Most organizations trust Microsoft 365 to keep email, files, and collaboration secure by default. In practice, security depends less on the platform and more on how it’s configured, permissioned, and monitored over time. Across tenant assessments, the same handful of gaps show up again and again, not because Microsoft 365 lacks security capability, but because that capability sits unused or misconfigured.  

Understanding the most common Microsoft 365 security risks is the first step toward closing the gaps that attackers, and accidental exposure, both rely on. This guide covers seven risk areas we see most often, why each matters, and what closes the gap, drawing on Microsoft’s own documentation, third-party research, and patterns observed across real tenant reviews. It isn’t an exhaustive list of every possible Microsoft 365 threat, and it isn’t a substitute for a tenant-specific assessment. 

What Are the Biggest Microsoft 365 Security Risks? 

These risks, sometimes shortened to M365 security risks, typically stem from compromised accounts, phishing and business email compromise, excessive permissions, misconfigured SharePoint and OneDrive sharing, risky third-party apps, data leakage, and weak governance. Each is a cyber security risk that grows more serious when access and data controls go unreviewed across Microsoft 365 environments. 

The urgency is measurable. Gartner predicts that global security spending will reach some $240 billion in 2026, up from $213 billion in 2025. The stakes are borderless: Forrester’s March 2026 analysis of major 2025 breaches found more than 10.6 billion records exposed and almost $2.8 billion in associated penalties across the incidents it reviewed. Neither figure is specific to Microsoft 365, they illustrate the broader environment every tenant now operates in. 

7 Microsoft 365 Security Risks Every Business Should Know 

1. Weak or Compromised Microsoft 365 User Accounts

Attackers often gain entry through stolen or reused passwords, not sophisticated exploits, and a compromised admin account can expose an entire tenant. Identity is central to Microsoft 365 cybersecurity, since a single takeover can cascade into mailbox access or lateral movement. MFA alone isn’t going to stop every account-takeover attempt, but coupled with risk-based Conditional Access policies and least privilege through Microsoft Entra ID it greatly reduces the opportunity an attacker has to take action against you.

2. Phishing and Business Email Compromise

Credential phishing, fake login pages, and invoice scams trick employees into handing over access or funds. Business Email Compromise is costly because it exploits trust, not technical flaws, no platform eliminates it outright. Microsoft Defender for Office 365, layered with correctly configured SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, meaningfully reduces spoofing and malicious mail; regular phishing-simulation training closes the gap that filtering alone can’t. 

3. Excessive User Permissions and Privileged Access

Many tenants accumulate more administrators and broadly permissioned users than necessary, often from role changes or dormant accounts nobody revoked. Compromising such an account causes damage well beyond a single mailbox. Privileged Identity Management (PIM) provides just-in-time, time-bound admin access rather than standing privileges, and when combined with periodic access reviews, ensures that permissions are aligned to actual need rather than historical convenience. 

4. Misconfigured SharePoint and OneDrive Permissions

SharePoint and OneDrive aren’t inherently insecure, but broad external sharing links, overshared sites, and loose guest access routinely expose sensitive documents. This is an overlooked Microsoft 365 data security gap, external sharing settings default to “Anyone” at the tenant level for new communication sites, and that default is easy to leave untouched. Reviewing “Anyone” links against actual business need, and tightening the default sharing level, closes most of this exposure without blocking legitimate collaboration. 

5. Malicious or Over-Permissioned Third-Party Apps

Third-party apps connected through OAuth consent can request more access than they need, and forgotten apps quietly retain it, creating Microsoft 365 security vulnerabilities that extend beyond Microsoft’s own applications. Every connected app is a potential entry point. Restricting user consent to verified publishers, running periodic consent audits, and removing unused integrations limits this often-overlooked attack surface. 

6. Data Leakage and Accidental Data Exposure

Often, organizations leak sensitive data through simple mistakes: a file sent to the wrong person, an unauthorized download, or unclassified content. IBM’s 2025 The Cost of a Data Breach Report shows the average cost of a breach globally at $4.44 million. That’s a general figure, not a Microsoft 365-specific one, but it goes to show why Microsoft 365 data protection deserves budget and attention, and not as an afterthought. No DLP policy catches every leak path on day one, tuning matters as much as deployment. Microsoft Purview DLP, sensitivity labels, and retention policies help classify and contain content before it leaves the tenant. 

7. Poor Monitoring, Configuration, and Security Governance

Security controls configured once and never revisited drift out of alignment with actual risk, while unreviewed alerts and missing audit logs let issues go unnoticed. Weak governance is a quieter but no less serious contributor to Microsoft 365 security threats than any single technical flaw. Tracking Microsoft Secure Score, which benchmarks configuration against Microsoft’s own recommendations and mapping policies to a recognized cyber security Framework such as NIST CSF or ISO 27001 supports continuous improvement rather than a one-time hardening pass. Secure Score is a useful signal, not a certification; a high score doesn’t mean a tenant is fully secure, only that more of Microsoft’s recommended actions are in place. 

How to Identify Microsoft 365 Security Risks in Your Organization 

Step 1: Identity Security: MFA coverage, Conditional Access policy gaps, risky sign-ins, and dormant privileged accounts. 

Step 2: Email Security: Defender for Office 365 policy status, plus SPF, DKIM, and DMARC record accuracy. 

Step 3: SharePoint and OneDrive: External sharing level, “Anyone” links in use, and guest access sprawl. 

Step 4: Applications: OAuth consent grants, unused third-party permissions, and unverified publishers. 

Step 5: Data Protection: DLP policy coverage, sensitivity label adoption, and retention configuration in Purview. 

Step 6: Security Posture: Secure Score trend, audit log retention, and unresolved alerts. 

This isn’t a full audit checklist, it’s a starting filter to find where a deeper review is worth the time. 

Microsoft 365 Security Best Practices 

Following these Microsoft 365 security best practices doesn’t require new tools, it requires consistent attention to identity, permissions, and data: 

• Enable MFA and enforce Conditional Access 
• Apply least privilege; review admin access on a set cadence 
• Configure email authentication and anti-phishing controls 
• Audit SharePoint/OneDrive external sharing defaults 
• Restrict app consent and remove unused integrations 
• Implement DLP and sensitivity labels for sensitive data 
• Monitor Secure Score trends, not just the number 
• Conduct periodic third-party security assessments 
• Train employees on phishing and social engineering 

No single item on this list closes every gap by itself, the risk drops when they’re maintained together, not treated as a one-time setup checklist. 

How Beyond Key Helps Businesses Secure Microsoft 365 

Beyond Key is a Microsoft-focused technology partner that helps organizations assess, secure, and govern their Microsoft 365 tenants. This isn’t a theoretical framework, it reflects patterns from actual client engagements, including the case study referenced below. 

Microsoft 365 Security Assessment 

Reviews tenant configuration, identity and access controls, and sharing exposure to build a prioritized remediation plan, not a generic checklist, but one ranked by what’s actually exploitable in that specific tenant. 

Microsoft 365 Security & Governance 

Aligns identity, SharePoint permissions, and data protection policies through ongoing Microsoft security services, since configuration drift is an ongoing problem, not a one-time fix. 

Microsoft Defender Implementation 

Supports Defender for Office 365 deployment, including anti-phishing controls and policy tuning, to strengthen day-to-day monitoring beyond default settings. 

Microsoft 365 Copilot & AI Security 

Before scaling Copilot, Beyond Key helps organizations address overshared content and permission gaps, since AI surfaces information users already have access to rather than creating new vulnerabilities of its own. 

See this case study on how Beyond Key helped a financial services organization address data leakage, privileged identity management gaps, and communication compliance requirements using Microsoft Purview, PIM, communication compliance policies, Office Message Encryption, and Unified Endpoint Management. Results are specific to that engagement’s environment and scope. 

Conclusion 

Microsoft 365 security risks rarely come from a single failure, they build up through small gaps in identity, permissions, sharing, and monitoring left unaddressed over time. Reviewing these seven areas regularly, rather than as a one-time setup, keeps a Microsoft 365 environment resilient as AI tools become part of daily workflows. No provider or checklist guarantees a fully secure tenant; the goal is measurably reducing exposure and keeping pace as the environment changes. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

The post 7 Microsoft 365 Security Risks Every Business Should Know appeared first on Beyond Key.

A company can lock down its firewalls, harden its VPN, and pass every external scan with a clean report, and still lose data through a compromised laptop sitting inside the building. A strong perimeter tells you nothing about what happens once someone, or something, gets past it. That gap is exactly why Internal vs External Network Penetration Testing splits into two distinct disciplines: internal and external.

External network penetration testing checks whether an attacker outside your organization can find a way into your internet-facing systems. Internal penetration testing checks what an attacker, a compromised account, an insider, or any other entity with internal access could do once they are already inside your network. Both tests matter. Neither one answers the other’s question.

What Is External Network Penetration Testing? 

An external network penetration test looks at your organization the way a stranger on the internet would. The tester works from outside your network boundary, usually with little more than your company name, a domain, or a defined IP range to start from.

Rather than guessing potential entry points, structured external pentesting maps directly to the initial stages of the MITRE ATT&CK® Enterprise Matrix, specifically focusing on Reconnaissance (TA0043) and Initial Access (TA0011).

