
Penetration Testing Experts
matched in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with the power of AIHire experts who uncover exploitable weaknesses, validate security controls and deliver clear remediation plans across web applications, APIs, cloud environments and internal networks. FRATCH connects you with vetted, available freelancers through fast, precise matching.
Meet FRATCH Experts who have recently used Penetration Testing
Andreas R.
Last position:
Freelance Information Security Consultant at A-R-C Andreas Rühl Consulting
Development and implementation of customized information security strategies
Introduction and further development of ISMS according to ISO 27001, BSI-Grundschutz and other standards
Risk management and preparation of security concepts
Consulting for KRITIS, PCI DSS, TISAX and VdS 3473/10000
Establishment and optimization of security organizations
Creation and implementation of policies, guidelines, work instructions and process descriptions
Audit support and certification preparation
Delivery of training sessions, workshops and awareness campaigns
Selection and consulting for the introduction of IT security solutions such as SIEM, DLP, IDS/IPS, firewalls and encryption technologies
Conducting penetration tests and vulnerability analyses
Consulting on the selection, integration and management of security architectures in complex IT environments
Consulting on ITSM, managed security services and SOC
Management and coordination of complex projects to improve information security
Process analysis, optimization and management according to ITIL, ISO 27001 and cybernetics
Introduction and quality assurance of management, documentation and knowledge management systems
Support in complying with regulatory information security requirements (e.g. GDPR, HIPAA, SOX, GMP, KRITIS)
Development and implementation of risk analysis procedures
Organization of initial response, forensic investigations and organizational measures in security incidents
Design and delivery of targeted workshops on topics such as ISMS, IT risks and current threat scenarios
Awareness campaigns to promote a security culture in companies
Special training on ISO 27001, BSI-Grundschutz, KRITIS and other relevant standards
Simulations and exercises to prepare for information security incidents
Interim management for leading information security projects or IT security organizations
Taking on the role of external CISO (Chief Information Security Officer)
Support in developing and implementing IT security and corporate strategies
Coaching and mentoring of managers in information security
Establishment and management of security departments, including employee recruitment and qualification
Temporary assumption of management responsibility in critical situations
Nikolaus B.
Last position:
Information Security, IS-Governance & Crossfunctional Governance at Zürich Beteiligungs-AG (Deutschland)
- Conducted security assessments for supplier qualification, business unit onboarding, and ongoing reviews of service providers and partners (Ongoing Assurance).
- Assessed technical and organizational measures (TOMs) against GDPR and information security requirements.
- Handled security reviews and approval processes in the Global Approval Navigator (OneTrust).
- Advised business units and IT on information security, security requirements, and risk-appropriate measures.
- Supported the development of SOC/SIEM processes and tools as part of the ISMS in line with ISO/IEC 27001.
- Analyzed cyber threats and coordinated security objectives and measures to address Security Findings with the SOC team.
- Monitored and assessed current security advisories and security-related metrics (KPIs).
- Reviewed, assessed risks, and approved exception requests (Security Exceptions).
- Independently analyzed and handled Security Events and supported the handling of security incidents.
- Planned and supported awareness initiatives to strengthen security awareness.
- Created, implemented, and reviewed information security policies and standards.
- Conducted protection needs analyses and gap assessments to identify security gaps and risk deviations.
- Defined and reviewed technical and organizational risk treatment measures.
- Advised on Third Party Governance with consideration of DORA, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27005, ISO/IEC 42001, and BCM in line with ISO 22301.
Rudolf E.
Last position:
Datacenter Engineer, Network & Security Administrator at International Insurance Group
Operation and further development of the network and security infrastructure.
Monitoring, analysis and resolution of network and security incidents.
Cross-departmental collaboration with other teams on operations and further development, and reporting.
Firewall vulnerability analysis.
Firewall access requests.
Troubleshooting IP communication issues on network and firewall infrastructure.
Security-critical IT infrastructure, processing of personal data, compliance with legal requirements.
Products: Palo Alto Networks Firewalls, Cisco ACI, Checkpoint Firewalls, F5
Technologies: SDN, SDWAN, Cisco EPIC, Cisco ACI
Christian F.
