Penetration testing cost in Australia. Transparent, starting-from rates.
Direct Answer: In Australia for 2026, a commercial, human-led penetration test performed by a senior CREST-certified team starts from AUD 9,500 ex GST for web applications and APIs (5 to 7 days active testing). Cloud infrastructure security starts from AUD 12,000, Kubernetes audits from AUD 12,000, and AI agent red teaming from AUD 11,000. Every Kangsol engagement includes an executive summary, technical PoC evidence, a letter of attestation, and a free 60-day retest.
Most cybersecurity consultancies force buyers through protracted sales qualification calls before revealing day rates between AUD 2,200 and AUD 3,200. Kangsol provides fixed-scope pricing calibrated to your actual attack surface, backed by a written fixed quote within one business day.
> Web App & API (5-7 days): Starting from AUD 9,500
> Cloud IAM & Infra (6-8 days): Starting from AUD 12,000
> Kubernetes Cluster (6-8 days): Starting from AUD 12,000
> AI Agents & LLMs (5-8 days): Starting from AUD 11,000
> Full Multi-Tier Stack (10-14 days): Starting from AUD 22,000
✓ Free 60-day remediation retest
✓ Formal Letter of Attestation on letterhead
✓ 1:1 engineering debrief with senior testers
Indicative baseline rates. Final quotes confirmed within one business day based on agreed scope parameters.
Calculate your penetration test scope and starting price.
Select your environment and primary compliance driver to generate an indicative timeline, team composition, and starting cost.
Web Application & API Penetration Test
In-depth manual testing targeting business logic flaws, BOLA/IDOR, session hijacking, and API data leakage under active adversarial conditions.
Detailed penetration testing rates by environment (2026).
All testing is conducted manually by senior, CREST-certified penetration testers. We do not offshore work, use automated report generation, or bill hidden administrative surcharges.
| Assessment Type | Typical Duration | Primary Standards | Starting From (AUD ex GST) | Deliverables Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web App & API Pentest Single app, multi-tenant auth, REST/GraphQL APIs |
5–7 days testing + 1 day reporting |
OWASP WSTG v4.2 OWASP API Top 10 |
Starting from AUD 9,500 | Exec Summary, Technical PoCs, Attestation Letter, Free 60-Day Retest |
| Cloud Security & IAM Audit AWS, GCP, or Azure account config, IAM privilege trees |
6–8 days testing + 1 day reporting |
CIS Cloud Benchmarks MITRE ATT&CK Cloud |
Starting from AUD 12,000 | IAM Risk Matrix, Terraform Fix Recommendations, Letter of Attestation, Retest |
| Kubernetes Cluster Hardening EKS/GKE cluster config, RBAC, pod breakout, secrets isolation |
6–8 days testing + 1 day reporting |
CIS Kubernetes Benchmark MITRE ATT&CK Containers |
Starting from AUD 12,000 | Cluster Isolation Audit, Policy Manifests, Attestation Letter, Retest |
| AI Agents & LLM Red Teaming Prompt injection, tool calling abuse, RAG exfiltration, safety guardrails |
5–8 days testing + 1 day reporting |
OWASP LLM Top 10 MITRE ATLAS Framework |
Starting from AUD 11,000 | Agent Safety Report, Guardrail Audit, Threat Models, Attestation Letter, Retest |
| Full Stack Adversarial Emulation Comprehensive perimeter: Web, API, Cloud, and Kubernetes runtime |
10–14 days testing + 2 days reporting |
Full Adversarial Framework NIST SP 800-115 + PTES |
Starting from AUD 22,000 | End-to-End Attack Path Visualisations, C-Level Summary, Attestation, 2 Testers |
The four factors that influence your final quote.
Penetration testing pricing is not arbitrary. When an engineering team provides their environment specifications, our scoping algorithm evaluates four technical dimensions:
1. Attack Surface Complexity
A single microservice with 10 static endpoints takes significantly less time to test thoroughly than an authenticated single-page application with 150 REST/GraphQL endpoints, multi-tenant authorization boundaries, and payment webhooks.
2. Authentication & User Role Tiers
Testing Broken Object-Level Authorization (BOLA) and Privilege Escalation requires testing interactions between different permission tiers (e.g. End User vs. Org Admin vs. Super Admin). Each distinct role tier expands the matrix of authorization checks.
