Best Penetration Testing Companies in North Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh, 2026)
A penetration testing company attacks your systems with your permission and reports what it found and how to fix it. North Carolina buyers mostly need one for GLBA, SOC 2, HIPAA or CMMC evidence. This page lists 11 firms that serve Charlotte, Raleigh and the rest of the state, with what each one publishes about itself. Firms are listed alphabetically, not ranked. No reviews, no star ratings, no scores.
What we checked
For every firm we looked for the same five things on its own website. If a firm publishes it, we record it. If we could not find it, we say so. That is a statement about the website on the day we checked, not about the quality of the firm's work. We did not assess reputation, reviews or size, because none of those can be verified from the outside.
- Certifications named. Tester or firm credentials stated on the site (OSCP, OSWE, CEH, CREST, GIAC, CISSP, QSA and similar).
- Published price. Whether the site shows a price or a starting rate for penetration testing.
- Turnaround stated. Whether the site says when testing starts or when the report arrives.
- Delivery model. Whether the site says if work is remote or on site, and from where.
- Frameworks named. Whether the site names the audit frameworks its pentest reports serve (GLBA, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI DSS, CMMC).
Firms based in North Carolina come first. Firms based elsewhere that show up in Google for Charlotte and Raleigh searches are in a second list, so you know who is local and who delivers remotely. The state's own National Guard programme is noted separately because it is not a vendor. Budget Security publishes this page and is deliberately not in either list; how we work is explained further down.
Firms based in North Carolina
Citadel-HQ
High Point firm at 920 Forrest St. Network and web application penetration testing "for compliance, insurance, and real-world risk reduction." Describes itself as "HIPAA and PCI DSS aware."
- High Point, NC
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- HIPAA, PCI DSS ("aware")
- Call, text or book a consultation
ITSco
Managed IT provider with offices in Durham (4601 Creekstone Drive) and Raleigh (8480 Honeycutt Rd) that lists penetration testing among its services.
- Durham and Raleigh, NC
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- 30-minute consultation bookable online
Lucid Security
Charlotte firm offering network penetration testing (external and internal) and application security testing against OWASP.
- Charlotte, NC
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Contact link
Petronella Technology Group
Raleigh firm. Its pages describe a CMMC Registered Provider Organization and remote-first delivery across all 50 states, and Google ranks its Charlotte and Raleigh pages. The site returned 403 to our checker on 2 Oct 2026, so none of that could be read directly. Treat every field below as unverified.
- Raleigh, NC
- Could not be checked
- Could not be checked
- Could not be checked
- Remote-first, per its pages as shown in Google
- CMMC, per its pages as shown in Google
- Could not be checked
Rebyc Security
Charlotte firm at 15720 Brixham Hill Avenue, Suite 300. Services: external and internal pentests, web and mobile application testing, phishing, social engineering and physical assessments, cloud audits, password cracking, Microsoft Entra ID assumed-breach testing.
- Charlotte, NC
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Phone or email
Stern Security
Raleigh firm at 421 N. Harrington Street, Suite 340. Services: full network pentests, web and mobile application tests, social engineering including AI chatbot and voicebot testing, physical tests, MITRE ATT&CK emulation. Its CEO co-authored a Cisco Press penetration testing title.
- Raleigh, NC
- Not on the pages we checked
- Refers to ethical hacking and pentesting certifications without naming them
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Scoping form
Triaxiom Security
"Based out of Charlotte, NC." CREST-accredited penetration testing provider and PCI QSA. Seven test types: external, internal, web, API, mobile, physical, wireless.
- Charlotte, NC (no street address on its contact page)
- Not on the pages we checked
- CREST (firm), PCI QSA, OSCP, OSWE, GXPN, GWAPT, GCIH, GSEC, eCPPT, eWPT, eWPTX, CRTO, CISSP, CISA
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- PCI DSS
- Contact link
Voke Cyber
Charlotte-area firm. "Remote engagements nationwide," with "all work performed domestically." Publishes prices per test type.
- Charlotte area, NC
- Vulnerability assessment $1,500; cloud $3,000; web application $3,500; external network $3,500; internal network $5,000; red team $8,000
- OSCP, OSWA, CISSP, CCSK
- Proposals within 24 hours; "we can generally start testing within 24 hours for most assessments" once contracts are signed
- Remote, nationwide, work performed domestically
- Not on the pages we checked
- Quote form or call
NC Cyber Security Response Force (state programme, not a vendor). A North Carolina National Guard unit whose mission is to "provide cyber security assistance to State, Local, and Critical Infrastructure providers." Its pentest page lists network, web and API, wireless and phishing engagements on a three-week pattern: week 0 scoping, week 1 testing, week 2 reporting. No fee is published and no private-sector eligibility is stated. Requests go through its "Request an Engagement" link. Noted here because it ranks for North Carolina pentest searches and buyers ask about it.
Firms based elsewhere that show up for Charlotte and Raleigh searches
These firms have North Carolina pages that rank in Google but no office in the state. Both deliver remotely, which is normal for external, web, API, cloud and mobile testing.
Adams Brown
CPA firm "located in the heart of the Midwest with offices throughout Kansas and Arkansas." Its Charlotte network penetration testing page is one of a 25-plus city series and ranks on page one for Charlotte searches.
- Kansas and Arkansas
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Not on the pages we checked
- Form
BeachFleischman
Offices in Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales and Las Vegas. Its Charlotte page is one of a national series and ranks well for several North Carolina pentest searches.