Last position:
Project Lead & Cyber Security Consultant at Deutsche Börse Gruppe
- Established a cyber resilience framework for AI-accelerated threats in the Frontier AI Threat Endurance (FATE) program: capability assessments, maturity assessments and gap analyses covering cyber security, operational resilience, incident response, recovery and governance, followed by target concepts and improvement measures
- Supported action owners from specification through implementation: implementation roadmaps, decision papers, management presentations and governance reporting, as well as audit- and supervision-ready documentation; managed stakeholders from IT, Information Security, Risk Management, Operational Resilience, Business Continuity and the business units
Robert F.
Last position:
Interim Group CIO / CISO at Kellenberger
- Private Equity owned precision grinding machines for Auto, Military & Aerospace – 1200 Employees
- Acting as Interim Group CIO / CISO consolidating Global IT back to Europe – M&A consolidation
- Managed major Security event and post event cleanup – Reporting to regulators
- Performed Vendor & Contract Management – full assessment of capabilities
- Guided Infrastructure refresh & Security Hygiene assessments
Carsten-Patrick D.
Last position:
Senior Specialist at DB Systel GmbH
- Patch management and system hardening for Linux and Windows via AWS Systems Manager, including Maintenance Windows; image pipelines (AWS Image Builder), Ansible, and PowerShell DSC
- IT security & compliance: IAM/KMS/MFA, secrets management, Policy-as-Code (Checkov, tfsec, cfn-nag), AWS Config, CloudTrail, and Security Hub; infrastructure security audits, internal audits, penetration tests, and incident response exercises
- Analysis of cloud security reports and implementation of preventive measures; automated security and compliance tests; backup strategies using snapshots and S3 Glacier
- Administration of multiple AWS accounts (VPCs) with up to 2.500 Linux and Windows servers and hybrid networks
- Automation using Terraform, OpenTofu, CloudFormation, Ansible, and PowerShell DSC; CI/CD with GitLab CI and GitHub Actions
- Planning of rollouts, upgrades, and lifecycle management for key components; coordination with DevOps, security, and development teams; preparation of concepts and decision papers
Toralf C.
Last position:
IT Consultant in PKI Software Development at BWI
- Implementation of a full-stack application with Angular as frontend framework and Java as backend language
- Use of the Swagger OpenAPI specification for REST communication between frontend and backend applications
- Control of a card printer via the Nexus Card SDK framework
- Design and implementation of card management software with web interface and JavaFX module for printer monitoring
- Use of Cucumber tests for test automation and creation of test artifacts for testing outside the development environment
- Use of Wireshark for network investigations to analyze the API of a third-party product and to check the REST API of the self-developed software
Nasif M.
Last position:
Solution Architect at SAP
Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform
Scope:
- Operation and configuration of the Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform, including network, storage, and security design.
- Implementation of centralized observability solutions (Prometheus, Grafana, alerting).
- Development of CI/CD pipelines, GitOps workflows, and automation frameworks.
- Training and enablement of operations and development teams.
Result: Accelerated service delivery, transparent operational metrics, and sustainable knowledge transfer.
Krisztián K.
Last position:
Smart Device Automation at ITZBund
- Ticket automation for smart devices; SharePoint
- Python, JavaScript, Java, Gradle
- CI/CD Git pipeline and secure programming
Tobias S.
Last position:
Project Manager SAP S/4 HANA Public Cloud at TIMETOACT Group
To achieve savings and optimize compliance, apps were restructured in line with the mappings in identity management, restrictions were defined and, above all, costs resulting from overuse were reduced. Communication with stakeholders, validation of authorizations with users and technical implementation in the SAP FI/CO and Sourcing & Procurement modules created significant added value for the group. This also included the corresponding documentation for the auditors.
Markus O.
Last position:
Lead E-Solution Architect & Senior Requirements Engineer at Zasterbot-Oracle
- Clarification of project objectives, scope and the target business vision for building the AI-based knowledge database.
- Derivation of the initial architecture and implementation strategy for the Zasterbot chatbot, including separation of the MVP and further development stages.
- Development of a target business vision for building a structured knowledge database and integrating a future chatbot.
- Derivation and prioritization of use cases for information retrieval and provision by the chatbot.
- Modeling of data structures and flows for the effective organization of the knowledge database on the Base44 platform.
- Design and implementation of data models for storing and linking relevant information.
