VAPT & Penetration Testing Services — Malaysia, Singapore & Southeast Asia
SimplyData is a CREST Certified and PTSP-listed penetration testing company in Malaysia, Singapore and across Southeast Asia. Our certified testers deliver the rigorous, manual-first penetration testing Malaysia and regional enterprises depend on — covering web application and network VAPT, cloud security, mobile app, social engineering and full red team operations.
Our founder is a published CIS Benchmark Author for Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and Fortinet — the globally recognised security hardening standards adopted by enterprises and governments worldwide. This standards-level authorship directly informs every penetration test, configuration audit, and hardening engagement we deliver.
Whether you need to satisfy SC Malaysia GTRM, BNM RMiT, MAS TRM or ISO 27001 requirements, or simply want to know your true security posture before an attacker does, SimplyData delivers the independent assurance your board, auditors and regulators expect.
What is VAPT? Understanding Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing
In today’s rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape, identifying vulnerabilities in your network, applications, and IT infrastructure is critical to securing your organization from potential exploits. Simply Data’s Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT) service provides a comprehensive evaluation of your security posture, simulating real-world cyber-attacks to identify weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. Our VAPT services are designed to identify vulnerabilities, assess your defenses, and provide actionable insights to mitigate risk.
Simply Data is a CREST International certified and NACSA licensed services provider, ensuring that all our assessments adhere to the highest global cybersecurity standards.
Our VAPT & Penetration Testing Services
External & Internal Network VAPT
Manual network penetration testing targeting external perimeter and internal infrastructure — firewalls, routers, servers, and endpoints. Identifies exploitable misconfigurations and privilege escalation paths before attackers do.
Web Application VAPT
In-depth web application security testing aligned with the OWASP Top 10, covering authentication bypass, injection flaws, business logic errors, access control vulnerabilities, and insecure API endpoints.
API Security Testing
Security assessment of REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs covering broken object-level authorisation (BOLA), authentication flaws, excessive data exposure, rate limiting bypass, and injection vulnerabilities.
Mobile Application VAPT
Static and dynamic analysis of iOS and Android applications covering insecure data storage, improper session management, reverse engineering risks, and insecure communication channels (OWASP Mobile Top 10).
Configuration Audit (CIS Benchmark)
Host, firewall, and network device configuration reviews measured against CIS Benchmark standards — a framework our founder personally co-authored for Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, and Fortinet. Identifies hardening gaps, default credentials, and privilege misconfigurations across your entire infrastructure.
Active Directory Assessment
Comprehensive review of Active Directory security posture covering Kerberoasting, pass-the-hash, DCSync, misconfigured GPOs, excessive privileges, and lateral movement attack paths.
Public Cloud Security Assessment
Configuration review of AWS, Azure, and GCP environments for IAM misconfigurations, over-privileged roles, exposed storage buckets, insecure network policies, and non-compliant logging settings.
Source Code Review
Manual and automated review of application source code to identify insecure coding patterns, hardcoded credentials, injection sinks, cryptographic weaknesses, and unvalidated inputs before deployment.
Architecture Review
Security-focused review of system architecture and design to identify structural vulnerabilities, insecure data flows, missing security controls, and design-level risks that technical testing alone cannot uncover.
Network & Host Hardening
Remediation-focused hardening of servers, endpoints, and network devices following audit findings. Implements CIS Benchmark controls, disables unnecessary services, patches misconfigurations, and documents the hardened baseline. Learn more about Network Hardening →
Our Penetration Testing Methodology
VAPT services are conducted using various testing methodologies that simulate different levels of attacker knowledge and access to the environment. These methodologies include Whitebox, Blackbox, and Greybox testing. Each method offers distinct advantages depending on the specific needs of the assessment.
01.
Planning & Scoping
The first phase of every penetration testing engagement is a structured scoping and planning process. Our certified engineers work closely with your team to define the exact boundaries of the assessment — covering all target systems, applications, IP ranges, and environments. We then conduct both passive and active reconnaissance to map your complete attack surface before any testing begins, ensuring comprehensive coverage with no unplanned impact to production systems.
