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PCI DSS Penetration Testing

Penetration testing for PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 compliance

PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 mandates annual penetration testing of systems in and connected to the cardholder data environment, plus segmentation testing where applicable. NeedSec delivers structured, evidence-based penetration testing scoped to your CDE — covering applications, APIs, external perimeter, and internal network paths that could reach payment systems.

Practical assessment

Testing and review work is hands-on and tailored to your environment - not a generic checklist.

Clear, evidence-led output

Every finding includes evidence, business context, and a concrete path to resolution.

Compliance-aware approach

Work is structured around real security improvement - and mapped to relevant frameworks where needed.

What We Assess

Practical testing aligned to business risk

NeedSec combines manual testing, technical validation, and clear reporting so your team understands what matters and how to fix it.

01

Application and payment flow security — form handling, tokenisation, and card data processing

02

API and backend security — access control, authentication, and cardholder data exposure

03

External perimeter testing — internet-facing systems within or connected to the CDE scope

04

Internal network testing — systems and paths that could reach cardholder data

05

Network segmentation validation — confirming isolation between CDE and out-of-scope networks

06

Firewall and access control review — rule analysis, open ports, and unprotected service exposure

07

Authentication and credential security — default passwords, credential abuse, and session security

08

Encryption in transit — TLS version, cipher suite, and certificate validity across CDE systems

09

Vulnerability identification and evidence — CVEs, misconfigurations, and exploit path documentation

10

Log and audit trail coverage — detection gaps across CDE systems and access records

11

Third-party integration security — payment gateway connections and partner system access

12

Remediation-focused retesting — revalidation after fixes to confirm control effectiveness

What You Get

Clear deliverables for security, compliance, and remediation

Every engagement concludes with a structured deliverable package so your team can act on findings without guesswork.

PCI DSS Req 11.4 penetration test report

Full written report with evidence, CVSS scores, and stakeholder summary.

Segmentation test results

Delivered in a clear format with practical context for both technical teams and business stakeholders.

External perimeter findings

Delivered in a clear format with practical context for both technical teams and business stakeholders.

Internal CDE exposure report

Full written report with evidence, CVSS scores, and stakeholder summary.

Evidence and impact documentation

Delivered in a clear format with practical context for both technical teams and business stakeholders.

Remediation roadmap

Step-by-step guidance for resolving identified issues, ordered by risk level.

Executive risk summary

Executive-friendly overview of risk posture, key findings, and recommended actions.

Retest validation certificate

Post-fix verification confirming each vulnerability has been properly resolved.

Need help scoping this service?

Tell NeedSec about your environment, compliance goal, or security concern. We will help define the right assessment approach.

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