISM, and CISSP, demonstrating mastery of both technical exploitation and security management frameworks.
Proven at Scale
Security engineers who have defended and tested systems at CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Uber, Tripwire, SecurityScorecard, Rebellion Defense, Gremlin, Synacor, Cinchcast, and TheNewsMarket. Today, we secure mission-critical systems for government defense agencies and Fortune 500 enterprises—bringing that same level of rigor to small and medium businesses.
Engineering-First Mindset
We approach security testing like engineers, not auditors. Every finding includes actionable remediation guidance, proof-of-concept demonstrations, and pragmatic risk assessment tailored to your business context.
You get Fortune 500 security expertise at SMB-friendly pricing—with testers who actually understand how to break (and fix) modern systems.
SERVICE TIERS
TIER 1: MINIMAL SECURITY VALIDATION
Best for: 10-25 users
What's Included:
- Basic external network assessment
- Automated vulnerability scanning with manual verification
- Identification of critical security gaps
- Executive summary report (non-technical language)
- SMB-focused remediation roadmap
- 1-2 week turnaround time
Ideal For: Small businesses needing baseline security validation or initial compliance documentation.
TIER 2: STANDARD ADVERSARIAL ASSESSMENT
Best for: 25-50 users
What's Included:
- Comprehensive external penetration testing (blackbox/graybox)
- Manual exploitation attempts simulating real-world attackers
- HIPAA/PCI compliance-focused testing
- Detailed technical findings with proof-of-concept
- Prioritized remediation guidance with timelines
- Executive summary + technical report
- Post-assessment consultation call
Ideal For: Growing businesses with compliance obligations or those handling sensitive data (healthcare, finance, legal).
TIER 3: PREMIUM COMPLIANCE & INSIDER THREAT
Best for: 50-80 users
What's Included:
- Full internal + external penetration testing
- Cloud infrastructure security review (AWS, Azure, O365)
- Dark web reconnaissance (leaked credentials, data exposure)
- Advanced social engineering campaigns (phishing, pretexting)
- Insider threat simulation (rogue employee scenarios)
- Comprehensive compliance reporting (HIPAA/PCI/CMMC)
- Board-ready executive presentation with risk metrics
- 30-minute executive briefing call
Optional Add-On: Ongoing security monitoring with quarterly or monthly drift detection
Ideal For: Organizations with regulatory requirements, multi-location operations, or elevated security risk.
UNDERSTANDING TESTING TYPES
Different testing approaches reveal different vulnerabilities
External Penetration Testing
Tests your organization from an attacker's perspective outside your network. This simulates how hackers, competitors, or nation-state actors would attempt to breach your perimeter defenses. External testing identifies publicly exposed vulnerabilities in web applications, services, and network perimeter defenses that could be exploited from anywhere in the world.
Best for: Organizations concerned about internet-facing threats, ransomware groups scanning for vulnerable systems, or meeting compliance requirements like PCI-DSS and HIPAA.
Internal Penetration Testing
Simulates an insider threat or attacker who has already gained initial access to your network. This could be a malicious employee, compromised contractor, or threat actor who breached your perimeter. Internal testing reveals how far an attacker can move laterally within your network, what data they can access, and whether they can escalate privileges to domain administrator level.
Best for: Organizations with remote workers, third-party vendors with network access, or those needing to validate segmentation controls and insider threat defenses required by CMMC and advanced compliance frameworks.
Recommendation: Most mature security programs combine both external and internal testing annually. External testing should be performed at minimum, while internal testing becomes critical as your organization grows or handles sensitive data.