What Does an External Penetration Test Assess? 

A typical external network penetration test covers:

• Public-facing IP addresses
• Internet-facing servers
• Firewalls and perimeter security controls
• VPN gateways and remote access services
• Public applications and services within scope
• Authentication mechanisms
• Exposed ports and running services
• Configuration weaknesses
• Known and exploitable vulnerabilities

The tester approaches your environment the way a real external attacker would: with limited or no internal knowledge, working entirely from what can be discovered and reached from outside.

How Does an External Network Penetration Test Work? 

At a high level, the methodology follows a consistent sequence:

1. Planning and scope definition
2. Reconnaissance
3. Discovery and enumeration
4. Vulnerability identification
5. Controlled exploitation
6. Impact validation
7. Reporting and remediation recommendations

Every step should run under a clearly documented scope of work and rules of engagement, agreed on before testing begins. Testing without written authorization is not a penetration test; it is an incident waiting to happen. This distinction matters as much for legal protection as it does for test quality.

What Is an Internal Network Penetration Test? 

An internal network penetration test starts from a different premise entirely: the attacker is already inside. That could mean a compromised employee laptop, a phished credential, a malicious insider, or someone who slipped past the perimeter through a route the external test never touched.

Internal pentesting helps you address PCI-DSS Requirement 11.3.2. This ensures annual internal penetration testing to prove that internal security controls hold up even when an attacker gains network access.

What Does Internal Network Security Testing Assess? 

• Internal servers
• Workstations and endpoints
• Active Directory environments
• Internal applications
• File shares and stored data
• Network segmentation
• Privilege escalation paths
• Access controls
• Credential exposure
• Lateral movement opportunities
• Internal security controls and monitoring

What Attack Scenario Does Internal Testing Simulate? 

Internal testing can model several realistic scenarios, including:

• A compromised employee account
• A compromised endpoint
• A malicious insider
• An attacker who has already bypassed the perimeter
• Unauthorized access through another pathway, such as a third-party vendor connection

Internal network penetration testing answers a different question from external testing: if an attacker gains internal access, how far can they move, and what could they ultimately compromise?

Internal vs External Network Penetration Testing: Key Differences 

External Infrastructure Penetration Testing vs Internal Testing 

External infrastructure penetration testing is the piece of network pentesting focused specifically on the assets your organization exposes to the public internet. It fits inside the broader external testing discipline but zeroes in on infrastructure rather than applications.

What Is Tested Externally?

• Network perimeter
• Public IP ranges
• Firewalls
• VPN and remote access infrastructure
• Public-facing infrastructure
• Exposed network services

What Is Tested Internally?

• Internal network segments
• Servers
• Endpoints
• Identity infrastructure
• Access controls
• Segmentation
• Privileged access

How Does Network Pentesting Work? A Step-by-Step Overview 

Regardless of whether the engagement is internal, external, or both, the underlying process follows the same backbone:

Scope → Reconnaissance → Discovery → Validation → Exploitation → Impact Assessment → Reporting → Remediation → Retesting

1. Define Scope and Rules of Engagement

Before any testing begins, the team should agree on in-scope assets, testing windows, authorized techniques, exclusions, emergency contacts, and data-handling requirements. Skipping this step is the single most common source of disputes after a test.

2. Discover and Assess Attack Surface

This phase maps what actually exists to attack. It overlaps closely with a broader external security assessment and network vulnerability assessment, though a pentest carries the discovery further into active validation.

3. Validate Security Weaknesses

Identifying a vulnerability is not the same as proving it matters. Validation is where the tester confirms whether a flaw creates a real attack path or sits behind compensating controls that neutralize it.

4. Report and Prioritize Findings

A useful report ranks findings by severity and business impact, backs each one with evidence, names affected assets, traces the attack path, recommends remediation, and tracks retest status once fixes go in.

“External testing checks the lock on your front door; internal testing checks whether a intruder can access the vault once inside.”

Senior Penetration Tester at Beyond Key. Saurabh Pandya

External Network Security Test vs Internal Testing: Which Should You Choose? 

Choose External Testing When

• You have significant internet-facing infrastructure
• You have recently launched or changed public-facing systems
• Your remote access infrastructure has changed
• You need to understand your external attack exposure
• You need evidence of perimeter security for a client, auditor, or insurer

Choose Internal Testing When

• Your organization has a complex internal environment
• You need to assess lateral movement risk
• You want to validate network segmentation
• Privileged access sprawl is a concern
• You need to understand the impact of a compromised account or device

When Should You Perform Both? 

Organizations seeking broader network security coverage should consider both external and internal penetration testing, since the two evaluate different stages of an attack rather than different versions of the same test. There is no single frequency that fits every organization; how often you test should track your risk profile, compliance obligations, and how much your environment changes, not a blanket annual rule.

“Effective penetration testing is not just a compliance measure—it’s a proactive approach to securing critical assets. Establishing clear rules of engagement and testing both initial entry and privilege escalation paths ensures an organization moves from reactive scanning to active defense validation.”

NIST SP 800-115 (Technical Guide to Information Security Testing)

Why Both Internal and External Penetration Testing Matter 

External testing evaluates the likelihood of that first link, initial compromise. Internal testing evaluates every link after it, what happens once someone is already inside. Neither test sees the whole chain on its own. Together, they give security teams a far more complete picture of where an attack could realistically go and what it could reach.

Use Cases: Where Internal and External Testing Show Up in Practice 

Use Case 1: Pre-Audit Compliance

A mid-size financial services firm needs to satisfy SOC 2 or ISO 27001 requirements ahead of a client audit. External testing demonstrates that internet-facing systems resist unauthorized access. Internal testing demonstrates that access controls and segmentation limit damage if an employee account is compromised. Auditors typically expect evidence of both, not one in isolation.

Use Case 2: Post-M&A Network Integration

After a merger, two previously separate networks get connected. External testing checks whether the combined perimeter introduced new exposure. Internal testing checks whether the merged internal network allows an attacker to move between the two organizations’ systems in ways neither company anticipated on its own.

Use Case 3: Remote Workforce and VPN Expansion

An organization scales remote access after expanding its distributed workforce. External testing validates the VPN gateway and remote access infrastructure against exploitation. Internal testing then checks what a compromised remote endpoint could reach once its VPN session lands inside the corporate network.

How to Prepare for an Internal or External Network Penetration Test 

• Define business objectives for the test
• Identify in-scope assets
• Document authorization in writing
• Establish rules of engagement
• Identify testing windows
• Notify relevant stakeholders
• Define emergency escalation procedures
• Establish evidence and data-handling requirements
• Assign remediation ownership before findings arrive
• Schedule a retest once fixes are in place

Internal vs External Network Penetration Testing: Conclusion 

External and internal penetration testing evaluate different points on an organization’s attack surface. External testing focuses on whether attackers can compromise exposed systems from outside. Internal testing examines what an attacker could accomplish after gaining internal access.

External = perimeter exposure. Internal = internal attack paths.

Internal + External= broader network security visibility.

Navigating the boundary between internal risk and external exposure requires a tailored approach. At Beyond Key, our offensive security team takes time to understand your security needs and plan a tailored roadmap. Beyond Key is a leading IT consulting service provider that serves Fortune 500 companies around the globe. The services offered by them include everything from data and BI to cloud consulting, cybersecurity solutions and more.

If you want to know about our internal and external testing process, we begin with a short scoping call to map assets and objectives. After that, you get the models and pricing options that shall suit your business needs. From PTaaS to One-off pentest and more, we have many pricing models and enterprise options to choose from.

Frequently Asked Questions:

The post Internal vs External Network Penetration Testing: Key Differences Explained appeared first on Beyond Key.

What Is Zero Trust Security and How Does It Work? 

Zero Trust Security is a cybersecurity strategy that ensures every access request is monitored, whether it is from within the organization or outside it. Also known as zero trust architecture or perimeterless security, zero trust security assumes that no data, asset, or entity can be universally trusted.  

How Does It Work? 

Microsoft’s own Zero Trust guidance is built around three principles, and they’re worth anchoring to rather than paraphrasing through a third party:

• Verify explicitly. Evaluate identity, device health, location, and risk signals for every request, not just at initial login.
• Use least privilege access. Grant only the access a user or workload needs, and nothing more; just-in-time and just-enough, ideally.
• Assume breach. Design to limit blast radius and detect fast, because prevention alone won’t hold.

A recent Forrester survey found roughly three-quarters of organizations had experienced at least one breach in the past year; which is exactly why “assume breach” earned its place as a core principle rather than a footnote. 

Source: Forrester  

How to Implement Zero Trust Security with Microsoft 365 and Azure 

Implementing Zero Trust Security with Microsoft 365 and Azure requires a multidisciplinary approach. It should focus on infrastructure, networking, identity, and data protection systematically.  

Step 1: Assess Your Current Security Posture 

• Before changing a single policy, map what you have: users, devices, applications, workloads, and sensitive data.  
• Identify privileged accounts and permissions granted beyond what’s needed. 
• Review existing Microsoft 365 and Azure controls, and use Secure Score to establish a real baseline. 

This step gets skipped more often than it should.  