We begin every VAPT engagement by working closely with your team to define a clear, agreed scope. This includes identifying all in-scope IP ranges, domains, applications, and cloud environments, as well as documenting any out-of-scope systems to avoid unintended disruption. Objectives are aligned to your business risk appetite — whether you need compliance validation (ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, SC Malaysia GTRM), a board-level risk overview, or a deep-dive technical assessment.
- Define IP ranges, URLs, API endpoints and cloud accounts in scope
- Agree on testing windows to avoid business disruption
- Obtain signed Rules of Engagement (RoE) before any testing begins
- Align test objectives to business priorities (compliance, risk reduction, M&A due diligence)
02.
Reconnaissance & Information Gathering
Before any active testing begins, our analysts conduct thorough OSINT gathering and active reconnaissance to map every exposed asset. We identify IP ranges, subdomains, exposed services, employee footprint, and technology stacks — building a complete picture of your attack surface before a single test payload is sent.
Our testers gather intelligence on your organisation using both passive (non-intrusive) and active techniques. Passive reconnaissance maps your public attack surface — DNS records, WHOIS data, SSL certificates, job postings and social media — without touching your systems. Active reconnaissance then probes live systems to identify open ports, running services, software versions and initial misconfigurations.
- OSINT gathering: DNS enumeration, certificate transparency logs, leaked credentials
- Subdomain discovery and shadow IT identification
- Banner grabbing and service fingerprinting
- Network topology mapping and attack surface visualisation
03.
Vulnerability Assessment
With the attack surface fully mapped, our certified testers systematically identify and validate vulnerabilities using a combination of automated scanning and deep manual analysis. We go beyond flagging theoretical risks — where scope permits, we safely exploit confirmed vulnerabilities to demonstrate real-world business impact, giving your team only actionable, evidence-backed findings rather than generic scan output.
We combine industry-leading automated scanning tools with expert manual analysis to identify vulnerabilities that automated tools alone consistently miss — especially business logic flaws, chained exploits and context-specific weaknesses. Our testers cross-reference findings against CVE databases, OWASP Top 10, SANS Top 25 and vendor advisories to ensure nothing is overlooked.
- Automated scanning with Nessus, Burp Suite Pro, Nuclei and custom scripts
- Manual code review and logic-layer testing for web and API surfaces
- Authentication bypass, privilege escalation and session management testing
- Injection flaw testing: SQL, LDAP, command, XML/XPATH, template injection
- Zero-day and CVE correlation against your specific software versions
04.
Exploitation & Impact Validation
Where scope permits, our certified testers safely demonstrate real-world vulnerability impact through controlled exploitation. This proves whether each finding can actually be leveraged by an attacker — validating severity ratings and giving your board irrefutable, evidence-backed proof of risk rather than theoretical findings.
Where scope and risk tolerance permit, our testers safely exploit confirmed vulnerabilities to demonstrate real-world business impact — moving beyond theoretical CVSS scores to show executives exactly what an attacker could achieve. All exploitation is performed in a controlled, non-destructive manner with rollback procedures in place.
- Proof-of-concept exploitation to validate actual exploitability (not just theoretical risk)
- Privilege escalation chains: from low-privilege user to domain admin
- Lateral movement simulation across network segments
- Data exfiltration testing to demonstrate exposure of PII, credentials or IP
- Post-exploitation persistence mechanisms (documented, then cleaned up)
05.
Reporting & Re-testing
Every SimplyData VAPT engagement concludes with structured, actionable reporting and a complimentary re-test after remediation. Reports are written for two audiences — an executive summary for leadership and a full technical report for your security team — with risk-ranked findings, evidence screenshots, and prioritised remediation steps mapped to your compliance requirements.
Every SimplyData VAPT engagement concludes with a dual-layer report — an Executive Summary for leadership and a Technical Report for your security and development teams. Reports are written in plain language, risk-ranked by severity (Critical / High / Medium / Low / Informational) and include step-by-step remediation guidance tailored to your technology stack.
- Executive Summary: Business risk narrative, risk heat map, compliance posture and key remediation priorities
- Technical Report: Full vulnerability detail, affected assets, evidence (screenshots, PoC code), CVSS scores and remediation steps
- Remediation Roadmap: Prioritised fix list with estimated effort, owner assignments and timelines
- Compliance Mapping: Findings mapped to SC Malaysia GTRM, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, MAS TRM or PDPA as applicable
A penetration test is only complete when your fixes are verified. SimplyData includes a complimentary re-test within 90 days of report delivery to confirm that identified vulnerabilities have been successfully remediated and no new issues have been introduced during the fix process. This is included in every standard VAPT engagement at no additional charge.
