For a typical enterprise with 3 critical web apps (monthly β 80), 200 internal hosts (quarterly β 60), 50 non-critical (annually β 20). Weighted average β 67 . 2.3 Depth (D) β Weight 25% The sophistication level of testing. Inspired by PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard).
| Criterion | Points | |-----------|--------| | Formal scope document signed before each test | 20 | | Rules of engagement (ROE) with emergency stop | 15 | | Testers hold industry certs (OSCP, GPEN, CREST) | 20 | | Report includes reproducible steps and risk ratings (CVSS) | 15 | | Post-test debrief with remediation roadmap | 15 | | Tests are independently audited (external QA) | 15 |
| Metric | Weight | Formula | |--------|--------|---------| | Critical findings closed within SLA (e.g., 7 days) | 50 | (closed on time / total critical) Γ 50 | | High findings closed within SLA (e.g., 30 days) | 30 | (closed on time / total high) Γ 30 | | Reopened findings rate | -20 | subtract (reopened / total closed) Γ 20 | indexof ethical hacking
Formula: F = (Sum over all assets of [multiplier Γ asset_criticality_weight]) / Total criticality weight
If an org tests 80% of external IPs, 50% of internal subnets, 100% of web apps, 0% APIs, 100% mobile, 0% OT β C = (24 + 12.5 + 25 + 0 + 5 + 0) = 66.5 2.2 Frequency (F) β Weight 20% How often each asset type is tested. Continuous testing earns highest scores. For a typical enterprise with 3 critical web
| Component | Max Score | Calculation | |-----------|-----------|--------------| | External IPs | 30 | (tested IPs / total IPs) Γ 30 | | Internal IPs | 25 | (tested subnets / total subnets) Γ 25 | | Web apps | 25 | (tested apps / total critical apps) Γ 25 | | APIs | 10 | (tested endpoints / total documented endpoints) Γ 10 | | Mobile apps | 5 | (tested builds / total production builds) Γ 5 | | IoT/OT | 5 | (tested device types / total types) Γ 5 |
| Frequency | Score Multiplier | Typical Use Case | |-----------|----------------|-------------------| | Continuous (daily) | 100 | Bug bounty + DAST in CI/CD | | Monthly | 80 | Critical APIs / public apps | | Quarterly | 60 | Internal infrastructure | | Bi-annually | 40 | Non-critical internal systems | | Annually | 20 | Low-risk assets | | Less than annually | 0 | None | Inspired by PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard)
D = Average depth score across all tested asset categories A unique addition: ethical hacking is useless without fixing findings.