Aggressive policy changes without a baseline tend to create operational disruption. Locked-out executives, broken service accounts, help desk tickets stacking up; which is the fastest way to lose organizational buy-in for the rest of the rollout. 

Step 2: Strengthen Identity with Microsoft Entra ID 

Identity is the first control layer, and Microsoft treats Conditional Access as its Zero Trust policy engine, the point where identity, device, and risk signals converge into an allow, block, or challenge decision. Here are the steps to strengthen identity: 

• Enforce MFA across all accounts, prioritizing privileged roles first 
• Build Conditional Access policies around risk, device compliance, and location 
• Turn on Identity Protection to evaluate sign-in and user risk 
• Apply Privileged Identity Management (PIM) to time-box admin roles instead of leaving them standing 
• Remove stale accounts and enforce least privilege access across the board 

Gartner’s 2024 State of Zero-Trust Adoption survey found 63% of organizations had partially or fully implemented a Zero Trust strategy. 

Step 3: Enforce Device Compliance and Endpoint Security 

A verified user on an infected laptop is still a risk. The identity check passed, but the endpoint didn’t.  

• Use Microsoft Intune to define compliance requirements: encryption, patch status, antivirus, and overall device health.  
• Connect that compliance status directly into Conditional Access so non-compliant devices get blocked or challenged automatically, and layer Microsoft Defender for Endpoint on top for detection and response (EDR).  
• Microsoft’s endpoint guidance is explicit that this applies whether the device is corporate-owned, personal, or partially managed; ownership doesn’t earn a pass. 

Step 4: Secure Microsoft 365 Applications and Data 

Make sure to keep a check on risky cloud apps. And instead of applying one blanket policy, scale access controls to meet data sensitivity. With identity and devices covered, turn to the applications and data layer. By leveraging Microsoft Purview, users can: 

• Streamline the process for sensitivity labels 
• DLP policies and data classification 

 Step 5: Extend Zero Trust to Azure Workloads 

Apply the same principles to Azure identities, virtual machines, APIs, and cloud resources, segment critical workloads to limit lateral movement.  

Use private connectivity wherever required and apply role-based and workload identity controls.  

Step 6: Detect, Investigate, and Respond to Threats 

Microsoft Defender XDR correlates signals across endpoints, email, identities, and applications. It integrates with Microsoft Sentinel for broader SIEM analytics and automated response. Continuous monitoring is what catches the compromise that slipped past every individual control, because eventually, something will.

Zero Trust Security Best Practices for Microsoft 365 and Azure 

1. Start with identity before expanding to other pillars
2. Enforce MFA and risk-based Conditional Access
3. Apply least privilege to both users and administrators
4. Require compliant devices for access to sensitive resources
5. Segment critical Azure workloads
6. Continuously monitor identity, endpoint, and cloud signals
7. Test Conditional Access policies with a pilot group before org-wide rollout
8. Review and tighten controls on a regular cadence 

How to Measure Your Zero Trust Maturity 

Zero Trust is a journey, not a deployment checkbox. Assess maturity separately across identity, devices, networks, applications/workloads, and data, and track visibility, automation, and governance in each.  

Useful KPIs to track: 

• MFA coverage across the user population 
• Percentage of compliant devices 
• Number of standing privileged accounts 
• Conditional Access policy coverage 
• High-risk sign-in remediation time 
• Mean time to detect and respond 

What are the Common Zero Trust Implementation Challenges?

Zero trust security depends on strong identity and access management (IAM) controls. It evaluates assets or resources based on their utilization and value. Technical controls used in zero trust security include intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), firewalls, data encryption, and anti-malware software.

What Are the Benefits of Zero Trust Security? 

• Secures modern network 
• Better collaboration 
• Efficient responses to threat 
• Improved user experience 
•  Long-term cost savings 
• Greater visibility and compliance 

Conclusion: Make Zero Trust an Ongoing Cybersecurity Strategy

Microsoft 365 and Azure give you a toolset to operationalize the strategy end to end, but the sequence matters. Start with identity and device security, then expand toward data, workloads, network controls, and continuous monitoring. The organizations that treat this as a standing program, not a project with an end date, are the ones that actually close the gap between “we have a Zero Trust initiative” and a measurably mature one. 

Need help implementing Zero Trust across Microsoft 365 and Azure? 

Beyond Key can help assess your current environment, design a Zero Trust roadmap, and implement Microsoft security controls aligned with your business requirements. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The post How to Implement Zero Trust Security with Microsoft 365 and Azure: A Practical Guide appeared first on Beyond Key.

Introduction 

Microsoft 365 gives your teams powerful tools to work from anywhere. But every new user, device, and app also opens a door. Microsoft Secure Score is the number that tells you how many of those doors are still unlocked. 

Identity attacks are not slowing down. According to Microsoft’s 2025 Digital Defense Report, identity-based attacks jumped 32% in just the first half of 2025, and password spray now accounts for 97% of them. 

At Beyond Key, an assessment does more than provide a score. It identifies security gaps across identities, devices, apps, data, and cloud workloads. It also highlights the most important issues to fix first. 

What is Microsoft Secure Score? 

Microsoft Secure Score is a built-in measurement inside the Microsoft Defender portal. It reviews your Microsoft 365 environment. It checks which recommended security controls are enabled. It then gives you a score based on Microsoft’s recommendations. 

Think of it less as a report card and more as a map. It shows you: 

• Where your security gaps sit today 
• Which fixes carry the most risk reduction 
• How your posture compares with similar organizations 
• How your score changes over time as you make improvements 

The score recalculates roughly every 24 hours, based on your current configuration, per Microsoft Entra’s Identity Secure Score guidance. That makes it a living picture, not a one-time snapshot. This is what separates measuring security from improving it. A score by itself changes nothing. Acting on the gaps behind it does. 

How Microsoft Secure Score Works: Understanding the Scoring Methodology 

Each recommended action inside Secure Score carries a point value. That value reflects how much risk the action removes, not just whether a box is checked. Enabling MFA for admin accounts greatly improves security. It has a bigger impact than changing minor app settings. At Beyond Key, we help clients understand which security actions matter most. This helps teams focus on high-impact improvements instead of chasing easy score increases. 

Secure Score groups these actions into categories that map to how attackers actually move: 

• Identity security: authentication, access, and privilege controls 
• Device security: endpoint compliance and protection 
• Data protection: classification, labeling, and loss prevention 
• Threat protection: detection and automated response 
• Compliance: policy and regulatory alignment 

Here is something most organizations get wrong: chasing a higher number is not the goal. Some recommendations will not fit every business. A hospital and a law firm do not share the same risk profile. The real goal is closing the gaps that matter most to your environment, not maxing out every category on the dashboard. 

What is a Good Microsoft Secure Score? 

There is no universal passing grade. A “good” score depends on your industry, your risk tolerance, and what data you handle. In our experience, most organizations start with low or average Secure Scores. Many have important security gaps. With the right remediation plan, they can significantly improve their security posture. 

A high score can still hide a real gap if it comes from low-impact settings. A lower score is not automatically dangerous if the missing actions carry little weight. The number is a starting point for a conversation, not the final verdict. This is also why Gartner’s cybersecurity guidance consistently frames security maturity as a continuous program, not a single benchmark to hit and forget. 

Architecture-Led Microsoft Security Framework for Improving Microsoft Secure Score 

Improving Secure Score takes more than working through a checklist. Organizations need an architecture that connects identity, devices, apps, data, and cloud protection into one working system.  

During Microsoft 365 security assessments, we regularly see MFA enabled for regular staff but missing for privileged accounts, the exact users attackers want most. Microsoft’s own threat research backs up why this matters so much: phishing-resistant multifactor authentication can block over 99% of identity-based attacks, yet many tenants still leave gaps in exactly the accounts that would benefit most. 

Here is how the six core layers fit together, and where we most often find gaps during a Microsoft Secure Score Assessment: 

• Microsoft Entra ID: Identity Protection Covers MFA, Conditional Access, Privileged Identity Management, and identity risk detection. Gaps here show up as weak authentication, unauthorized access, and accounts with more privilege than they need. 
• Microsoft Defender XDR: Threat Protection Covers endpoint protection, email security, identity threat detection, and automated response. Gaps here let malware, phishing, and advanced threats slip through. 
• Microsoft Intune: Device Management Covers device compliance, mobile device management, app protection, and BYOD controls. Gaps here mean unmanaged devices and unpatched endpoints. 
• Microsoft Sentinel: SIEM and Threat Intelligence Covers security analytics, threat hunting, investigation, and automated workflows. Gaps here mean poor visibility and slow response when something does go wrong. 
• Microsoft Purview: Data Protection and Compliance Covers data classification, sensitivity labels, DLP, and compliance management. Gaps here lead to data leakage and regulatory exposure. 
• Microsoft Defender for Cloud: Cloud Security Posture Management Covers cloud recommendations, vulnerability assessment, and hybrid workload protection. Gaps here mean cloud misconfiguration, which remains one of the most common ways breaches happen. 

The business case for getting this right is not abstract. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report found that organizations with a mature Zero Trust approach saved an average of $1.76 million per breach compared with those without one. That single figure tends to get budget conversations moving faster than any dashboard screenshot. 

