Definitions at a glance
- Vulnerability Assessment (VA) – Automated scans that inventory assets and flag known CVEs.
- Penetration Testing (PT) – Human‑led exploitation of weaknesses to gauge real‑world business impact.
Dubai’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) describes pen testing as a controlled attempt to breach an environment and produce a formal remediation report.
Regulatory backdrop in Dubai
- Government entities must use DESC‑certified providers for pen testing and incident‑response work.
- The UAE’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) calls for “appropriate technical and organizational measures” — regular VAPT helps demonstrate that duty of care.
When VA is enough
- You need a quick, low‑cost snapshot for quarterly risk dashboards.
- Your environment changes rapidly and automated rescans are practical.
- Compliance frameworks only demand evidence of continuous vulnerability management (e.g., ISO 27001 clause A.12.6).
When you can’t skip Pen Testing
- Launching a public‑facing app or new e‑commerce gateway.
- Undergoing a critical compliance audit (PCI DSS, banking regulations).
- Handling high‑value data that attracts targeted attacks (health records, financial transactions).
Choosing the right provider
- Confirm CREST, OSCP or equivalent tester certifications.
- Demand a written rules‑of‑engagement document before any test.
- Insist on a remediation workshop — not just a PDF report — so fixes are prioritized by business impact.
Technopeak’s two‑tier VAPT service
- Baseline VA – Weekly authenticated scans mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
- Targeted PT – Ethical hackers attempt real exploitation; findings feed directly into our SOC’s threat‑hunting playbooks.\
Action you can take this week
Schedule a no‑obligation discovery call; TechnoPeak will advise whether your risk profile warrants full Pen Testing now or phased VA first.