- Development of processes for extracting, analyzing and preparing raw data for the knowledge database.
- Ensuring data consistency and quality as the basis for the future chatbot.
- Planning the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for precise and context-specific answers.
- Implementation of functions for analyzing and displaying data from the knowledge database.
- Use of the Base44 platform with JSON Schema-based entities and a flexible permission concept.
- Implementation of Deno functions for backend logic, event processing and connecting external APIs.
- Integration of OpenAI services for initial data analysis.
Timo T.
Last position:
Gronic Ident & Sign at Gronic Systems GmbH
Gronic Ident & Sign
Core technologies: Android, Jetpack Compose, Retrofit, Regula Document Reader, Adobe Sign
Android app on dedicated devices for identifications and electronic signatures at the PoS
Mert B.
Last position:
Freelancer at Freelancer
Consulting in testing
- Development and implementation of a test strategy for structured quality assurance
- Consulting on the setup and optimization of test processes
- Support in introducing QA standards
Alicja W.
Last position:
Integrated security and emergency documentation for a 24/7 logistics company at Mid-sized logistics company
- Creation of complete bilingual (DE/EN) security and emergency documentation: Business Continuity Plan / Disaster Recovery Plan, Incident Response Plan v2.0 with four case-specific playbooks (PICERL), access control policy, Vulnerability Management Policy, Business Resilience Programme, Risk Governance Plan
- Consolidation into an integrated emergency manual (12 chapters) with immediate checklists for six emergency scenarios, a prioritized action table and a formal approval structure
- Review and documentation of the applicability of NIS2 and HinSchG, including the legal reasoning for non-applicability
- Processing of a penetration test report (Greenbone) with complete remediation of all findings and formal risk acceptance of a residual risk with a documented compensating control
Christian D.
Last position:
Managing Director and Senior Consultant at business-security (b-sec®) GmbH
- Strategic consulting for securing business processes
- Consulting on the planning and implementation of IT and IT security projects
- Security and policy checks, process optimization, emergency planning
- Project management and interim management in IT infrastructure and information security
Overview of relevant projects:
- 2026: Analysis and assessment of an IT security architecture in terms of its existing design and the components in use. Development of proposed solutions to maximize security and reduce complexity. Development of a Zero Trust strategy and IT security architecture for DG Nexolution EG.
- 2026: Continuation of the projects listed below for Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Norddeutsche Landesbank.
- 2025: Consulting on a DLP concept for Digid GmbH.
- 2025: Advised a customer following a cybersecurity attack in which the IT infrastructure was compromised and the attacker gained M365 tenant admin rights. Investigation and recovery of the IT infrastructure. Preparation of recommendations to improve IT security.
- 2025: Continuation of the projects listed below for Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Norddeutsche Landesbank.
- 2024: Development of a DNS concept, including consulting on DNS strategy and technology, DNS design, DNS security, load balancing, reverse lookup zones and automation. Development of a DHCP concept, including consulting on DHCP design, a central DHCP management system and automation. Consulting on the operation of the relevant products, their operating processes, and updates to IT documentation and IT service descriptions for Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
- 2024: Assessment of the current state and evaluation of the network and security infrastructure established by the providers in terms of the overall architecture, including its design and components. Development of proposed solutions to improve current operations, maximize performance and security, and reduce complexity. Presentation of the findings to C-level management, including their causes and possible solutions, with the required decision documents. Development of a SASE concept based on a Zero Trust architecture for Norddeutsche Landesbank.
- 2024: Continuation of the projects listed below for Atlas GmbH and Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG.
- 2023: Consulting on addressing findings from an IT security assessment of the IT infrastructure; conducting proof-of-concepts for DDoS protection and Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) with Zscaler (ZIA, ZPA & ZDX); developing a new security architecture based on Zero Trust; redesigning a Cisco ISE implementation; and designing a DNS security solution to protect guests and financial advisors for Atlas GmbH / Deutsche Vermögensberatung AG.
- 2023: Continuation of the projects listed below for Digid GmbH, Vaillant Group GmbH (until 09/2023), the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (until 05/2023), and Union Investment IT-Services GmbH (until 07/2023).
- 2022: Development and review of white papers for infrastructure and security architectures; planning new network infrastructures for the German Aerospace Center.
