PCI-DSS Penetration Testing

Meet Requirement 11.3. Pass Your PCI Audit.

Expert PCI-DSS Penetration Testing designed to validate your Cardholder Data Environment (CDE), verify segmentation, and satisfy your QSA.

If you process, store, or transmit credit card data, you cannot afford to fail your audit. PCI DSS Requirement 11.3 is the most common stumbling block for merchants and service providers. Our PCI-DSS Penetration Testing service is strictly aligned with the PCI Data Security Standard. We go beyond simple scanning to manually identify vulnerabilities in your CDE, ensuring you meet compliance deadlines.

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See What Our Clients Are Saying

Our clients consistently share that our collaborative partnership and transparent communication help them build stronger security programs.

HAVEN6 has become our go-to partner for serious cloud security and penetration testing.

They’ve helped our clients harden AWS and Azure configurations, identify risky misconfigurations, and validate issues through focused penetration testing on networks, web apps, and APIs.

Ramin Lamei

TechCompass

We have enjoyed working with HAVEN6. They were able to help us on some long-term agreements for pen testing.

Their personnel and management are easy to work with.

We look forward to our next project with them!

Joshua Weathers

Sugpiat Defense

Which PCI Requirements Mandate Pen Testing?

PCI mandates external and internal penetration testing at least annually and after any significant changes.

11.4.1

Penetration tests must be performed annually and after any significant changes.

11.4.2

If network segmentation is used to isolate CDE, segmentation controls must be tested.

6.4.3 / 6.4.4

Vulnerabilities must be identified, addressed, and validated after remediation.

Note: Failure to meet these can result in failed assessments, higher transaction fees, or disqualification from merchant status.

Types of PCI Pen Tests We Perform

Deep dive into our PCI Pen Test service and review the different types of penetration testing that we provide for our clients

Test Type	Description
Cloud Pen Testing	Evaluates cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) for misconfigurations, insecure services, and IAM flaws.
Web Application Testing	Tests for OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and business logic flaws in apps handling payment data.
Mobile Application Testing	Assesses mobile applications—if part of the payment flow—for vulnerabilities affecting data security.
API Security Testing	Deep dive into REST, SOAP, GraphQL APIs for broken auth, data leakage, and more
External Network Pen Testing	Simulates attacks from the outside — firewalls, web servers, cloud environments
Internal Network Pen Testing	Simulates an insider threat or breach scenario — lateral movement, privilege escalation
Wireless Network Testing	Test WPA2/WPA3 security, rogue APs, and unauthorized device access
IoT Device Testing	Evaluatetes devices by identifying vulnerabilities within the hardware/firmware/radio protocol layers.
SCADA Systems Testing	Secures critical infrastructure by assessing the ICS/OT vulnerabilities through advanced Industrial fuzzing and RF analysis.
AI / Machine Learning Testing	Exploits machine learning models through injection, model tampering, and manipulation.
Segmentation Testing	Verifies that network segmentation properly isolates the cardholder data environment (CDE).

What Our PCI Pentesting Service Includes

We adhere to the PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard) to ensure a thorough and safe engagement.

Reconnaissance

Gathering intelligence (OSINT) on your organization and employees, just like a real hacker would.

Vulnerability Analysis

Combining automated scanning with manual verification to map your attack surface and determine weaknesses.

Active Exploitation

The core of the service. We manually attempt to exploit bugs to gain access and prove the risk is legitimate.

Post-Exploitation

Determining the value of the compromise. Can we move laterally? Can we access the CEO’s email?

Reporting & Debrief

Documenting the findings and meeting with your team to explain where changes can be made to improve security.

PCI Penetration Testing Deliverables

We provide the exact artifacts your auditor needs to mark your controls as operating effectively.

Executive Summary

A clean, non-technical attestation of security posture designed specifically for you to hand to your auditor or key stakeholders.

Full Technical Report

A deep-dive document detailed with CVSS scores, steps-to-reproduce for vulnerabilities, and evidence of exploitation (screenshots/logs).

