Blog

The Complete Guide to Penetration Testing in Brisbane

February 22, 2026

If you are a Brisbane business owner or IT manager who has been told you need penetration testing, but you are not entirely sure what that means, what it costs, or what you actually get at the end of it, this guide is for you.

Penetration testing (or “pen testing”) is essentially a controlled, authorised attempt to break into your systems before a real attacker does. A qualified security professional uses the same tools and techniques as a malicious hacker, finds the weaknesses in your environment, and gives you a detailed report on what was found and how to fix it.

It sounds straightforward, but there is a lot of variation in how pen tests are scoped, priced, and delivered. Getting the wrong test, or the wrong provider, can leave you with a false sense of security and a hefty invoice.

 

 

What Types of Penetration Testing Are Available?

Penetration testing is not a one-size-fits-all service. The type of test you need depends on what you are trying to protect and why you are doing it.

The most common types include:

• External network penetration testing – attacks your internet-facing systems from the outside, simulating a remote threat actor

• Internal network penetration testing – simulates an attacker who is already inside your network (think a compromised workstation or a rogue employee)

• Web application penetration testing – tests your websites, portals, and customer-facing applications for vulnerabilities like injection flaws, broken authentication, and insecure data exposure

• API penetration testing – specifically targets the application programming interfaces your systems use to communicate with each other or with third parties

• Cloud penetration testing – reviews the security of your AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud environment

• Wireless penetration testing – tests the security of your Wi-Fi infrastructure

https://siegecyber.com.au/services/penetration-testing/

Most small to mid-sized businesses in Brisbane start with an external network test or a web application test, depending on what they are most concerned about or what a client or auditor has specifically asked for.

 

How Much Does Penetration Testing Cost in Australia?

Cost is usually the first question, and the honest answer is: it depends.

Australian businesses can generally expect to pay anywhere from AUD $6,000 for a focused single-application test through to AUD $40,000 or more for a complex engagement covering multiple environments. Here is a rough breakdown of typical price ranges:​

 

Pricing is largely driven by scope, complexity, and the number of days a skilled tester needs to do the job properly. Be cautious of extremely low quotes. A $999 network scan is not a penetration test, it is an automated vulnerability scan with a report attached. Those two things are very different.​

Siege Cyber publishes transparent pricing for common scopes. You can view our pen test pricing here to get a sense of what a properly scoped engagement looks like.

---

Not sure what type of test you need? Siege Cyber offers a free initial consultation to help you scope the right engagement for your environment and budget. There is no obligation and no sales pressure. Get in touch here.

---

Penetration Testing for ISO 27001 Compliance

If your organisation is working toward ISO 27001 certification, penetration testing is not a formal requirement under the standard, but it is something auditors increasingly expect to see.​

ISO 27001 requires you to assess risk and demonstrate that your security controls actually work in practice. A pen test is one of the clearest ways to do that. It produces evidence you can point to in an audit, maps directly to the risks in your risk register, and shows that your organisation takes control effectiveness seriously, not just control documentation.

Siege Cyber works with Brisbane businesses across their full ISO 27001 journey, from initial gap analysis through to certification. If you are using Vanta or Drata to automate parts of your compliance programme, we can also help you get the most out of those platforms, including making sure your penetration testing evidence is captured and mapped correctly within the tool.

 

Penetration Testing for SOC 2

SOC 2 is another area where pen testing comes up regularly, particularly for SaaS companies and technology businesses serving Australian or US enterprise clients.

Like ISO 27001, penetration testing is not formally mandated for SOC 2. But it is widely expected, especially for SOC 2 Type II, where auditors are looking for evidence that your controls operated effectively over a monitoring period. A well-scoped pen test, with documented remediation and a retest, gives your auditor exactly what they need to see.

A common mistake businesses make is commissioning a pen test that is too narrow in scope or one that does not align with the systems included in their SOC 2 boundary. The result is a report that does not satisfy the auditor and a test that needs to be redone. Getting the scoping right from the start saves both time and money.

What Does the Process Look Like?

A good penetration test follows a structured methodology. At Siege Cyber, our process typically involves:

1. Scoping – we agree on what systems are in scope, what type of testing is required, and what the rules of engagement are

2. Reconnaissance – gathering information about your environment before active testing begins

3. Vulnerability identification – using a combination of manual techniques and tooling to identify weaknesses

4. Exploitation – actively attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to understand their real-world impact

5. Reporting – delivering a clear, plain-English report that includes an executive summary, technical findings, risk ratings, and prioritised remediation recommendations

6. Remediation support – helping your team understand and action the findings

7. Retest – verifying that vulnerabilities have been properly remediated

The retest is something a lot of providers skip or charge extra for as a surprise. Make sure it is included in your quote upfront.

 

Why Choose a Brisbane-Based Penetration Testing Provider?

Working with a local provider has real practical advantages. You can get on a call or meet face to face to scope the engagement properly. There is no time zone friction when questions come up during testing. And when the report lands, you can walk through the findings with someone who understands the Australian regulatory environment, including the Privacy Act, APRA CPS 234, and the ASD Essential Eight.

That matters when you are explaining findings to a board or a compliance auditor. A 40-page technical report is not much use if no one on your team knows what to do with it.

 

 

Ready to Get Started?

Siege Cyber is a Brisbane-based cybersecurity company with over 20 years of hands-on experience in penetration testing, compliance frameworks, and security advisory. Whether you need a standalone web application test, a full-scope engagement to support an ISO 27001 audit, or advice on where to start, we are here to help.

Visit siegecyber.com.au/services/penetration-testing/ to learn more about our pen testing services, or view our transparent pricing to get a feel for what your engagement might cost.

Siege Cyber has been helping businesses across Australia with penetration testing, compliance, and cyber risk for over 20 years. If you’d like to discuss what type of testing makes sense for your organisation, or if you’re preparing for an ISO 27001 or SOC 2 audit and need testing as part of that process, get in touch.

You can reach us at siegecyber.com.au or email [email protected] directly. We’re based in Brisbane but work with clients across the country.