- Re-test all Critical and High severity findings after your team has applied fixes
- Issue a Re-test Verification Certificate confirming remediation status
- Update the report with final remediation status for each finding
- Provide a clean attestation letter suitable for submission to regulators, auditors or clients
Penetration Testing Malaysia: Our Testing Approaches
We tailor our penetration testing Malaysia approach to your environment and risk profile. Each methodology offers different levels of attacker simulation — your engagement may combine elements of all three.
Blackbox
Blackbox Testing
No prior knowledge of your systems.
Our testers simulate a real-world external attacker — starting with only publicly available information such as your domain, IP ranges, and website. This approach tests your defences as an adversary would see them from the outside, with no insider advantage.
Best for: Compliance requirements, external attack surface validation, realistic threat simulation.
Whitebox
Whitebox Testing
Full access to documentation and architecture.
Our testers are provided with complete information — network diagrams, source code, credentials, and system architecture. This allows for the most thorough and efficient assessment, uncovering deep logic flaws and misconfigurations that external scanning cannot reach.
Best for: Source code review, internal security audits, pre-release application assessments.
Greybox
Greybox Testing
Partial knowledge — the most common real-world scenario.
Our testers are given limited information, such as user-level credentials or general architecture details, but not full system access. This hybrid approach balances realism with efficiency, reflecting how a compromised insider or a determined attacker with partial foothold would operate.
Best for: Web application testing, authenticated user flows, insider threat simulation.
Compliance-Ready Penetration Testing
Regulatory Frameworks We Cover
Our VAPT assessments align with BNM RMiT requirements for financial institutions in Malaysia, covering network security, application security, and cloud infrastructure testing that regulators and internal audit teams expect.
We support PCI DSS compliance through scoped penetration testing across cardholder data environments, fulfilling Requirement 11.3 for both internal and external penetration testing.
All web application, mobile, and API testing follows OWASP Top 10 and OWASP Mobile Top 10 methodologies, ensuring coverage of the most critical and commonly exploited vulnerability classes.
Our methodology follows the NIST SP 800-115 framework across four phases: planning, discovery, attack, and reporting. This is the standard referenced by government agencies and enterprise security programmes across Southeast Asia.
Who We Serve
SimplyData is headquartered in Malaysia and provides VAPT and penetration testing services to organisations across the country — from Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley to Penang, Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu.
Regulatory frameworks we help Malaysian organisations comply with:
- SC Malaysia GTRM (Securities Commission Malaysia) — Mandatory penetration testing for licensed capital market operators. We provide VAPT delivery and the attestation letter required for SC Malaysia GTRM submissions.
- Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) RMiT — VAPT for financial institutions covering web, network, mobile and API testing as required under the Risk Management in Technology framework.
- PDPA (Personal Data Protection Act 2010) — Identify vulnerabilities that could lead to personal data breaches and demonstrate due diligence to the Commissioner.
- NACSA / CyberSecurity Malaysia — Aligned with national cybersecurity standards. SimplyData is registered with MOF for government procurement and holds PTSP accreditation.
SimplyData serves clients in Singapore across financial services, technology and government-linked sectors, regularly supporting clients with their penetration testing obligations under MAS and CSA frameworks.
Singapore regulatory frameworks we support:
- MAS Technology Risk Management (TRM) Guidelines — VAPT for banks, insurers, capital market operators and payment services licensees regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
- MAS Notice 655 (Technology Risk for Insurers) — Specific VAPT requirements under the Insurance Act with attestation letter for regulatory submission.
- CSA Cybersecurity Act (Critical Information Infrastructure) — VAPT for CII sectors: banking, energy, healthcare, infocomm, transport and water.
- Singapore PDPA — Demonstrate due diligence to the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) through documented security testing.
Beyond Malaysia and Singapore, SimplyData delivers VAPT engagements across Southeast Asia — supporting multinationals with regional operations and local enterprises in emerging ASEAN markets.
- Indonesia — VAPT for OJK-regulated entities and Indonesian cybersecurity compliance requirements.