- 2022: Development of a concept for the technical and process-based modernization of a disaster recovery plan for United Nations Volunteers.
- 2022: Development of a concept for moving measurement data to a cloud environment, implementing Network Access Control, and delivering an awareness training session for Digid GmbH.
- 2022: Development of a network segmentation concept for DZ Hyp AG.
- 2022: Development of a network segmentation concept for the Federal Employment Agency.
- 2021: Development of a new load balancer architecture for Bundeswehr Fuhrparkservices GmbH.
- 2021: Vulnerability scan and penetration test of a web frontend, including analysis and recommendations for remediation based on risk and likelihood of occurrence for customer ifi GmbH.
- 2021: Consulting, solution design and sub-project management for the introduction of a Network Access Control solution (certificate authentication and MAC address bypass) and macro-segmentation (area and zone concept based on dynamic endpoint assignment) for office and production IT for customer Vaillant Group GmbH.
- 2021: Upgrade and optimization of the LAN and WLAN infrastructure for customer United Nations Volunteers.
- 2021: Development of a target concept for modernizing the IT security infrastructure, including the DMZ (Cisco switches, firewalls, WSA, ESA, SMA), internet access, admin and management networks, and wireless LAN, including support for implementation for the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources.
- 2021: Development of a micro-segmentation concept based on Cisco DNA and SGT and Zero Trust for Union Investment IT-Services GmbH.
- 2021: Review and update of ISMS Level 3 policies and development of procedures for customer Software AG.
- 2021: Project management for the global Tec-Refresh project Meraki WLAN 2.0, coordination of the outsourcing of the LAN/WLAN infrastructure to a managed service provider, and development of a WLAN concept for automated guided vehicles for customer Heraeus Infosystems GmbH.
- 2021: Project management and technical support for a customer's “Transition of SIEM/SOC Services” project to a shared environment, and taking on the interim role of Head of Security Operations at customer Datagroup SE.
- 2021: Workshop on a future Mobile Device Management implementation for customer Allgeier Experts Go GmbH.
- 2021: Sub-project management for the introduction of a firewall rule management tool and recertification of NAC endpoints based on 802.1x and MAB for customer Union Investment IT-Services GmbH.
- 2020: Development of a network segmentation concept for two data centers based on Cisco and VMware for Aareon AG.
- Assessment and analysis of the current network architecture, including project initiation.
- Development of a concept for micro-segmentation in the data center and access network.
- 2020: Infrastructure and security architecture audit for customer Stuttgarter Versicherung AG.
- Analysis of the IT infrastructure and IT security architecture in terms of the configuration of network and security components. Additional review of contracts, process descriptions and manuals for completeness. Recommendations to improve infrastructure stability and operations. Development of a network segmentation concept and project management for implementing the measures identified in the analysis project.
- 2020: Consulting on setting up an ISMS-Light for customer Josera foodforplanet GmbH & Co. KG.
- 2020: Security architecture consulting for customer Datagroup SE.
- Development of a future IT infrastructure and IT security architecture.
- Assessment of the current IT architecture across all 23 companies.
- Recommendations for optimizing the IT infrastructure and a comparison of the traditional perimeter security concept with the Zero Trust model.
- Development of a security zone concept.
- Development of an IT infrastructure architecture in coordination with all companies.
- 2018 - 2019: Stream Lead in the cybersecurity program of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
- Responsible for designing and implementing 9 projects in IT security infrastructure and user access management, as well as managing project leads and experts.
- Project area: Network Segmentation and Access-Control.
- Project area: Security Architecture.
- Project area: Privileged, Identity & Access Management.
- Project area: Simplify User Authentication (MFA).
- Project area: Mobile & Endpoint Security.
- Project area: OT-Security.
- Project area: E-enabled Aircraft.
- 2018: Security architecture consulting for customer Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
- Project management for the development, evaluation and management of the company-wide information security architecture.
- Development of a security strategy and roadmap to align the security architecture with the Zero Trust model.
- Evaluation of security solutions, services and tools available on the market.
- Definition of requirements for RfPs and evaluation of bids.
- Development, maintenance and monitoring of security architecture artifacts.
- Conducting security assessments of existing and new IT systems and security services.
