“Cybersecurity audit” means two different purchases, and most bad vendor choices come from mixing them up. A technical security audit is an engineer testing your systems: a penetration test, a configuration review, a code review. An attestation audit is a licensed assessor checking your controls against a framework and signing a report your customers will read: SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HITRUST. Some firms do one, a few do both, and the auditor who signs your SOC 2 usually cannot also be the tester who found the holes, because independence rules get in the way.
This list is written by a penetration testing company, so Invadel is first and this is our site. Every description below is limited to what each firm publicly says it does. There are no prices for other firms here, because none of them publish any; ours are on the pricing page.
The two kinds of audit, and which you need
| You need | The audit | Who does it |
|---|---|---|
| To know what an attacker could actually do | Technical: penetration test, configuration review | A testing firm |
| A report your customers or a regulator will accept | Attestation: SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS RoC, HITRUST | A CPA firm, certification body or QSA |
| Both, with the test as evidence inside the attestation | Technical first, then attestation | A tester plus an assessor, or a firm with both practices and an independence wall |
SOC 2 and ISO 27001 assessors expect a penetration test in the evidence set, and PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 requires one outright. So for most companies the order is: test, fix, retest, then audit. Our guide to how to choose a penetration testing company covers the technical side in detail.
The best cybersecurity audit companies in 2026
1. Invadel
Best for: the technical audit, at a fixed price, with a report written for the assessor who comes next.
We do the engineer half: web application, API, cloud, network and code testing, run manually by a senior in-house team from New York. Every engagement is fixed-scope and fixed-price, published on our pricing page, with a free retest of remediated findings. The report maps each finding to the control it affects in SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001 or NYDFS Part 500, and comes with an attestation letter that says in plain terms what was tested, when, and against which standard. The honest limitation: we do not issue SOC 2 or ISO certificates. We produce the evidence that gets them issued.
2. A-LIGN
Best for: SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS and HITRUST attestation from one assessor.
A-LIGN is a licensed CPA firm, ISO certification body, PCI Qualified Security Assessor and HITRUST assessor, which lets a company run several attestations against one evidence set. It also offers penetration testing alongside, with the independence separation the frameworks require.
3. Schellman
Best for: companies that need SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS and FedRAMP from a single firm.
Schellman is a CPA firm and accredited certification body that also holds PCI QSA and FedRAMP 3PAO status. It is a common choice for SaaS companies whose customers ask for several frameworks at once.
4. Coalfire
Best for: FedRAMP, PCI DSS and other regulated attestations at enterprise scale.
Coalfire is a FedRAMP 3PAO and PCI QSA with a large compliance practice, plus offensive security services. Frequently chosen by companies selling into government and by large payment processors.
5. Prescient Assurance
Best for: SOC 2 and ISO 27001 for startups and growth-stage SaaS.
A CPA firm focused on SOC 2 and ISO 27001 attestation for smaller technology companies, often working through compliance automation platforms. Attestation only; the penetration test comes from elsewhere.
6. Insight Assurance
Best for: SOC 2, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS attestation for SaaS companies.
A CPA firm offering SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS and HIPAA assessments, and another common name in the partner directories of the compliance platforms.
7. Sensiba
Best for: companies that want their SOC 2 from a full-service accounting firm.
Sensiba is a CPA and advisory firm with a SOC attestation practice, a fit for companies that already use an accounting firm for other work and want the attestation under the same roof.
8. KirkpatrickPrice
Best for: SOC 2, PCI DSS and HIPAA audits with a hands-on auditor relationship.
A CPA firm and PCI QSA with a long record in SOC, PCI and HIPAA audits, known for direct auditor involvement rather than a portal-only experience.
9. Kroll
Best for: regulated enterprises that want technical assessment from a global risk brand.
Kroll’s cyber practice sits inside a global risk advisory firm with a large incident response operation. Technical security assessments, not framework attestation, and priced for enterprises.
10. NCC Group
Best for: large, global technical security audits, including hardware and cryptography.
One of the largest independent security consultancies, with deep research and assurance practices across software, hardware and cryptographic review. Enterprise procurement and enterprise pricing.
How to actually pick from this list
- Decide which audit you are buying. If the outcome is a certificate or an attestation report, you need a CPA firm, certification body or QSA (entries 2 through 8). If the outcome is a list of exploitable findings, you need a testing firm (1, 9, 10).
- Check independence. Frameworks and auditor ethics rules limit an assessor’s ability to audit controls it designed or tested. If one firm offers both, ask how the wall works.
- Ask for the sample. A testing firm should show you a redacted report before you sign; ours is on the sample report page. An assessor should show you a sample attestation letter.
- Get the price in writing before the scoping call. Published prices are rare in this market. Where they do not exist, get a fixed quote, not a day-rate estimate; see how much a penetration test costs for what the numbers should look like.
- Sequence it. Test first, then attest. An assessor who finds the critical vulnerability is an assessor who writes it into the report.
Frequently asked questions
Is a penetration test a cybersecurity audit? It is the technical kind. It does not produce a SOC 2 or ISO certificate, but every one of those audits expects a recent test in the evidence.
Can the same company do my penetration test and my SOC 2 audit? Some firms offer both, with separate teams. Many companies prefer two vendors so the tester has no reason to soften a finding and the auditor has no reason to overlook one.
How much does a security audit cost? Penetration testing has published prices at some firms, including ours. Attestation fees are quoted per engagement and depend on scope, number of frameworks and company size. Our guide to the difference between a security audit and an assessment explains what each fee buys.
How often should the technical audit happen? At least annually, and after significant changes. Our frequency guide by framework has the requirement for each standard.
The short version
Buy the technical audit from a testing firm and the attestation from an assessor, in that order. Both should show you a sample before you sign, and the testing firm should show you a price. If you want the technical half at a fixed price with a report built for your assessor, scope an engagement.
Written by
Invadel Team
Senior penetration testers writing from real engagements, the same team that scopes, tests, and reports for our clients. About Invadel →