- Arizona and Nevada
- Not on the pages we checked
- OSCP, CEH, CISA, CRISC, CCNP, Security+, CCIP, PCI-SSC
- Not on the pages we checked
- "We can deliver network penetration testing services across the U.S."
- Not on the pages we checked
- Web form
Comparison table
Same facts, side by side. Alphabetical. "No" means we did not find it on the site on the check date, nothing more.
| Firm | Office / delivery model | Published price | Certifications named | Turnaround stated | Booking | Source, checked 2 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Brown | Kansas and Arkansas; delivery not stated | No | None named | No | Form | adamsbrowntech.com/network-penetration-testing-charlotte-nc/ |
| BeachFleischman | AZ and NV offices; "across the U.S." | No | OSCP, CEH, CISA, CRISC, others | No | Form | beachfleischman.com/network-penetration-testing-charlotte-nc/ |
| Citadel-HQ | High Point; delivery not stated | No | None named | No | Call, text, form | citadel-hq.com |
| ITSco | Durham + Raleigh; delivery not stated | No | None named | No | Online consultation booking | itsco.com |
| Lucid Security | Charlotte; delivery not stated | No | None named | No | Contact link | lucidcyber.io |
| NC CSRF (state programme) | Raleigh; National Guard programme | No fee published | n/a | 3-week pattern stated | "Request an Engagement" | csrf.nc.gov/penetration-testing |
| Petronella Technology Group | Raleigh; remote-first per its pages | Could not be checked | Could not be checked | Could not be checked | Could not be checked | petronellatech.com (blocked) |
| Rebyc Security | Charlotte; delivery not stated | No | None named | No | Phone, email | rebycsecurity.com |
| Stern Security | Raleigh; delivery not stated | No | Referred to, not named | No | Scoping form | sternsecurity.com/penetration-testing |
| Triaxiom Security | Charlotte; delivery not stated | No | CREST firm, QSA, OSCP, OSWE, GIAC | No | Contact link | triaxiomsecurity.com/about-us/ |
| Voke Cyber | Charlotte area; remote nationwide | Yes, $1,500 to $8,000 by test type | OSCP, OSWA, CISSP, CCSK | Start within 24h of contract (stated as "generally") | Quote form, call | vokecyber.com |
Where Budget Security fits
We publish this page, so we keep ourselves out of the list. For the record, this is how we work.
Budget Security is a self-serve penetration testing platform based in The Hague, Netherlands. There is no US office. Testing is remote, done by OSCP-certified testers during US business hours, for clients around the world, including a growing group in Charlotte, Raleigh and across North Carolina. The price is published: $985 per tester-day for US clients (€849 per day for EU clients). You scope the test yourself in the dashboard, testing starts within 7 days of booking, the report lands in the dashboard within 48 hours after the test ends, and you pay after the report is delivered. Reports map to SOC 2, GLBA, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001 and CMMC.
If you need a tester who can walk into your Charlotte or Raleigh office for a wireless or physical test, or sit in the room with your auditor, pick one of the North Carolina firms above. For everything else, location does not change the work. Local detail is on our Charlotte penetration testing page and Raleigh penetration testing page.
Charlotte, Raleigh or remote: what actually changes
Eight of the firms on this page are based in North Carolina. Two of the firms Google ranks highest for Charlotte are in Arizona and Kansas and deliver remotely. For external networks, web apps, APIs, cloud and mobile, the tester's location does not change the work. The tester needs a target, a scope and written authorisation.
Three things do change:
- Internal network tests. A remote firm works over a VPN or ships a small device. A Charlotte firm can send a person to Ballantyne. Both are normal.
- Wireless and physical tests. Someone has to be on site. Ask a remote firm how it handles this before you sign.
- Bank vendor reviews. If you sell to one of Charlotte's banks, its third-party risk team sometimes wants the tester on a call with its own security staff. Remote firms do that too; ask.
Charlotte versus Raleigh matters less than the industry you are in. Charlotte firms see more bank and fintech scopes. Raleigh firms see more SaaS, life-science and university vendor scopes. Any firm on this page will test either.
What North Carolina buyers get tested for
- GLBA Safeguards Rule. Lenders, mortgage brokers, fintechs and payment firms under FTC jurisdiction must run annual penetration testing unless they have continuous monitoring, per 16 CFR 314.4(d)(2). Charlotte's banking cluster makes this the state's biggest driver. See GLBA penetration testing.
- SOC 2. The usual reason a Triangle SaaS or AI startup books a test: the auditor or an enterprise customer asked. See SOC 2 penetration testing.
- HIPAA. Health systems, life-science companies and health-tech vendors around RTP need a periodic technical evaluation under 45 CFR 164.308(a)(8). See HIPAA penetration testing.
- CMMC. Defense R&D suppliers. Level 3 requires an annual pentest; Level 2 does not. See CMMC penetration testing.
North Carolina's own law, G.S. 75-65, is a breach notification statute and does not require a pentest. The notice letter must describe "the general acts of the business to protect the personal information from further unauthorized access," which is where a post-incident test usually appears. Public bodies also sit under G.S. 143-800, which bars them from paying ransoms, so their vendors get asked for testing evidence.
FAQ
Questions we get
How much should a penetration test cost?
Which penetration testing companies are based in North Carolina?
Is pentesting illegal?
Is pentesting being replaced by AI?
Can I get a free penetration test from the NC CSRF?
Does North Carolina law require a penetration test?
Does it matter whether the firm is in Charlotte or Raleigh?
Which North Carolina firms publish their prices?
See the price for your scope before you book.
$985 per tester-day for US clients (€849 per day for EU clients). Start within 7 days of booking. Report within 48 hours after testing ends. Pay after delivery.