3. Testing Depth & Constraints
Black-box assessments (zero prior knowledge) require reconnaissance phases. Grey-box testing (with provided architectural documentation and privileged test accounts) accelerates testing directly into critical application logic, maximizing testing depth within the same budget.
4. Compliance & Evidence Deadlines
If your audit window opens in two weeks, testing schedules must be compressed and prioritized. While standard engagements book 2 to 4 weeks in advance, urgent audit-readiness windows can be accommodated with dedicated engineering allocation.
What you receive with every Kangsol penetration test.
No hidden fees. Every engagement is packaged to provide immediate commercial utility for engineering teams, compliance managers, and procurement reviewers.
Free 60-Day Remediation Retest
Once your engineering team deploys security patches, we retest every reported finding and verify closure. No secondary invoices, no hourly charges.
Audit Letter of Attestation
A formal, signed document confirming third-party testing was completed, detailing testing dates, methodology, scope, and verified remediation status for auditors and enterprise procurement.
1:1 Technical Engineering Debrief
A 45-minute video call between our senior testers and your engineering leads to walk through root causes, reproduction steps, and architectural fixes before you begin patching.
Actionable PoC Reproduction Code
Every vulnerability includes step-by-step reproduction instructions, raw HTTP request/response payloads, and verified remediation code samples so developers don't waste time guessing.
Zero-Disruption Safe Testing
Pre-agreed rules of engagement, designated IP ranges, out-of-hours testing options, and immediate escalation channels ensure your staging or production environments remain stable.
Direct Control Mapping
Findings are mapped directly to compliance standards: SOC 2 (CC7.1, CC4.1), ISO 27001 (A.8.8, A.8.29), and PCI DSS v4.0 (11.4), simplifying your evidence submission.
Penetration testing cost FAQ.
How much does a commercial penetration test cost in Australia in 2026?
In Australia, high-quality penetration testing by senior, CREST-certified testers starts from AUD 9,500 ex GST for a standard web application and authenticated API scope (5 to 7 days of manual testing). Cloud infrastructure and IAM assessments start from AUD 12,000, Kubernetes cluster hardening audits start from AUD 12,000, and AI agent red teaming starts from AUD 11,000. Full-scope multi-tier assessments start from AUD 22,000 ex GST.
Why do most Australian cybersecurity consultancies hide their pricing?
Most traditional consultancies hide pricing to maximize margin through opaque day-rate billing (often AUD 2,200 to 3,200 per person-day) and sales qualification calls. Kangsol publishes transparent "starting from" baselines so engineering leaders and founders can budget immediately without sales pressure.
Is the 60-day retest included in the price or billed as an add-on?
At Kangsol, a comprehensive retest within 60 days of report delivery is included in every fixed quote at zero additional cost. Auditors require proof of verified remediation to close audit findings, so retesting is treated as an essential phase of delivery, never an up-sell.
What factors influence the final cost of a penetration test?
The four main drivers of cost are: (1) Attack surface size, such as dynamic endpoint count and role-based access tiers; (2) Environment complexity, such as multi-cloud accounts or microservice architectures; (3) Compliance framework requirements, such as SOC 2 CC7.1, ISO 27001 A.8.8, or APRA CPS 234; and (4) Adversary depth, comparing standard vulnerability validation against multi-vector adversary simulation.
Can an automated vulnerability scan satisfy SOC 2 or ISO 27001 instead of a pentest?
No. External CPA audit firms and certification bodies routinely reject automated vulnerability scanner dumps for SOC 2 Common Criteria 7.1 (CC7.1) and ISO 27001 Control A.8.8. Automated tools cannot exploit business logic, test authorization boundaries like BOLA/IDOR, or eliminate false positives. Auditors require independent, human-led verification with proof-of-concept evidence.
How quickly can Kangsol deliver a fixed-scope penetration test quote?
Through our online scope calculator and quote wizard at kangsol.com.au/get-a-quote, engineering teams receive a binding, fixed-scope proposal within one business day.
Get a fixed-scope penetration test quote in 1 business day.
No sales pressure and no hidden day-rates. Provide your target environment specifications and receive an audit-ready, fixed-price proposal.