What VAPT stands for
VAPT — Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing — is a two-phase security engagement that first identifies vulnerabilities in your systems and then attempts to exploit them, proving exactly what an attacker could achieve.
The vulnerability assessment finds the weaknesses. The penetration test proves the real-world impact. Together, they give you a clear, evidence-based picture of your actual security risk — not theoretical concerns, but demonstrated exploits.
The two phases explained
Phase 1: Vulnerability Assessment
A systematic scan and analysis of your systems to identify known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and security weaknesses. This uses a combination of automated scanning tools and manual inspection to build a comprehensive list of potential issues.
What it covers:
- Network infrastructure scanning (open ports, services, protocols)
- Web application vulnerability scanning (OWASP Top 10)
- SSL/TLS configuration analysis
- Security header assessment
- Software version detection and CVE matching
- Authentication and access control review
Phase 2: Penetration Testing
A security professional manually attempts to exploit the vulnerabilities found in Phase 1. This goes beyond scanning — it involves creative attack chains, business logic testing, and exploitation techniques that automated tools cannot perform.
What it covers:
- Attempting to exploit identified vulnerabilities to prove impact
- Chaining multiple low-severity issues into high-impact attacks
- Testing business logic flaws (price manipulation, privilege escalation, data access)
- Authentication bypass attempts
- Data extraction proof-of-concept (showing what data an attacker could access)
- Post-exploitation assessment (what an attacker could do after gaining access)
What a VAPT report includes
A professional VAPT report contains:
- Executive summary — A non-technical overview of your security posture, key risks, and recommended priorities
- Findings by severity — Each vulnerability rated using CVSS 3.1 scoring (Critical, High, Medium, Low, Informational)
- Proof of concept — Screenshots and evidence showing exactly how each vulnerability was exploited
- Business impact — What each vulnerability means for your business in practical terms (data exposure, financial risk, operational disruption)
- Remediation guidance — Step-by-step instructions for fixing each issue, prioritised by risk
- Retesting — Verification that fixes were properly implemented
When you need a VAPT
A VAPT is recommended when:
- You handle customer data — Personal information, payment details, or health records create legal and financial risk if exposed
- You're pursuing compliance — ISO 27001, Essential Eight, SOC 2, and PCI-DSS all require or recommend regular penetration testing
- You're applying for cyber insurance — Insurers increasingly require evidence of recent penetration testing
- You've launched or updated a web application — New code means new potential vulnerabilities
- You've never had one — If you've never tested your security, you don't know your risk. A baseline VAPT establishes where you stand.
How often to test
Best practice is to conduct a VAPT:
- Annually at minimum for any business handling personal or financial data
- After major changes — new features, infrastructure changes, or significant code updates
- Before compliance audits — to identify and fix issues before auditors find them
- After a security incident — to understand what happened and prevent recurrence
Don't wait for an attacker to find your vulnerabilities
RabbiiCo Studio's free Attack Surface Scan identifies your most exposed vulnerabilities — and our VAPT service proves exactly what an attacker could do with them. Start with the free scan.