OPTIONAL SERVICES
Web Application Testing
- Test custom web apps, customer portals, and APIs
- Authentication bypass attempts
- SQL injection, XSS, and OWASP Top 10 testing
- Ideal for businesses with custom software or e-commerce platforms
Wireless Network Testing
- Test Wi-Fi security at your office location(s)
- Guest network isolation verification
- Rogue access point detection
- Ideal for businesses with on-site employees or public Wi-Fi
Social Engineering Campaigns
- Email phishing simulations
- SMS/text message attacks (smishing)
- Phone-based attacks (vishing)
- On-site physical security testing
- Ideal for training and awareness validation
Ongoing Security Monitoring
- Continuous security posture monitoring
- Drift detection (new vulnerabilities, config changes)
- Quarterly or monthly check-ins
- Alerts for emerging threats specific to your industry
- Ideal for maintaining compliance and long-term security
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
All assessments include:
- Detailed Vulnerability Report - Every finding documented with severity ratings and business impact
- Executive Summary - Non-technical overview for leadership and board presentations
- Remediation Roadmap - Step-by-step instructions prioritized by risk level
- Compliance Mapping - Direct alignment to HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CMMC, or other frameworks
- Post-Test Consultation - Expert guidance on fixing issues and improving security posture
- Retest Options - Verify fixes with discounted follow-up testing
OUR APPROACH: AI-ENHANCED, HUMAN-POWERED
- Advanced Reconnaissance: AI-driven intelligence gathering identifies hidden vulnerabilities
- Expert Analysis: Certified security professionals validate and expand findings
- Real-World Simulation: Tests mimic actual attacker techniques, not just automated scans
- Business-Focused Reporting: We speak your language - risk, not just technical jargon
- Rapid Turnaround: Most assessments completed in 1-2 weeks
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Will testing disrupt our business operations?
A: No. Testing is designed to be non-disruptive. We coordinate timing and scope to minimize any impact.
Q: What if you find critical issues?
A: We provide immediate notification of critical vulnerabilities and guidance on containment. Our reports include clear remediation steps.
Q: How often should we test?
A: Annual testing is standard. High-risk or regulated businesses should test quarterly or after major IT changes.
Q: Do we need to shut down systems?
A: No. Testing is performed on live systems with proper safeguards. Downtime is not required.
Q: What's the difference between this and our antivirus/firewall?
A: Those are preventive controls. Penetration testing validates if they're working and finds gaps attackers could exploit.
CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES
Trusted by federal agencies for mission-critical security assessments
U.S. General Services Administration
Federal Government • Washington, D.C.
Challenge: The Biden Administration needed to launch COVIDTests.gov, a critical national platform enabling every household to order free COVID-19 tests. With intense public scrutiny and tight timelines, the site required comprehensive security validation before going live.
Solution: Sphere conducted both grey box and white box application security testing prior to the website's public release. Our team performed comprehensive vulnerability assessments, authentication testing, and code-level security analysis to ensure the platform could withstand both malicious attacks and unprecedented traffic loads.
Results: COVIDTests.gov launched successfully to millions of Americans without security incidents. The platform safely processed orders for over 270 million free COVID-19 test kits, demonstrating the effectiveness of thorough pre-launch security validation for high-profile government initiatives.
U.S. Air Force - Kessel Run
Department of Defense • Boston, MA
Challenge: The Air Force's Kessel Run software factory needed comprehensive security testing of their Advanced Data Correlation Platform (ADCP), a mission-critical system supporting operational decision-making. The engagement required adversarial assessment capabilities beyond traditional vulnerability scanning.
Solution: Sphere executed a multi-faceted security assessment including network penetration testing, adversarial operations, application security analysis, supply chain risk evaluation, and active exploitation scenarios. Our team simulated sophisticated attack patterns to validate defensive capabilities and identify exploitable weaknesses before adversaries could.
Results: Identified critical vulnerabilities across the technology stack, from infrastructure to application layer. Delivered actionable remediation guidance that strengthened the platform's security posture and validated its readiness for operational deployment in contested environments.
GETTING STARTED
- Step 1: Choose your service tier based on business size and needs
- Step 2: Schedule a brief scoping call (15-20 minutes)
- Step 3: Receive your customized quote and timeline
- Step 4: Sign engagement agreement and Rules of Engagement
- Step 5: Testing begins - most complete within 1-2 weeks
PRICING TRANSPARENCY
Pricing is based on:
- Number of users and systems
- Scope of testing (external, internal, web apps, etc.)
- Compliance requirements
- Add-on services selected
All prices are fixed and agreed upon before testing begins. No hidden fees.
Contact your IT service provider for an instant estimate or personalized quote.