Penetration TestingSecurity Audit
Pentest vs Vulnerability Scanner: What Is the Difference and What to Choose
May 9, 2025 · 10 min read · System Networks
A vulnerability scanner finds 847 issues in 4 hours. A penetration tester finds 12 — and shows you exactly how to use them to steal your customer database. These are fundamentally different tools for different stages of security maturity.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Parameter | 🔍 Vulnerability Scanner | 🎯 Penetration Test |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Compares system fingerprints against CVE database | Simulates a real attacker trying to compromise systems |
| Execution | Automated, runs in hours to days | Manual + automated, runs in weeks |
| False positives | High — many findings need manual validation | Low — exploited vulnerabilities are confirmed real |
| Business impact assessment | None — just vulnerability list | Yes — shows actual attack chains and data at risk |
| Zero-day / logic flaws | Cannot detect | Can find configuration errors, logic flaws, chained attacks |
| Cost | ₽50,000 – ₽200,000/scan | ₽300,000 – ₽2,000,000+ |
| Frequency | Continuous or monthly | Annual or after major changes |
| Report quality | List of CVEs with severity scores | Attack narrative, business risk, remediation priority |
When a Vulnerability Scanner Is Sufficient
✓Continuous monitoring of known CVEs across your infrastructure
✓Pre-patching verification (confirming a patch actually closed the vulnerability)
✓Quick compliance check before an audit
✓Dev/staging environment scanning as part of CI/CD pipeline
✓Low-budget organisations needing basic security hygiene visibility
When You Need a Penetration Test
→Before going live with a new internet-facing application or significant infrastructure change
→152-FZ / FSTEC requirements explicitly call for penetration testing
→CII objects category 1 or 2 — annual pentest required
→Your scanner finds hundreds of issues and you need to understand actual business risk and priority
→You want to test your defenders — do your SOC and incident response team actually detect an attacker?
→Enterprise clients or investors require evidence of security testing
Types of Penetration Testing Scope
⬛
Black Box
Tester has no prior knowledge. Most realistic simulation of external attacker. Highest cost.
🔲
Grey Box
Tester has limited information (e.g., user-level credentials). Most common for web apps and internal systems.
⬜
White Box
Tester has full access to source code, architecture docs. Deepest coverage, lowest cost per finding.
Market Prices for Russian Penetration Testing
| Scope | Price range | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Single web application (grey box) | ₽150,000 – ₽400,000 | 1–2 weeks |
| Corporate network (up to 50 hosts) | ₽300,000 – ₽700,000 | 2–3 weeks |
| Full external perimeter | ₽500,000 – ₽1,500,000 | 3–4 weeks |
| Red team (full scope, 3 months) | ₽1,500,000 – ₽5,000,000+ | 2–3 months |
Penetration testing and security assessment
Penetration testing by FSTEC-certified specialists →Black/grey/white box · Web apps · Networks · Social engineering · Fixed price