Pen Test vs Vulnerability Scan: Buyer’s Guide with Pass/Fail Criteria

When it comes to protecting your business, the terms penetration test and vulnerability scan are often used interchangeably—but they are very different. Buyers and procurement teams need to know:

- Which service do we need?

- How often should it be done?

- What defines a “pass” or “fail” in a contract or statement of work (SoW)?

This guide gives you a side-by-side comparison of pen testing vs vulnerability scanning, aligned with procurement-ready criteria and security best practices.

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Pen Test vs Vulnerability Scan: Side-by-Side Comparison

Vulnerability Scan (VA)	Penetration Test (PT)
Automated tools detect known weaknesses in systems, software, and configurations.	Human-led experts simulate real-world attacks to exploit vulnerabilities.
Identify and list potential vulnerabilities.	Validate and exploit vulnerabilities to show real business impact.
Broad, surface-level scan of systems and networks.	Deep analysis—tests if vulnerabilities can actually be exploited.
Higher false positives—manual review needed.	Lower false positives—findings are validated through exploitation.
Low cost (subscription or per-IP fees).	Higher cost (manual work, usually project-based).
Hours to 1–2 days.	Several days to weeks depending on scope.
Weekly, monthly, or quarterly for ongoing hygiene.	Annually or after major system changes.
Continuous monitoring and compliance reporting (PCI, ISO, HIPAA, NIST).	High-risk systems, compliance audits, pre-launch testing, and board-level assurance.

Pass/Fail Criteria

Procurement teams need measurable criteria for service acceptance.

Vulnerability Scan

Pass: No critical/high vulnerabilities remain unresolved, scan completed on time, report delivered with guidance.

Fail: Critical/high vulnerabilities detected without remediation, incomplete results, or unhelpful reporting.

Penetration Test

Pass: No exploitable critical vulnerabilities remain, a detailed report provided, re-test validates remediation.

Fail: Exploitable vulnerabilities remain, the report is incomplete, or no retest is performed.

Frequency

Scans: Quarterly minimum; monthly/weekly recommended.

Pen Tests: Annual minimum; semi-annual or event-driven for high-risk environments.

FAQ

Q1: Is a penetration test better than a vulnerability scan?

Not better—different. They complement each other.

Q2: How often should I run vulnerability scans?

At least quarterly, ideally monthly or weekly.

Q3: Do I need a pen test every time I run a scan?

No. Scans are frequent; pen tests are periodic.

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Use scans for ongoing hygiene and compliance. Use pen tests for deep assurance and validation. The best programs combine both.

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