How to Perform a Microsoft Secure Score Assessment 

1. Review your current score. Inside the Microsoft Defender portal to see where you stand today. 
2. Identify high-risk gaps. Focus on actions tied to identity and privileged access first. 
3. Prioritize recommendations. By impact, not by how easy they are to implement. 
4. Implement security controls. In phases, starting with the highest-risk category. 
5. Monitor continuously. Since your score shifts as your environment, staff, and threats change. 

During one client engagement, we found legacy authentication enabled on a few mailboxes. The team disabled it to close the security gap. This improved the organization’s identity score within a few weeks. It also blocked a common attack method that cybercriminals still use. 

How Beyond Key Helps Improve Microsoft Secure Score 

Beyond Key runs Microsoft Secure Score Consulting engagements built around this same architecture-first approach. Our team delivers: 

• A full Microsoft Secure Score Assessment 
• A Microsoft 365 security posture review 
• Detailed security gap analysis 
• Architecture recommendations across identity, devices, data, and cloud 
• Hands-on Microsoft Security Services implementation 
• Continuous optimization through Microsoft Cloud Consulting Services and ongoing monitoring 

Beyond Key is a Microsoft Solutions Partner with ISO 27001:2022 certification. The team has experience in Microsoft security, cloud, and AI solutions. This includes Microsoft Copilot governance and security consulting. We do not just point at a dashboard. We help you fix what it shows, and we stay involved as your environment and your score evolve.  

If your Secure Score has been sitting untouched, that is worth a closer look. Contact our Microsoft security consulting team for a security assessment. We will help you understand your current security posture. 

Conclusion 

Microsoft Secure Score identifies where your Microsoft 365 environment is exposed. But a higher number alone does not make you secure. Strong security requires the right architecture, governance, and ongoing improvements. A Secure Score alone is not enough. Microsoft security experts help turn Secure Score into an action plan. This helps strengthen your security over time. 

Frequently Asked Questions:

The post Microsoft Secure Score Assessment: How to Identify and Fix Microsoft 365 Security Gaps appeared first on Beyond Key.

Introduction  

Most organizations’ attack surfaces have widened with cloud adoption. Within minutes, all sensitive information can be exposed because of one misconfiguration. Many penetration testing firms, however, are still using methods that are developed for traditional on-premise networks. To close the divide, you must choose a cloud provider who has a proven track record of cloud expertise. This guide tells you exactly what to look for.  

What Is a Cloud Penetration Testing Company?  

A cloud penetration testing firm will attempt to hack into your cloud system using real-world attacks, before malicious hackers attempt to do so, with your permission. Typically, this involves discovering weak identity and access management settings, unsecured storage, misconfigured cloud services, and misaligned security solutions between your organization’s internal security and the security solutions you are provided by the cloud platform.  

This work is very different from traditional network penetration testing, which generally focuses on physical servers, firewalls, and internal office infrastructure. The model on which the cloud operates is quite different. Identity and access management, shared infrastructure, and automated services are big parts of what they do, so they need a different testing approach and skill set.  

A competent provider should have practical experience with the leading cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) as a lot of organizations use more than one.  

Why the Right Choice Matters  

Choosing the wrong provider isn’t just a waste of budget. It can have meaningful security gaps in place and at the same time, it can create a false sense of assurance within the organization.   

A well-qualified partner benefits your organization by:  

• Discovering weaknesses before the hackers do 
• Minimizing the risk and impact of an expensive data breach 
• More efficient support of compliance requirements 
• Building trust with customers, partners and regulators 
• Reducing remediation costs by identifying problems early 
• Increasing overall confidence in your cloud security posture  

Traditional Penetration Testing vs. Cloud Penetration Testing 

7 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Cloud Penetration Testing Company  

1. Cloud-First Knowledge 

Inquire with the provider directly about the amount of hands-on experience they have with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Each platform may offer different services, settings, and default configuration, so may have strengths on one platform and weaknesses on another. Cloud providers operate based on the Shared Responsibility Model: the provider is responsible for the underlying infrastructure; your organization is responsible for the configuration and utilization of the services.  

2. Check Industry Certifications 

One of the simplest ways to assure a minimum level of skill is through certifications. Seek out certifications like CREST, OSCP, OSCE, CISSP, CEH, and cloud-based certifications, like AWS Security Specialty. While these do not necessarily indicate good work, they demonstrate that the provider has been assessed against a known standard and maintains an up-to-date approach to a changing subject area. Certifications are just one of several considerations and should not be the determining factor when selecting a provider. 

3. Take Their Testing Methodology into Account  

Inquire about their methodology and the frameworks they follow like OWASP Testing Guide, NIST guidelines, PTES, or MITRE ATT&CK. These exist for the sake of consistency in testing and thoroughness. Also, it would be helpful to know the percentage of manual versus automated work. While automated tools are helpful for general coverage, an experienced tester is likely to uncover real problems that automated tools will fail to detect. 

4. Consider Experience in the Field 

A provider who has actually worked in your field, such as healthcare, finance, SaaS, manufacturing, or even government, brings one thing automated tools can’t: context. They know what kinds of risks are likely to appear in your particular environment, as well as how the rules affect you and what the limitations are. Often this familiarity comes through in the quality of the findings because the team already knows what to look for and why it is important. 

5. Reporting and Remediation Assistance

A good report isn’t just a list of problems. It should contain an executive summary geared to leaders, unambiguous risk ratings, and the detail that your engineering team can react to. For each vulnerability, there should be evidence of their possible use, rather than just an assertion. Equally significant, the report ought to offer your team the fix step-by-step so remediation is not a guessing game. 

6. Understand Compliance Capabilities 

Be sure that the testing conforms to a standard such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR, not that it is “supposed to be” compliant. If the assessment matches what the auditors would be looking for, it can be very helpful to ease the burden during formal assessment and minimize back-and-forth communication afterwards. 

7. Find Out More About Their Reputation, Case Studies, and Client Reviews 

It’s a provider’s track record that tells you a lot. Search for genuine client feedback, case studies, industry acknowledgements, and indications of ongoing client associations. A provider with a strong confidence in their work is likely to be able to provide references or track record. If you don’t see any signs of commitment on this side or if they give you any vague answers when you ask them to provide evidence, take note. 

Top 9 Cloud Penetration Testing Companies 

9. Redscan 

Redscan is best known as a managed detection and response provider, with penetration testing offered as an add-on, rather than as a core specialty. They have cloud testing capabilities, but the company’s focus and resources are more suited to continuous monitoring and threat detection. This can mean less specialized depth for organizations that specifically prioritize deep, cloud-native penetration testing, compared to firms built around offensive security alone. 

8. TrustedSec

TrustedSec are well known in the offensive security consulting space, providing a full range of services from red teaming, incident response through to security program development. They have well-known consultants in the industry and technically the firm is seen as rigorous. That being said, cloud-specific testing is only a part of a much bigger portfolio, so clients looking for just cloud expertise may find it not the primary focus of the engagement. 

7. Praetorian

Praetorian is primarily working with large enterprises and is known for advanced adversarial simulation and offensive security research. The company has a good technical reputation and has made significant contributions to the security research community . However, their engagement model and pricing tends to be geared towards larger organizations, making them less accessible for small and mid-size businesses. 

6. Coalfire 

Compliance-driven security assessments are a popular choice for Coalfire, especially for companies in regulated industries such as finance and health care. They are great at testing against audit and certification requirements and are a go-to for compliance-first engagements. The extent of manual, cloud specific testing will vary from engagement to engagement based on scope and the assigned assessor.

5. Rhino Security Labs 

Through public research, Rhino Security Labs has built a strong technical reputation around AWS and cloud-specific research and has contributed to the security community. The testers are known for finding truly novel cloud misconfigurations and attack paths. However, some clients have noted that reporting depth and post-engagement remediation support may be inconsistent across projects.

4. Astra Security 

Astra Security has positioned itself as a budget-friendly option for startups and mid-sized companies with a mix of automated scanning and manual testing at a lower price point. That makes it attractive to teams with smaller budgets or security programs that are earlier in their maturity.  The downside is that engagements may rely more on automated tooling than fully manual, enterprise-grade testing approaches.

3. Cobalt.io 

Cobalt.io is a pentest-as-a-service platform that utilizes a distributed network of freelance testers, assigned per engagement. This method gives companies that conduct frequent, smaller-scope tests faster turnarounds and scheduling flexibility. The tradeoff is that continuity can suffer, as each time a different tester may be assigned, making it more difficult to achieve deep, ongoing familiarity with a client’s environment. 

2. Beyond Key

Beyond Key doesn’t have a generic, one-size-fits-all process for cloud security but a deliberate hands-on approach with platform expertise in AWS, Azure and Google Cloud. The team holds industry certifications such as OSCP, CEH, and CISSP, as well as cloud-specific credentials like AWS Security Specialty, giving clients a verified skill baseline behind every engagement. Testing is done using established frameworks such as OWASP, NIST, and MITRE ATT&CK, and is more reliant on manual testing than an automated scan to do the work. The firm has also acquired real-world cross-industry experience in healthcare, finance and SaaS, as well as practical experience with compliance standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI DSS. 

