How to prepare for a penetration test

Why preparation matters

A little preparation makes testing safer for your systems and much more useful for you. Most delays come from missing test accounts or unclear scope.

Agree the scope

• List the exact website addresses and apps to be tested
• Note anything that must not be touched, such as payment providers or third-party services
• Decide between your live site and a staging copy

Prepare access

• Create dedicated test accounts for each user role
• Use test data rather than real customer records where possible
• Tell your hosting provider or CDN if they require notice of testing

Protect your systems

• Take a fresh backup before testing starts
• Agree a testing window that avoids your busiest times
• Name a contact who can be reached during testing

Afterwards

• Read the report with whoever maintains the site
• Fix high-risk findings first
• Ask for a retest to confirm fixes worked

With AI Pentest

Our process walks you through ownership verification, scope and written authorisation before any testing begins, and your report arrives in your secure portal.