VAPT Services: Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing for the UK and Pakistan
VAPT combines two kinds of testing. A vulnerability assessment scans every in-scope system to find known weaknesses and misconfigurations. A penetration test then has skilled testers prove which of those weaknesses an attacker could really use to reach your data, payments or operations. You get both breadth and proof in one engagement and one report.
VAPT is the term regulators use in Pakistan, the Gulf and South Asia. The State Bank of Pakistan expects banks and DFIs to run it every year, and PTA CTDISR-2025 expects telecom licensees to have independent security assessments. Mutex Systems delivers VAPT from Karachi and London, with reports mapped to SBP, CTDISR, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 controls.
Or call our London office on 020 3307 529901Why it matters now
The risk behind this service
Based on incidents and figures in our UK & Europe threat report.
- Edge devices such as VPNs and remote-access gateways keep being exploited within days of disclosure. External VAPT finds them before attackers do.
- Regulators now ask for evidence of testing. SBP annual VAPT, PTA CTDISR, PCI DSS requirement 11 and ISO 27001 control 8.8 all expect it.
- Scan-only reports bury the few critical findings under hundreds of low-risk ones. Manual validation shows the board what really matters.
Who this is for
- Banks, microfinance banks and DFIs regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan
- Telecom, ISP and cloud licensees preparing for PTA CTDISR inspection
- Fintech, payment and e-commerce firms in scope for PCI DSS
- SaaS companies answering customer security questionnaires
- Organisations preparing for ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials Plus audits
- Any business after a major release, migration or acquisition
02Services
What we deliver
External Network VAPT
Internet-facing IP ranges, firewalls, VPNs, mail and remote access tested for exposed services, weak encryption and known exploitable flaws.
Internal Network & Active Directory VAPT
From an assumed-breach position: Active Directory attack paths, lateral movement, weak credentials and unpatched internal systems.
Web Application VAPT
Authentication, sessions, access control, injection and business-logic abuse, tested against the OWASP Top 10 and ASVS.
Learn moreMobile & API VAPT
Android and iOS apps and the REST or GraphQL APIs behind them, tested against OWASP MASVS and the API Security Top 10.
Learn moreCloud VAPT
AWS, Azure and GCP: identity misconfiguration, exposed storage, public services and privilege-escalation paths.
Learn moreWireless & Branch VAPT
Wi-Fi segmentation, guest networks, rogue access points and branch connectivity, common in banking and retail networks.
Configuration & Hardening Review
Servers, databases and network devices checked against CIS Benchmarks, with exact hardening steps.
Learn moreRegulatory VAPT Reports
Reports structured for SBP, PTA, SECP and PCI DSS assessors, including scope statements, methodology and attestation.
Continuous VAPT (Retest Cycles)
Quarterly scanning with annual manual testing and retests after every fix, all tracked to closure in grComply.
Learn more03Business impact
What VAPT changes for the business
How a scoped VAPT programme compares with scan-only testing or no testing at all.
| Factor | Scan-only or no testing | ● With Mutex VAPT |
|---|---|---|
| Risk | Exploitable flaws stay hidden among hundreds of untriaged scanner alerts. | Every critical finding is proven, rated by CVSS and given an owner and a fix. |
| Cost | Teams spend time patching low-risk items while the costly ones stay open. | Remediation effort goes to the few issues that would actually cause a breach. |
| Regulatory standing | Inspectors find no evidence of independent testing; observations follow. | Reports and retest letters ready for SBP, PTA, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 auditors. |
| Customer trust | Security questionnaires stall sales while evidence is gathered. | An attestation letter and summary report answer the testing question at once. |
| Speed to fix | Findings sit in a PDF with no tracking. | Findings flow into grComply with due dates and free retests. |
| Business continuity | Untested changes go live and surprise operations. | Testing in agreed windows, with no denial-of-service and an emergency contact throughout. |
04How it works
How an engagement runs
- 1
Scoping
Agree assets, test windows, credentials, exclusions and the regulator or audit the report must satisfy.
- 2
Vulnerability assessment
Authenticated and unauthenticated scanning across the full scope, then false-positive removal.
- 3
Penetration testing
Manual exploitation of high-risk findings to prove impact, stopping at agreed limits.
- 4
Reporting & debrief
Executive summary, CVSS-scored findings, evidence and step-by-step remediation, walked through with your team.
- 5
Retest & attestation
Fixed findings are retested and an updated report and attestation letter are issued.
What you receive
- Executive summary for the board and regulator
- Technical report with CVSS scores, evidence and reproduction steps
- Findings mapped to SBP, CTDISR, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 controls
- Prioritised remediation plan with owners and target dates
- Retest report and attestation letter
05Compliance
Frameworks and regulations this supports
SBP Cybersecurity Guidelines
Banks and DFIs in Pakistan are expected to run VAPT at least annually.
PTA CTDISR-2025
Telecom licensees need independent security assessments and evidence of remediation.
PCI DSS v4.0
Requirement 11.3 (scans) and 11.4 (penetration tests) are both covered by VAPT.
ISO 27001:2022
Annex A 8.8 technical vulnerability management and 8.29 security testing.
NIST SP 800-115
The technical testing guide our methodology follows.
PTES
The penetration testing execution standard for phases and reporting.
grComply · GRC platform
VAPT findings tracked until they are closed
grComply imports every VAPT finding, links it to the controls it affects in each framework you hold and tracks remediation owners, due dates and retest status, so the next inspection sees closed findings rather than a PDF.
Explore grComply- Findings mapped to SBP, CTDISR, PCI DSS and ISO 27001 controls
- Remediation tasks with owners, due dates and retest status
- Continuous scanning between annual tests
- Evidence pack generated for inspectors and auditors
What is VAPT?
VAPT stands for vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. The vulnerability assessment finds known weaknesses across all in-scope systems. The penetration test proves which of them can actually be exploited and what an attacker could reach. Together they give breadth and depth in one report.
Is VAPT mandatory for banks in Pakistan?
The State Bank of Pakistan expects regulated banks and DFIs to carry out regular VAPT of their systems, at least once a year and after significant change. Results and remediation are reviewed during inspections. We structure reports so they can be shared with SBP directly.
How is VAPT different from a penetration test?
A standalone penetration test focuses on depth against chosen targets. VAPT adds a broad vulnerability assessment across the whole scope first, so nothing obvious is missed, then tests the highest-risk findings manually. In the UK the same work is often just called penetration testing.
How long does a VAPT engagement take?
It depends on scope. A single web application or small external range takes days. A bank-wide VAPT covering branches, data centres, applications and cloud takes several weeks. We give a timeline in the proposal after a short scoping call.
Will VAPT disrupt our production systems?
No. We agree test windows, exclude fragile systems, avoid denial-of-service techniques and keep an emergency contact available. Scans are rate-limited and exploitation stops at agreed limits.
How much does VAPT cost?
Cost depends on the number of IP addresses, applications, APIs, user roles and locations in scope, and on how deep the testing goes. We do not publish prices; we send a fixed-scope proposal after a scoping call.
Do you retest after we fix the findings?
Yes. Retesting of fixed findings is part of every VAPT engagement, and we issue an updated report and attestation letter for regulators, auditors and customers.
Get a VAPT proposal for your regulator or audit
Tell us your scope and deadline. We reply within one working day with a fixed-scope proposal, or call 020 3307 5299.