- Thailand — Aligned to Bank of Thailand (BOT) and PDPA Thailand requirements.
- Philippines — Supporting BSP-regulated entities and organisations subject to the Philippines Data Privacy Act.
- Vietnam — Cybersecurity testing for organisations subject to Vietnam's Cybersecurity Law (Law No. 24/2018/QH14).
- Regional Multinationals — Consolidated VAPT programmes across multiple geographies with single-pane reporting for APAC and SEA headquarters.
SimplyData has delivered VAPT engagements across a broad range of industries. Our testers understand sector-specific risk profiles, attack patterns and compliance requirements.
- Financial Services & Capital Markets — Banks, insurers, fund managers, brokers, payment processors and fintech startups. High-value targets requiring the most rigorous methodology.
- Government & Public Sector — Federal and state agencies, statutory bodies and GLCs. Experience with classified and sensitive data environments.
- Healthcare & Life Sciences — Hospitals, healthtech platforms and pharmaceutical companies. Patient data protection and medical device security.
- Technology & SaaS — Software companies, cloud platforms and MSPs. API security, CI/CD pipeline integration and cloud-native architecture testing.
- Energy & Utilities — OT/ICS security assessment and SCADA network segmentation review for petrochemical, power and water utilities.
- Retail, E-commerce & Manufacturing — PCI-DSS compliance, payment gateway security and ERP supply chain assessment.
Here is why organisations across Malaysia, Singapore and Southeast Asia trust SimplyData for their penetration testing engagements:
- CREST Certified Organisation — Accredited by CREST, the internationally recognised standard. Every engagement conducted by CREST-certified practitioners accepted by regulators in Singapore, UK, Australia and the Middle East.
- PTSP-Listed (CyberSecurity Malaysia) — Officially listed under CSM's Penetration Testing Service Provider scheme — required for SC Malaysia GTRM and other Malaysian regulatory submissions.
- Manual-First Approach — Deep manual testing uncovers business logic flaws, chained vulnerabilities and context-specific attack paths that automated scanners miss.
- Actionable Reports — Not Scan Dumps — Clear remediation guidance for developers. Executive risk narrative for leadership. CVSS scores AND plain-language impact statements.
- Re-test Included at No Extra Cost — Free re-test within 90 days. We verify your fixes and issue a remediation verification certificate.
- Zero Disruption Policy — Testing windows agreed upfront. No crashing of production systems. Out-of-hours testing available on request.
- Regional Regulatory Knowledge — Deep familiarity with BNM RMiT, SC Malaysia GTRM, MAS TRM, CSA frameworks and PDPA requirements across ASEAN.
Frequently Asked Questions About VAPT
VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) combines two activities: a vulnerability assessment that systematically scans and lists all weaknesses, and penetration testing that actively exploits those weaknesses to measure real-world impact. Penetration testing alone focuses on exploitation; VAPT gives you the complete picture — what is broken and what an attacker could actually do with it.
Duration depends on scope. A focused web application pentest typically takes 5u201310 business days. A comprehensive infrastructure assessment covering network, applications, and cloud can take 2u20134 weeks. We provide a clear timeline estimate during the scoping call before any work begins.
Yes. SimplyData serves clients across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and Southeast Asia. Engagements are conducted remotely or on-site depending on scope and client preference. Our reports are aligned with MAS TRM guidelines for Singapore financial institutions and Bank Negara RMiT for Malaysian banks.
Yes. SimplyData holds two of the most recognised penetration testing accreditations in Malaysia: CREST Certification (internationally recognised, accepted in Singapore, UK, Australia, and the Middle East) and PTSP (Penetration Testing Service Provider) accreditation by CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM), the national cybersecurity agency. Our PTSP status is recognised for government, GLC, and regulatory compliance engagements.
No. All engagements begin with a scoping session where we define rules of engagement, no-go zones, and testing windows. We coordinate with your IT team to avoid impact on production systems. Out-of-hours and weekend testing is available if required.
Our reports include an executive summary (suitable for board/management), a technical findings section with CVSS severity scores, proof-of-concept evidence, and step-by-step remediation guidance for each vulnerability. All reports are delivered as PDF and editable Word documents.