Main features: 

• Framework-driven manual-first testing 
• Cloud Security Team – Specialized and Certified 
• Actionable reports with clear steps for remediation 
• Retesting standard included 
• Robust compliance alignment (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS) 
• Team’s continuous support throughout engagements 

1. Fox Bishop

Bishop Fox is consistently ranked among the world’s top offensive security firms, attracting the best security talent and performing deep, manual, and rigorous engagements. Their research team has a solid public record of vulnerability discoveries and industry recognition. That kind of depth typically comes at a premium price and requires longer timelines to engage, which could be a consideration for smaller organizations or teams that require a quicker turnaround. 

Final Checklist for Choosing the Right Cloud Penetration Testing Company  

Before signing a contract, confirm that the provider offers:  

• Proven cloud platform expertise 
• Certified, experienced security professionals 
• A combination of manual and automated testing 
• Relevant industry experience 
• Strong compliance knowledge 
• Detailed, actionable reporting 
• Remediation support 
• Verifiable, positive client references 
• Transparent, clear pricing 
• Retesting included in the engagement  

Conclusion  

Don’t base your decision on price when choosing a cloud penetration testing company. That is, balancing expertise, methodology, and a real concern for long-term security outcomes. Use the checklist and questions in this guide to objectively evaluate providers and weed out vendors who can’t clearly and confidently answer them.  

Security protecting cloud resources isn’t a project; it’s a duty. The perfect testing partner is the extension of your team, that brings added value beyond the engagement. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The post 10 Best Cloud Penetration Testing Companies to Consider in 2026 appeared first on Beyond Key.

Businesses are operating, scaling, and innovating on the cloud. As more organizations move to the cloud, there is a growing need for robust data security measures. Cloud adoption is the new normal across the globe. It offers productivity and allows businesses to work 24/7.    

Whether you work on a public, private, or hybrid cloud model, adopting traditional security measures is not enough. In this blog, we will look at how cloud pen testing services can help you identify  

Worldwide Security Spending to Increase by 12.2% in 2025 as Global Cyberthreats Rise, Says IDC 

What is cloud penetration testing? 

Cloud pen testing is a simulated cyberattack on cloud environments (PaaS, SaaS, IaaS). It is a security assessment conducted by an in-house team to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations, and to accelerate security remediation paths. Cloud pen testing is designed to manage risks, weaknesses, and threats.  

What’s the objective of cloud pen testing? It’s protecting the cloud infrastructure from ever-evolving threats and improving the cloud security from any cyber-attacks in the future. This approach focuses on IAM policies, multi-cloud architectures, APIs, containers and on shared responsibility models.  

It evaluates Container and Kubernetes vulnerabilities, misconfigured storage buckets, insecure APIs, lateral movement opportunities, data exposure risks and more. In this guide, we’ll walk through what cloud security penetration testing involves, how a practical cloud pentesting methodology works, and why more organizations are treating it as a critical part of cloud security strategy. 

Cloud penetration testing methodology 

A structured cloud pen testing methodology helps you identify risks of data breaches. Every undesired activity is based on scope and cloud environment. Here are the key phases of cloud based penetration testing .   

Scoping and Planning 

Mention why you need this testing, state your objectives, and what the rules of engagement are. This step includes defining compliance requirements, APIs, and cloud sources to ensure testing aligns with security goals.  

Data collection  

This step includes collecting data. From current assets to configurations, from access control to entry points, exploring data can help you build a clear picture of the potential attacker.   

Threat modeling 

Here, you can identify potential attackers by understanding threat scenarios, cloud architecture, sensitive data sets, and related information.  

Assessment of vulnerability  

Misconfigurations exposed services and insecure permissions. You can trace attack paths across accounts, services, and the network to identify the attacker.  

Penetration testing  

Tech experts replicate real-world cyber breach scenarios to evaluate impact and validate risks. This reveals how the attacker can gain access to the organization’s data environment.  

Analyze risk and report it 

Create a detailed risk report. Document your findings and mention the proof of concept, business impact that can help prioritize the errors.  

Retesting and validation  

Validate remediation and identify issues. Confirm the vulnerabilities and support compliance requirements. 

80% of cloud breaches are caused by basic mistakes. Source: ITPro 

What are the types of cloud pen testing?   

Ethical hackers, also known as white-hat hackers work with organizations to identify vulnerabilities in their IT environment. Let’s have a look at the types of pen testing methods. 

1. White-box testing:  
2. Gray box testing  
3. Black-box testing 

White-box pen testing  

It allows testers to access the IaC templates and credentials. They have access to code and configurations. This audit type helps you find misconfigurations in CI/CD pipelines, Terraform, IAM and CloudFormation.  

Gray-box pen testing  

Gray-box testing provides testers with partial access to documents and/or user credentials. It simulates an attacker and helps reveal vulnerabilities related to privilege escalation, access controls, and lateral movement.  

Black-box testing 

Testers have no prior information about the data environment. They replicate the process an external hacker uses, including public API, DNS enumeration, OSINT, etc. This method helps you understand how reachable your public-facing assets are by testing perimeter defenses and entry points.  

Security spending is expected to see growth throughout the 2023–2028 forecast period, reaching $377 billion in 2028. Source: IDC 

What are the 8 Cloud Security Threats You Should Be Aware Of? 

1. Misconfiguration: not properly configured permissions, storage, security settings, and cloud resources. 
2. Unauthorized Access: weak passwords and credentials, identity controls, and more can open doors for cyber-criminals to barge in.  
3. Insecure Interfaces and APIs:    
4. Data Loss: Accidental deletion of data, breaches due to improper/inaccurate backups, and more.  
5. Malware: Malware can pass through the cloud workload through applications and data. 
6. Shared Technology Vulnerabilities: Organizations rely on shared infrastructure or multi-tenant environments, which can bring in data-related risks.  
7. Insider Threats: Whether contractor, partners, or employees, anyone with privileged access to sensitive business information can intentionally or unintentionally expose it.  
8. Lack of visibility: Detecting threats, misconfigurations, or suspicious activity can be difficult if there’s limited data monitoring  

Beyond Key assisted a leading US-based IT support provider with black-box penetration testing services.  

Challenge: They were going through frequent failed login attempts from attackers. Sensitive files were accessed by public. Admin panel lacked brute-force protection. They had unclear resilience against OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.  

Solution: Beyond Key is backed by professionals with certifications such as Certified Ethical Hacker Master, Azure Network Engineer Associate, eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester Version 2 and many such courses. They conducted a thorough black-box penetration test to uncover hidden risks and vulnerabilities.  

Download the case study 

What are the benefits of cloud pen testing?  

Whether you use public cloud, private cloud, or a hybrid cloud model, penetration testing helps organizations identify vulnerabilities, validate controls, and measure data exposure.   

1. Secure your confidential business data  

By following a structured cloud pen testing approach, you can help detect misconfigurations and exposed assets before an attacker intrudes.  

2. Reduce business expenses 

Investing in cloud pen testing services can help your organization save time and effort. Human testers can focus on higher-level activities. 

3. Meet security compliance requirements 

Regular penetration testing can support compliance efforts for standards and regulations such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and more. 

Real-world scenario:  

Compromised IAM Roles & Privilege Escalation

Scenario:
A cloud-based organization relied on IAM roles for services in GCP.

Findings:

• EC2 instance has overly permissive IAM role (*:*) 
• Attacker gains shell access via vulnerable web app 
• Uses metadata service to extract IAM credentials 

Penetration Testing Focus:

• Accessing instance metadata (169.254.169.254) 
• Enumerating IAM permissions 
• Privilege escalation techniques 

Impact:

• Full account takeover 
• Ability to spin up resources, access databases, and exfiltrate data 

Learning Outcome:
Highlights risks of poor identity and access management.

What are the top cloud pen testing providers? 

Let’s have a quick look at the top 5 cloud penetration service providers: 

1. Rhino Security Labs: Offers custom tools such as Pacu and is known for AWS pen testing.  
2. Beyond Key: Global consultancy with specialized expertise in multi-cloud security platforms.  
3. Bishop Fox: Leaders in detailed cloud assessments. Cosmos platform helps them perform continuous testing.  
4. NetSPI: Offers seamless API/container testing and PTaaS on Azure, AWS, and GCP platforms. 
5. Cobalt: Known for offering on-demand PTaaS for cloud infrastructures.    

What is the difference between traditional testing and cloud pen testing?  

While both approaches aim to identify and exploit security weaknesses before attackers do, cloud pen testing addresses risks unique to cloud environments that traditional testing may not fully cover. 

Final Thoughts  

Cloud pen testing helps organizations uncover vulnerabilities, strengthen data security, and support compliance. Cloud threats are evolving every day. Therefore, it has become critical for organizations to future-proof their critical data and improve their cloud security posture.  

If you want to learn more about cloud security and penetration services, please reach out to us here. Beyond Key is a leading cloud consulting service provider with multiple Fortune 500 companies as their clients.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

1. What is cloud pen testing?

Cloud pen testing is a simulated cyberattack. The purpose of this simulation is to identify security gaps, vulnerabilities, and misconfigurations in cloud environments.  

2. Why is cloud pen testing important?

It helps businesses reveal security weaknesses before invaders do. It focuses on cloud security controls while minimizing supporting compliance requirements. 

4. How is cloud pen testing different from traditional penetration testing?

Traditional penetration testing focuses on locally hosted infrastructure. 

