CIS Controls Pentesting for MSPs

The CIS Critical Security Controls aren’t a regulation, but they are arguably the most practical security framework in existence. The 18 controls and their implementation groups give your SMB clients a realistic, prioritized roadmap that maps cleanly to almost every other framework: SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, even CMMC. A penetration test is how you prove the controls are actually working.

Why CIS Controls matter for SMB clients

Most of your clients aren’t ready for the full weight of NIST CSF or ISO 27001. CIS Implementation Group 1 gives them a baseline they can actually achieve, with 56 safeguards that block the bulk of common attacks. IG2 and IG3 layer on more sophisticated controls as the client matures. Pentesting validates that the controls you’re recommending, and the ones your client already paid you to implement, are doing what they’re supposed to do.

Where our pentest validates each control area

• Inventory and asset control: we find the shadow IT and forgotten systems your client didn’t tell you about
• Account and access management: privilege escalation, weak passwords, stale accounts
• Data protection: exposed file shares, unencrypted backups, leaked credentials
• Network monitoring and defense: testing whether the SOC, EDR, or MDR actually catches what we’re doing
• Application security: web app testing aligned with Control 16
• Penetration testing itself: Control 18 explicitly calls for pentesting at IG2 and IG3

The MSP angle

CIS Controls are particularly powerful for MSPs because they map directly to services you already sell. EDR, MFA, patching, backups, network monitoring: every control has a product or service in your stack. Pentesting closes the loop by proving to your client that the security spend is producing real defensive value. It’s the difference between selling them tools and selling them outcomes.

How we deliver it

White-labeled reports cross-referenced to specific CIS Controls and safeguards. Manual testing by certified pentesters. Free remediation retesting once gaps are fixed. And a partner who will never approach your client behind your back. You own the relationship, we make you look good.