Manual-First Penetration Testing Lifecycle
Every penetration testing engagement follows the same manual-first lifecycle — six phases built around real risk reduction, not automated volume scanning.
Scope & Objectives Mapping
We define rules of engagement, white-box vs black-box access, targets (IPs, domains, code repositories), and execute non-disclosure agreements.
Required inputs
- •Target domains / IP list
- •API documentation (Swagger/Postman)
- •Access credentials for testing environment
Deliverables
- •Signed Rules of Engagement (RoE)
- •Mutually agreed testing schedule
- •Pre-auth system baseline setup
Reconnaissance & OSINT
Attack surface discovery. We leverage passive and active intelligence to catalog subdomains, find exposed API keys, check leaked breach databases, and map target tech stacks.
Required inputs
- •Corporate public domain name
- •Cloud tenant identification info
Deliverables
- •Asset inventory report
- •Identified leak credentials (OSINT data)
- •Network mapping database
Vulnerability Identification
Running targeted scans for known CVEs, misconfigured configurations, unpatched server software, and exposed admin panels, coupled with manual architecture inspection.
Required inputs
- •OSINT data
- •Internal network access (if internal test)
Deliverables
- •Draft vulnerability inventory
- •High-likelihood entry points list
Manual Exploitation & Chains
Our human security engineers manually bypass input filters, modify API traffic, script logic attacks, escalate privileges, and chain minor vulnerabilities to prove deep compromise.
Required inputs
- •Identified entrance vectors
Deliverables
- •Validated proof-of-concept (PoC) exploits
- •Lateral movement validation maps
- •Severity assessment scores (CVSS 4.0)
Technical Reporting & Briefing
We deliver a comprehensive report split into an executive summary for leadership, and step-by-step reproduction code with code-level remediation advice for developers.
Required inputs
- •Exploitation PoC database
Deliverables
- •Technical report (PDF/Markdown)
- •Executive summary slide deck
- •Remediation walkthrough briefing
Remediation Re-test & Safe Certification
Once your engineering team patches the findings, we perform a complete re-verification scan and issue a public-facing Retest Certificate proving the closure of security issues.
Required inputs
- •Developer patch confirmations
Deliverables
- •Broot Security Safe-to-Host Certificate
- •Updated clean security report
This methodology drives every engagement
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