Cloud pen testing focuses on cloud-specific risks such as exposed storage, IAM misconfigurations, insecure APIs, and more.  

The post Cloud Penetration Testing: A Practical Security Testing Guide appeared first on Beyond Key.

In this digitally driven world, mobile applications have become a necessity of modern life. From banking apps to e-commerce, fitness checks, and communication tools, everything is done through a mobile app. With increasing reliance on mobile apps, mobile app security is no longer an option. It is the priority.  

The global average cost of a data breach, in USD, is a 9% decrease over last year—driven by faster identification and containment. This clearly states that as AI is helping the business world with faster output, it also helps cyber attackers use AI for data breaches.  

In this blog, we will discuss the top 10 mobile app security companies to look for in 2026. We have analyzed these names based on compliance standards, innovation, expertise, and real-world performance. But before we dive into the names of companies, let’s read about the key criteria for selecting reliable mobile app security companies. 

• Make sure to confirm whether the service provider is backed by testing capabilities such as SAST, DAST, and manual penetration testing.  
• Also, keep a check on the compliance certifications they have. Focus on ISO 27001, OWASP, and SOC2 certifications.  
• Make sure to consider whether they use manual pentesting, automated vulnerability scanning, or a combination. 
• Do they support CI/CD and DevSecOps compatibility and AI-driven threat detection and automation, because this is the new trend?  

Source: https://www.ibm.com/

What Are the Benefits of Choosing Mobile App Security Testing Services? 

1. Less risk of cyber attacks: Allows businesses to protect sensitive user data, from banking credentials to personal details and health records.
   Security testing providers ensure secure authentication, safe data storage, and proper encryption. This eliminates the risk of data breaches.  
2. Meet compliance standards: These providers ensure that your app meets security standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and more.  
3. Enhanced brand credibility: Professionally secured apps help organizations enhance customer confidence, brand credibility, and demonstrate commitment.  
4. Beware of trending threats: Mobile app security testing services help organizations stay away from constantly evolving cyber threats such as API attacks, reverse engineering, malware injections, and more.  
5. Track business challenges: It helps businesses unveil irrelevant code practices, and lets you keep track of what is not performing in the business.  

Types of Mobile App Security Threats 

• Malware and Ransomware Attacks 
• Data Breaches and Unauthorized Access 
• Phishing and Social Engineering Attacks 
• SQL Injection and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attacks 
• Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks

What are the Top 10 Mobile Application Security Companies in 2026? 

1. Beyond Key 

Beyond Key is a leading mobile app security service provider with SOC 2 Type II compliance and ISO certification to ensure a fully secure data ecosystem. With a team of certified ethical hackers and Microsoft security professionals, they provide comprehensive services: 

• Mobile App Security & Pen Testing (MAST) 
• OWASP Mobile Top 10 & MASVS Compliance 
• Secure SDLC Integration 
• AI + Human Testing 
• Actionable Remediation Guidance 
• Secure Mobile App Development 
• API & Backend Security Assessments 
• Threat Modeling for Mobile Applications 
• Compliance Support (Data Privacy & Industry Standards) 

Best for: Organizations looking for a mobile app security company that goes beyond checkbox compliance.  

2. Techcronus Business Solutions

Techcronus Business Solutions is a trusted mobile app development and security company that helps startups, SMEs, and enterprises build secure, scalable, and high-performance mobile applications. By following secure development practices and integrating security throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC), Techcronus ensures mobile apps are protected against evolving cyber threats while delivering exceptional user experiences.

Services:

• Secure Mobile App Development (Android, iOS & Cross-Platform)
• Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST)
• OWASP Mobile Top 10 & MASVS Compliance
• Secure Code Review & Vulnerability Assessment
• API Security Testing & Backend Security
• DevSecOps & Secure SDLC Implementation

Best for: Businesses looking for a reliable mobile app development and security partner that delivers secure, compliant, and scalable applications with a security-first approach.

3. HCL AppScan 

They have a powerful app security testing tool. They ensure vulnerability detection throughout the app cycle and provide actionable insights. They prefer only automated testing methods, AI-powered threat detection, and work on these compliance methods: GDPR, PCI-DSS.  

Best for: Businesses focused on automation and compliance   

4. Checkmarx 

Checkmarx is designed to provide security for your information. It saves time and keeps apps secure to deliver unparalleled mobile experiences that are highly secured. It features SAST and API security testing and is known for developer-first security approach.  

Best for: DevSecOps pipelines and agile development teams  

5. NowSecure 

They specialize in DevSecOps automation and mobile app security testing. NowSecure offers real-device testing environment, advanced risk scoring, and continuous monitoring services while finding both known and unknown vulnerabilities. Compliance they adhere to: GDPR, NIST, FISMA and NIAP.  

Best for: Enterprise seeking mobile threat intelligence in real-time  

6. Appknox  

It is a renowned application security platform for iOS and android apps. They focus on cloud-based testing platform and provide enterprise-grade reporting and vulnerability testing.  

Best for: Organizations seeking scalable and quick solutions  

7. Cobalt  

Known as the pioneer of PTaaS model, Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), Cobalt connects organization to the vetted, skilled cybersecurity experts. From scoping to scheduling, reporting to remediation, they align nicely with the modern development workflows.  

Best for: Organizations needing on-demand penetration testing support  

8. Synack  

Synack is a leading service provider that focuses on automated capabilities to identify data threats. They offer robust defense mechanisms against cyber-threats. Synack is recognized by top analysts.   

Best for: Organizations prioritizing an agile and scalable approach to mobile security 

9. NetSPI 

NetSPI is a renowned mobile app security service provider, offering PTaaS (Penetration Testing as a Service) as one of its key offerings. With a team of cybersecurity professionals, they offer quick, reliable and scalable ways to find misconfigurations for enhanced data security.  

Best for: Companies that want speedy and reliable penetration security services 

10. VeraCode  

VeraCode offers a PTaaS for mobile applications. They are known for offering automated static and dynamic analysis with expert-led testing services to uncover business logic flaws and other vulnerabilities.  

Best for: Organizations seeking one-stop-shop application testing services, from automated to human-led approach 

Top Mobile App Security Companies in 2026 – Table of Comparison  

What Are the Mobile App Security Trends for 2026? 

The mobile app security services need AI-powered surveillance and embedded intelligent security features. Let us read in detail: 

1. AI-driven defense and attack  

AI and machine learning algorithms will analyze a large volume of data and identify anomalous behavior by external users in real time. Organizations can identify fraudulent transactions in real-time.  

2. RASP and runtime protection 

Runtime Application Self-Protection (RASP): RASP will become a baseline security requirement, embedding security directly within the application to detect tampering, hooking frameworks, or rooted environments at runtime. 

3. AI-powered fraud & “cloud phone” attacks 

Fraudsters use virtual mobile devices to simulate real users. These mobile devices are reshaping the way attackers attempt digital fraud.  

Conclusion 

Mobile applications have become a necessity for survival in the digitally driven world. Therefore, safeguarding mobile app data is critical. With the growing prevalence of AI-driven and automated attacks, organizations should invest in leading security services to gain a long-term competitive advantage.   

FAQs:  

1. What does a mobile app security company do?
A mobile app security company finds out and fixes application vulnerabilities. They perform many processes such as testing, code analysis, and security audits to secure user data and avoid cyberattacks. 

2. How do I choose the best mobile app security company?
You should look for these factors while selecting mobile app security company:  

• Proven experience  
• Strong client reviews  
• Industry certifications  
• Comprehensive testing methods  
• Clear reporting with actionable recommendations 

3. How much does mobile app security testing cost?
Costs vary based on app complexity, features, and testing depth, typically ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. 

4. Why is mobile app security important for businesses?
It protects sensitive user data, prevents financial loss, maintains brand trust, and ensures compliance with data protection regulations. 

5. What are the common security risks in mobile apps?
Common risks include insecure data storage, weak authentication, poor encryption, API vulnerabilities, and exposure to malware or reverse engineering. 

6. What should I look for in a mobile app security service?
Choose a service that offers comprehensive testing (like penetration testing), real-time threat detection, compliance support, detailed reports, and ongoing security monitoring. 

The post Top 10 Best Mobile App Security Companies in 2026 appeared first on Beyond Key.

You’ve got a security budget to spend and a growing list of vulnerabilities to manage. The question isn’t whether to test—it’s how. Should you invest in automated tools that scan fast and cheap, or bring in human experts who think like real attackers? The answer, as with most things in security, is more nuanced than picking one over the other.

In this guide, we’ll break down what each approach actually delivers, where they fall short, and why the smartest security teams in 2026 are blending both—with a growing assist from AI.

Manual vs Automated Pen Testing: Key Differences at a Glance 

Before diving into which approach wins, let’s get clear on what we’re comparing.

• Manual penetration testing is exactly what it sounds like: skilled security professionals simulate real-world attacks on your systems. They think creatively, probe for logic flaws, chain vulnerabilities together, and validate whether a finding actually matters—not just whether a scanner says it does.
• Automated penetration testing uses software tools to scan your environment for known vulnerabilities. It’s fast, repeatable, and scalable. Think of it as casting a wide net to catch the obvious issues.
• AI-powered pentesting is the newer player. Industry research from Aikido Security shows that 97% of organizations are considering adopting AI in penetration testing, with 9 out of 10 believing AI will eventually take over the field.