SimplyData scopes VAPT engagements based on the number and type of assets — not a flat project fee. Network and infrastructure testing is priced per IP address, web application testing per URL, API testing per endpoint, and mobile app testing per application. Fill in our short scoping questionnaire and we will provide an itemised quotation within 2 business days.
Yes. PCI-DSS v4.0.1 mandates VAPT under Requirements 11.3 and 11.4. Req 11.3.1 & 11.3.2 require internal and external vulnerability scans quarterly. Req 11.4.2 & 11.4.3 require penetration testing at least annually. For service providers, Req 11.4.6 requires network segmentation validation every 6 months. Re-testing is required after any significant infrastructure or application change. Applies to any organisation that stores, processes, or transmits payment card data.
Yes. Bank Negara Malaysia Risk Management in Technology (RMiT) — November 2025 mandates VAPT under Appendix 5, Part D. Para 2 requires quarterly vulnerability assessments on critical systems. Para 3 requires annual intelligence-led penetration tests on infrastructure, web, mobile and external-facing apps by accredited testers. Para 4 requires a pen test before any new product or service launch. Para 6 requires an independent compromise assessment every 3 years. Para 11.6 mandates a Red Team exercise at least every 3 years. Applies to banks, insurers, payment system operators and e-money issuers regulated by BNM.
Yes. Section 22 of the Cyber Security Act 2024 (Act 854) requires all National Critical Information Infrastructure (NCII) entities to conduct cyber security risk assessments and audits per the Code of Practice issued by NACSA. VAPT is a core component. Frequency is prescribed by sector in the NACSA Code of Practice. Non-compliance carries penalties up to RM200,000 and/or 3 years imprisonment. Covers 11 NCII sectors including Government, Banking & Finance, Energy, Healthcare, and Telecommunications. Section 27 requires all VAPT service providers to hold a valid NACSA licence.
Yes. The SC Malaysia Guidelines on Technology Risk Management (SC-GL/2-2023 R1-2024), effective 19 August 2024, mandates VAPT for capital market entities. Para 9.23 requires penetration testing at a minimum annually. Para 9.23A (new in 2024) requires pen testing before deploying any new critical system or major changes. Para 7.13A (new in 2024) requires a cyber security assessment before any new system deployment. Applies to fund managers, stockbrokers, Capital Markets Services License holders and all SC-regulated entities.
Yes. ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A Control 8.8 (Management of Technical Vulnerabilities) requires timely identification and remediation of vulnerabilities as part of an ISMS. Penetration testing is the widely accepted method for demonstrating compliance during certification audits. While ISO 27001 does not prescribe a fixed frequency, annual penetration testing is the industry standard. ISO 27001 certification is required by many Malaysian government vendors, GLCs and multinational supply chains as a prerequisite.
Yes, implicitly. The Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (Act 709), enforced by the Department of Personal Data Protection (JPDP), requires compliance with the Security Principle (Section 9) — mandating practical steps to protect personal data from loss, misuse and unauthorised access. VAPT is the most direct way to demonstrate this compliance. Since 2024, JPDP enforcement has intensified. Organisations suffering a data breach without evidence of security testing face significantly greater regulatory exposure. Applies to any organisation in Malaysia processing personal data in commercial transactions.
Yes. The Malaysian Government ICT Security Policy (MAMPU) requires all government agencies and vendors with access to government systems to conduct regular VAPT on government-facing portals and infrastructure. Government ICT projects must undergo penetration testing before launch and periodically thereafter. SimplyData is registered with the Ministry of Finance (MOF) for government procurement and holds PTSP (Penetration Testing Service Provider) accreditation from CyberSecurity Malaysia — both required for government and GLC VAPT engagements in Malaysia.
Every VAPT engagement includes a complete deliverables package: an Executive Summary Report (management-level risk overview), a detailed Technical Findings Report (CVSS-scored vulnerabilities with step-by-step remediation), a prioritised Issues Tracker spreadsheet, a live Findings Walkthrough session with your team, and a Re-test to confirm all critical and high findings are fully resolved.
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- B-03A-03, 3RD Floor, Block B Setiawalk, Persiaran Wawasan, Pusat Bandar Puchong, 47100 Puchong, Selangor
- +603 5886 2714
- contactus@simplydata.com.my