Compliance

NIST CSF Penetration Testing

Security testing mapped to the framework your auditors trust.

NIST CSF penetration testing from Sherlock Forensics aligns vulnerability findings to the five core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond and Recover. Reports map each finding to specific NIST subcategories for compliance documentation. CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP certified examiners. Based in Vancouver, serving all of Canada. From $5,000 CAD.

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Why NIST CSF Matters

Why NIST CSF Matters

The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is the most widely adopted security standard in North America. Federal agencies require it. Enterprise procurement teams reference it. Cyber insurers evaluate against it. If your organization touches government contracts, enterprise customers or regulated industries, NIST CSF compliance is not optional.

A penetration test aligned to NIST CSF does more than find vulnerabilities. It maps each finding to specific framework subcategories so your compliance team knows exactly which controls need attention and which are working.

How We Map to NIST CSF

How We Map to NIST CSF

Identify (ID): We assess your asset inventory, risk assessment practices and governance posture. Findings in this category reveal whether you know what you have and where your exposure lies.

Protect (PR): We test access controls, data security measures, protective technology and awareness training effectiveness. This is where most pentest findings land: broken authentication, missing encryption, misconfigured firewalls.

Detect (DE): We evaluate whether your monitoring, detection processes and security event logging actually catch our testing activity. Organizations that fail here have blind spots attackers exploit.

Respond (RS): We assess your incident response readiness during the engagement. Can your team detect and respond to our simulated attacks in real time?

Recover (RC): We evaluate your recovery planning and backup verification as part of the post-exploitation phase.

What You Receive

What You Receive

A detailed report mapping every finding to NIST CSF subcategories. Executive summary for leadership and board. Technical findings with CVSS scores and proof-of-concept evidence. Remediation guidance prioritized by NIST function. A maturity score across all five functions. A 30-day retest window to verify fixes.

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Ready to strengthen your defenses?

Order a security assessment online or call for a free scoping consultation. From $1,500 CAD.

Since 20064.8/5 ratingCISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP certified
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Questions

Frequently Asked

Does NIST CSF require a penetration test?
NIST CSF does not mandate penetration testing by name, but subcategory PR.PT-1 (Audit/Log Records) and DE.CM-8 (Vulnerability Scans) strongly imply testing. Most auditors and insurers interpret NIST CSF compliance as requiring regular penetration testing to validate protective controls.
How often should we test against NIST CSF?
At minimum annually. Organizations with higher risk profiles or rapid change should test quarterly. NIST CSF emphasizes continuous improvement. Regular testing demonstrates your security program is evolving, not static.
Can Sherlock produce NIST CSF compliance reports?
Yes. Our pentest reports map every finding to specific NIST CSF subcategories. This format is designed for compliance documentation, board presentations and insurer submissions.
How much does a NIST CSF pentest cost?
NIST-aligned penetration testing starts at $5,000 CAD for standard scope. Pricing depends on environment size, number of framework categories in scope and compliance reporting requirements. Contact 604.229.1994 for a custom quote.
What is the difference between a NIST CSF assessment and a pentest?
A NIST CSF assessment evaluates your security program maturity across all five functions through interviews, documentation review and policy analysis. A NIST-aligned pentest validates those controls through active testing and exploitation attempts. We recommend both: the assessment identifies policy gaps, the pentest proves which technical controls actually work.