It combines the speed of automation with something closer to human reasoning—learning your environment, simulating attacker behavior, and connecting dots across your code, cloud, and infrastructure.

Manual Penetration Testing: The Human Advantage 

Industry research from Aikido Security shows that 97% of organizations are considering adopting AI in penetration testing, with 9 out of 10 believing AI will eventually take over the field.

What It Does Well

Finds what scanners miss. Business logic flaws—like manipulating a shopping cart to get free items—are invisible to automated tools. Only a human who understands how your application should work can spot how it might be abused.

• Chains vulnerabilities. A low-risk finding here, a misconfiguration there—alone they’re nothing. Together, they can be a breach. This approach follows a structured penetration testing methodology, from reconnaissance to remediation.
• Validates what’s real. Automated Pentesting tools generate false positives. Manual pentesting verify each finding, so your team spends time fixing actual problems, not chasing ghosts.
• Provides context you can act on. A report that says “SQL injection detected” is less useful than one that shows you exactly how an attacker could extract customer data and what that would cost your business.

Where It Falls Short 

• It’s expensive. You’re paying for top-tier expertise, often for weeks at a time. For many organizations, that budget only stretches to one or two tests per year.
• It’s slow. A thorough manual test takes time—sometimes weeks—to complete. In that window, your environment keeps changing, and new vulnerabilities appear.
• It’s a snapshot. The test shows your security posture at a specific moment. What about the code you deployed the day after testing ended?
• Results may vary. The depth of your assessment depends heavily on who shows up.

Automated Pen Testing: Speed at Scale

What It Does Well 

• Fast and frequent. Automated scans can run in hours, not weeks. You can integrate them into your CI/CD pipeline, testing every build without slowing down development.
• Cost-effective. Once you’ve invested in the tools, running scans costs very little compared to hiring human testers.
• Consistent. The same scan run twice will produce the same results. No variability based on who’s at the keyboard.
• Scalable. Hundreds of endpoints? Thousands of APIs? Automated tools can handle volume that would overwhelm a human team.

Where It Falls Short 

• Misses the hard stuff. Business logic flaws, chained exploits, privilege escalation paths—automated tools weren’t designed to find these.
• False positives. Lots of them. Your security team will spend hours triaging noise before finding the signal.
• No context. A tool can tell you that a vulnerability exists. It can’t tell you whether it’s actually exploitable in your specific environment or what the business impact would be.
• Surface-level. Automated tools test what they’re programmed to test. They don’t think creatively or follow unexpected paths.

Why a Hybrid Approach is the Smartest Move in 2026

Here’s what most security leaders have figured out: manual vs automated testing aren’t enemies. They’re teammates.

Think of it like this: you wouldn’t rely solely on a GPS to drive across the country without also reading road signs. And you wouldn’t ignore GPS completely and just hope you’re going the right way.
Start with automation. Run automated scans continuously. Let them catch the obvious stuff—the low-hanging fruit, the known vulnerabilities, the misconfigurations. Integrate them into your development workflow so every new build gets checked before it hits production.

Then bring in the humans. For critical applications, major releases, and annual compliance requirements, bring in skilled testers to find what automation missed. Humans are great at spotting business logic flaws—like that one weird workflow that lets users bypass payment screens.
Use automation to make your manual testers better. Good testers don’t avoid tools—they use them strategically. They let scanners do the boring work of mapping out your environment, then they focus their energy on digging into what actually matters.
Close the loop. This creates a continuous testing cycle that can be supported through continuous pentesting. Make sure the vulnerability is actually gone and doesn’t come back in the next deployment. This creates a continuous improvement cycle that actually works.

The hybrid model gives you the best of both: the speed and scale of automation, plus the depth and creativity of human expertise.

What About AI-Powered Pen Testing?

AI is changing how we think about testing. Modern AI-powered platforms can do things that seemed impossible a few years ago:

• Simulate attacker behavior across your apps, APIs, and cloud environments
• Connect vulnerabilities into realistic attack paths (not just isolated findings)
• Filter out false positives with something approaching human reasoning
• Scale across complex, dynamic infrastructure that would overwhelm a human team
• Run continuously, adapting as your environment changes

For organizations looking to combine automated scanning with recurring human validation, penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) offers a more continuous testing model.

But here’s the catch: even with AI, the hybrid principle still holds.
AI demonstrates exceptional capabilities when it operates at large scales while tracking multiple patterns. The system has the ability to analyze extensive data sets to detect unusual patterns which remain unnoticed by human observers. Human testers provide organizations with three essential skills which machines cannot replicate: creative thinking, business understanding and advanced logical reasoning abilities.

The winning formula in 2026 often looks like this: AI-powered continuous testing which operates in the background detects both obvious problems and hidden issues while human experts validate important discoveries. AI does the heavy lifting; humans provide the judgment.

So Which Approach Does Your Business Need?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to manual vs automated penetration testing.

• If you have a limited budget and a large attack surface: Start with automated testing. Get baseline coverage across everything. Integrate it into your pipeline. Identify your biggest risks. Then consider targeted manual testing for your most critical assets—the ones that, if compromised, would hurt.
• If you’re in a regulated industry or handle sensitive data then compliance requirements like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and SOC 2 demand both. Use continuous automation to stay secure between assessments, so you’re not running blind for 11 months.
• If you want the most mature cybersecurity program, then build a hybrid approach to run automated tests continuously. Use AI-powered platforms for scale and consistency and bring in manual experts for deep dives on critical systems, major releases, and complex applications. This is what most security-mature organizations are doing.

The post Manual Vs Automated Penetration Testing: Which Does Your Business Really Need? appeared first on Beyond Key.

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: Microsoft 365 security breaches almost never happen because Microsoft’s data centers were compromised. They happen because of configuration gaps, missed settings, and human oversight.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) consistently points to compromised credentials and misconfigured cloud services as the primary causes of business email compromise and ransomware incidents. And most of the controls that prevent these attacks? They’re already included in your subscription. They’re just not turned on.
Whether you’re running Business Basic, Business Premium, or Enterprise plans, the difference between “we have Microsoft 365” and “we have secure Microsoft 365” comes down to how well you configure identity protection, threat defenses, and data controls.

Microsoft 365 Security: The Four Pillars 

Microsoft 365 Security: A Phased Implementation Flow 

Essential Hardening Steps for Every Microsoft 365 Tenant

Theory is useful, but what matters is what you do next. Here are the practical steps that make a real difference.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication for Everyone 

If you do nothing else, do this. MFA blocks the vast majority of account takeover attacks. 

• For Business Basic/Standard—Enable Security Defaults in Azure AD. It’s free and enforces MFA using the Authenticator app. 
• For Business Premium/Enterprise—Use Conditional Access policies instead. This gives you more control over when MFA is required. 

Pro tip: Enforce Authenticator app-based MFA, not SMS. SMS is vulnerable to SIM swapping; the Authenticator app with number matching is far more phishing resistant.

Protect Your Admin Accounts

Global admins have the keys to your entire kingdom. Treat them accordingly. 

• Use dedicated admin accounts separate from daily work accounts. 
• Require MFA for all admin roles, always. 
• Enable Privileged Identity Management if available—this ensures admin rights are temporary, not permanent. 
• Minimize the number of Global Admins. Most admin tasks don’t need full Global Admin rights. 

Block Legacy Authentication

This sounds technical, but it’s straightforward. Legacy authentication protocols (like POP3, IMAP, and Basic Auth) don’t support MFA. That means attackers can bypass your strongest control simply by using an old protocol.
Use Conditional Access policies to block legacy authentication entirely. Before you do, check that your email clients support modern authentication—most modern versions do.

Configure Microsoft Defender for Office 365

• Exchange Online- Basic filtering is better than nothing, but Defender takes it to another level. 
• Safe Attachments – Sandboxes email attachments before delivery to catch zero-day malware. 
• Safe Links – Rewrites URLs in emails and Teams, checking them at click time against threat intelligence. 
• Anti-phishing policies – Enable impersonation protection to detect emails spoofing your domain or executives. 
• DKIM and DMARC – Configure these DNS records to prevent domain spoofing and get reports on unauthorized sending. 

Set Up Data Loss Prevention

DLP policies scan emails and documents for sensitive patterns—credit cards, national insurance numbers, health data—and can block them from being shared inappropriately. 

Start DLP in audit-only mode first- This lets you see what sensitive content is moving without accidentally blocking legitimate business. Once you understand the patterns, enable enforcement for the highest-risk scenarios.

Review External Sharing Settings

By default, Microsoft 365 lets users share files with anyone using any email address. This is convenient, but it’s also a common source of unintentional data exposure.
In the SharePoint Admin Centre, consider: 

• Restricting sharing to authenticated external users only 
• Enabling link expiry for anonymous sharing links 
• Limiting sharing to specific approved external domains where appropriate 

Enable Unified Audit Logging

The Unified Audit Log captures user and admin activity across Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, and Azure AD. This is essential for investigating incidents and meeting compliance requirements. Check that audit logging is enabled (it usually is by default) and understand your retention period—90 days on Business plans, longer with E5 or Advanced Audit.