Segmentation Validation

A distinct analysis confirming that your CDE is completely isolated from non-sensitive networks (critical requirement under PCI-DSS 11.4.5).

Remediation Roadmap

A step-by-step plan that filters findings based on PCI severity, helping your team focus on fixing the issues that would cause audit failure.

Retesting Report

A targeted re-assessment for a Clean Report verifying that all critical and high-risk vulnerabilities have been successfully remediated.

PCI Penetration Testing Certifications

Our team holds industry-recognized certifications that reflect hands-on expertise across offensive security, cloud, incident response, and compliance.

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)

GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester (GCPN)

CompTIA Security+, Network+, A+, Pentest+

GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP)

Microsoft AZ-900, SC-900

Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)

Burp Suite Certified Practitioner (Apprentice)

Practical Network Penetration Tester (PNPT)

Web App Penetration Tester (eWPT)

Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

Palo Alto PSE Certifications

Why Choose Us for PCI Compliance Pentesting?

We are PCI scope reduction experts who accelerate your compliance by delivering rapid, verified assessments that eliminate false positives.

Scope Reduction Experts

We don’t just test; we advise. If we see a way to configure your segmentation to reduce your PCI scope (and save you money), we tell you.

No False Positives

QSAs hate ambiguity. We manually verify every finding so your team doesn’t waste time fixing ghosts. Pass your audit with confidence.

Turnaround Speed

We know compliance has deadlines. We can scope, quote, and start your test within days. Don’t wait weeks for a service provider.

Secure Your CDE. Pass Your Audit.

Avoid junk automated reports. Partner with the experts who make PCI compliance simple.

PCI-DSS Pen Testing: FAQs

Learn more information about the most frequently asked questions

What is PCI-DSS Penetration Testing?

Under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) v4.0, penetration testing is mandated to validate that:

Network and application defenses are effective
Segmentation controls are working properly (if used)
Remediation is verified before closing out findings

Our team simulates real-world attacks against your in-scope environment to validate compliance with requirements 11.4.1 and 11.4.2.

Who needs PCI-DSS Penetration Testing?

Any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data (merchants and service providers at Level 1–4, SaaS platforms accepting payments, payment gateways, processors, acquirers, and issuers) is required by PCI-DSS Requirement 11.4 (internal) and 11.3.4 (external, if segmented) to perform real, attacker-simulated penetration testing at least annually and after any material infrastructure change. If you have a Cardholder Data Environment (CDE) or connected systems, this is non-negotiable: skip it and your QSA cannot sign your Report on Compliance.

How Often is PCI-DSS Penetration Testing required?

At least once per year and after significant changes to infrastructure, applications, or network segmentation.

What is defined as a "significant change" for PCI?

New systems, major upgrades, firewall changes, adding cloud services, or modifying segmentation all qualify.

PCI Vulnerability Scan (ASV) vs. PCI Penetration Test?

A Vulnerability Scan is automated and non-intrusive (Requirement 11.2). A Penetration Test is manual and exploitative (Requirement 11.3). You need both to be compliant. Scans happen quarterly; Pentests happen annually.

Do you help with the Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ)?

Yes. If you are a smaller merchant, we can help determine which SAQ applies to you and perform the penetration testing required for SAQ A-EP, C, or D.

What happens if we fail the test?

You cannot “fail” a pentest in the traditional sense. If we find holes, you simply fix them. We then perform a Retest. Once the Retest confirms the fixes, you have a compliant report. This is a standard part of the process.

Do we need to fix every issue found?

You must fix all vulnerabilities that are considered “High Risk” or “Exploitable.” PCI DSS does not require you to fix low-risk informational items, but the exploitable ones must be patched and re-tested before the audit.

Is segmentation testing required?

Yes — if you use segmentation to reduce scope, you must test and document its effectiveness under 11.4.2.

Will this work for our QSA?

Yes — our reports are formatted for PCI audits, including methodology, tools used, attack results, and validation steps.

Do you offer retesting?

Absolutely. We offer free testing within 30 days to validate remediation.