Use Secure Score as Your Guide

Microsoft Secure Score gives you a scored view of your security posture with prioritized recommendations. It’s the easiest way to identify what to tackle next.
Don’t aim for 100%—some recommendations may not fit your environment. But use it to track progress and close the most impactful gaps.

The Shared Responsibility Model: What Microsoft Handles vs. What You Own

Here’s a distinction that surprises many organizations. Microsoft is responsible for the security of clouds, the physical data centers, the underlying infrastructure and the platform itself. You are responsible for security in the cloud—your data, your configurations, your user access, and your compliance obligations.

That 99.9% uptime guarantee? It covers application availability, not data loss from human error, malicious insiders, or ransomware. Microsoft can’t prevent an admin from accidentally deleting a SharePoint site, and they won’t restore it for you unless you have backup.
This is why relying solely on Microsoft’s built-in protections leaves gaps. A comprehensive Microsoft Office 365 Security strategy includes third-party backup, careful configuration, and ongoing monitoring.

Common Mistakes We Keep Seeing

Even well-intentioned organizations make these errors. Learn from them: 

• MFA not enforced – The single biggest gap. Attackers love this. 
• Legacy authentication left enabled – Bypasses all your modern controls. 
• Admin accounts used for daily work – Increases exposure of privileged credentials. 
• No DLP policies – Sensitive data flows out unnoticed. 
• External sharing unrestricted – Data leaks waiting to happen. 
• Audit logging not checked – No visibility when incidents occur. 
• Configuration drift – Settings change over time and security posture degrades. 

Is Your Microsoft 365 Tenant Properly Secured?

Most organizations have significant gaps they don’t know about. A proper office 365 security management typically uncovers multiple quick wins that dramatically reduce risk.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are we sure MFA is enabled for every user, including admins? 
• Do we know what legacy authentication is still running? 
• Could we detect a compromised account today? 
• Are we accidentally oversharing sensitive data externally? 
• If a site was deleted, could we restore it? 

The post Microsoft 365 Security: How to Protect Identities, Data & Collaboration appeared first on Beyond Key.

According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report, the global average cost of a data breach, in USD, decreased by 9% over last year, driven by faster identification and containment. 

Source: IBM 

Cyber threats have become part of our lives. From healthcare organizations to financial firms, all are at risk of cyber breaches. Malicious attacks can cause significant disruptions, leading to lasting negative impacts and reputational damage. Here comes the role of Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing tools and services. Vulnerability Assessment helps users find out the gaps and weaknesses in their system using automated scanning. Penetration testing, with the help of ethical hackers, exploit those gaps and ensures that everything is under control.  

Choosing the right VAPT company depends on a lot of factors: budget, company size, compliance requirements and more. In this blog, we will read about the ten Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing companies in 2026, evaluated across methodology, certifications, client outcomes, and specialist expertise. 

What is VAPT? 

VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) is the process of identifying, analyzing, and fixing data security gaps before attackers target them. This is a two-step process that helps secure the organization’s IT infrastructure and enables it to meet regulatory compliance requirements (GDPR, PCI DSS, and more). 

What are the top 10 VAPT companies? 

1.Beyond Key

Overview: With a team of certified cybersecurity professionals, they provide end-to-end VAPT consulting and security services and enterprise-grade technology solutions, targeting customers across the globe. With OWASP top 10 aligned testing and CEH-certified pen testers, Beyond Key identifies critical vulnerabilities to strengthen the organization’s security framework.
Headquarters: Chicago, USA (with global delivery centers)
Key Services: Penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, cloud security and security audits
Industries Served: Manufacturing, finance, retail, healthcare, banking, education, IT, and more

2. Trustwave

Overview: It is an international cybersecurity service providing company that manages exclusive detection and penetration services and security services. 
Headquarters: Chicago, USA
Services offered: Managed security services, threat intelligence, network penetration testing, vulnerability management and more. 
Industries Served: Retail, finance, government, healthcare 

3. GuidePoint Security  

Overview: Being a renowned security consulting firm, GuidePoint Security offers security consulting and VAPT services to help businesses boost cyber security methodologies.
Headquarters: Herndon, Virginia, USA
Key Services: Cloud security, incident response, penetration testing, risk assessments
Industries Served: Government, financial services, healthcare, enterprise organizations 

4. Software Secured

Overview: Software Secured is a Canada-based company that emphasizes on application security. With the intent to help businesses find out vulnerabilities, they focus on offering end-to-end penetration testing services.
Headquarters: Ottawa, Canada
Key Services: Web application penetration testing, secure code review, compliance testing, developer security training
Industries Served: IT, SaaS, finance, healthcare, and fintech

5. TrustedSec 

Overview: They are renowned for offering red team services and penetration testing and helps enterprises simulate practical cyberattacks for better understanding.
Headquarters: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Key Services: Red teaming, network penetration testing, social engineering testing, threat hunting
Industries Served: Financial services, technology, healthcare, critical infrastructure 

6. NetSPI 

Overview: NetSPI focuses on proactive security solutions. Their primary focus is penetration testing and vulnerability management.
Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Key Services: Penetration testing, attack surface management, cloud security testing, breach and attack simulation
Industries Served: Banking, fintech, SaaS, healthcare 

7. Indusface  

Overview: Indusface covers application security solutions for organizations. This includes VAPT, web application firewall (WAF), and threat intelligence.
Headquarters: Bengaluru, India
Key Services: Web application scanning, penetration testing, managed WAF, API security
Industries Served: E-commerce, BFSI, SaaS, digital platforms 

8. FRSecure 

Overview: Based in USA, they provide end-to-end security assessments and VAPT services. These services focus on improving organizational cybersecurity maturity.
Headquarters: Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA
Key Services: Vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, compliance consulting, risk assessments
Industries Served: Healthcare, government, finance, education 

9. Packetlabs 

Overview: Packetlabs is a renowned penetration testing service provider that helps organizations find out and remediate security flaws.
Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
Key Services: Network penetration testing, web application testing, cloud security assessments, red teaming
Industries Served: Finance, SaaS, telecom, enterprise organizations 

10. Cobalt 

Overview: Cobalt offers a Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) platform that helps organizations connect with security researchers.
Headquarters: San Francisco, USA
Key Services: On-demand penetration testing, vulnerability management, API testing, pentest automation
Industries Served: Technology, fintech, SaaS, e-commerce 

Comparison of the Top VAPT Companies 

How to choose the right VAPT company? 

With so many Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing companies in the market, choosing the right one becomes quite challenging. Evaluation criteria depend on many factors: 

Proven Expertise and Industry Experience: The VAPT company should be backed by a team of certified testers with industry-diversified experience. They should simulate the real-life data breach scenario to achieve effective outcomes.    

Comprehensive VAPT Solutions: Make sure that the VAPT solution provider can detect open ports, SQL injections, CSRF, and authentication vulnerabilities. They should cover all domains: cloud VAPT, Network VAPT and social engineering tests.  

Use of Advanced Tools and Human Expertise: Many companies follow a hybrid approach. This means the process involves both manual effort and automation. Make sure the VAPT service provider uses standardized frameworks such as OWASP ZAP, PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard), and NIST SP 800-115, and others.  

Clear Reporting and Actionable Recommendations: The VAPT report should be easy to understand and integrate with compliance standards. It should provide develop-friendly guidance on business risks and guidance on fixing them.      

Strong Reputation and Certifications: Teams should be certified with OSCP, CEH, CREST or FedRAMP 3PAO. This boosts professional accountability.  

Strong Post-Testing Support: Once fixes are done, the VAPT provider should focus on supporting the fixes to help the users gain insights into whether the issue has been resolved fully or not.  

Emerging Trends in Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing 

As cyber threats continue to rise, let us look at the key trends that are shaping VAPT in 2026. Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing companies are adopting new technologies to shape vulnerability management and testing. Service providers are adopting these services for continuous and on-demand testing.  

• Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) 
• AI and Automation in Security Testing 
• Cloud and API Security Testing 
• Red Teaming and Advanced Attack Simulations 
• Focus on Compliance and Regulatory Requirements 

Select the right VAPT partner in 2026 

Take your time to evaluate service providers, understand their methodologies, expertise, and delivery models. Make sure to understand which of these companies align with the specific data threat or landscape you might face in the future.  

In this data-driven world, where cyberattacks have become increasingly popular, choosing the right Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing company should be one of your biggest priorities. With certified experts and recognized methodologies, their team members endeavor to strengthen your organization’s data security and help them operate with confidence. 

Frequently Asked Questions  

1. What is a VAPT company? 

A VAPT company offers security tools, network testing, and ethical hacking techniques to identify potential vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing company identifies and analyzes a company’s IT infrastructure.  

2. What services do VAPT companies provide? 

VAPT company provides end-to-end cybersecurity services including: 

• Penetration testing 
• Web and mobile application security testing 
• API and cloud security assessments 
• Vulnerability assessments 
• Detailed security reports 

3. How much does VAPT cost? 

VAPT cost depends on the complexity, scope, and number of machines analyzed. Smaller organizations might pay less, while larger organizations with multiple services might pay more. 

The post Top 10 Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) Companies in 2026 appeared first on Beyond Key.