- 2018: ISMS consulting for customer GLS IT Services GmbH.
- Consulting on the introduction and initial operation of an ISMS based on ISO27001.
- Auditing the IT environments of GLS subsidiaries.
- Analysis and assessment of IT security risks and identification of required measures.
- Development of proposed solutions in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
- Project management and handover of the ISMS for ongoing operations.
- 2016 - 2018: Security Pre-Sales Consultant for customer Cisco Systems GmbH.
- Strategic and solution consulting for major enterprise customers and financial and insurance customers across Germany on Cisco and Meraki security products and services, such as Firepower, WSA, ESA, Stealthwatch and ISE.
- 2017 - 2018: Design and setup of an ISMS for customer Verivox GmbH.
- Conducting various BIAs and GAP analyses.
- Development of security policies based on ISO 2700x.
- Took on the interim role of Information Security Officer.
- 2017: Development of an emergency plan for VPV Lebensversicherungs-AG.
- Review and update of the IT emergency handbook.
- 2016: Consulting and project management for the design of cloud and hosting services for customer Vodafone Group Services GmbH.
- Analysis and optimization of the sell-build-run process.
- Development of detailed-level designs for cloud products.
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Statistics of experts using Penetration Testing
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
18 years

Position duration
2 years

Positions per freelancer
14

Top business areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Quality Assurance

Top industries
Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Professional Services

Certification focus areas
Information Technology, Project Management, Product Development
Bachelor's degree or higher
93%
Master's degree or higher
58%
Doctorate
7%

Certifications per freelancer
6

Most common languages
English, German, French

Speak two or more languages
99%
Based on our profile pool as of 5 Nov 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of experts in this technology are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows the share of experts charging within that range.
Average rates of experts using Penetration Testing
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 5 Nov 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Penetration Testing experts industry focus
See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.
- Information Technology (97%)
- Banking and Finance (54%)
- Professional Services (50%)
- Manufacturing (43%)
- Automotive (41%)
- Healthcare (41%)
- Government and Administration (33%)
- Telecommunication (32%)
Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.
About the technology
Purpose and scope
Penetration testing is an authorized security assessment that simulates realistic attacks against applications, infrastructure, networks or people. The goal is to prove which weaknesses can be exploited, understand their business impact and give teams practical ways to reduce risk. It is also called a pentest, ethical hacking or security testing.
Common assessments
Professionals adapt the assessment to the target, access level and threat model. Typical work includes:
- Web application and API testing for authentication, authorization, input validation and business logic flaws
- External and internal network assessments covering exposed services, segmentation and privilege paths
- Cloud, container and identity reviews across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Kubernetes
- Mobile application, wireless, social engineering and red-team exercises where authorized
Tools and methods
A strong engagement combines manual reasoning with carefully controlled tooling. Specialists may use Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Nmap, Metasploit, Wireshark, BloodHound and custom scripts, while mapping findings to OWASP Testing Guide, OWASP API Security Top 10, PTES or relevant industry practices. They preserve evidence without disrupting production systems.
When companies engage experts
Companies bring in freelance specialists before a product launch, after a major architecture change or as part of recurring assurance work. External expertise can add an independent view when internal teams lack offensive security capacity, need a focused assessment or must validate remediation. Clear rules of engagement protect systems, users and confidential data.
Deliverables and collaboration
A professional assessment starts with scope, objectives, test windows, contacts and escalation rules. Deliverables usually include an executive summary, technical findings, reproduction evidence, risk context, remediation guidance and a retest report. Remote work suits many assessments through secure access and coordinated testing; on-site work may help with physical, wireless or social engineering exercises.
What good looks like
Quality depends on disciplined testing, useful evidence and accurate judgment rather than a long list of scanner results. Look for professionals who can explain attack paths to both technical and business audiences, distinguish exploitable risk from theoretical exposure and protect sensitive data throughout the engagement. They should communicate limits clearly and verify fixes during retesting.
Frequently asked questions
Everything clients usually want to know about Penetration Testing, in one place.
Penetration Testing uses authorized attack techniques to find and validate weaknesses in applications, APIs, networks, cloud environments and identities. The result helps a company prioritize fixes based on realistic attack paths and business impact.
A pentest combines automated discovery with manual investigation and controlled exploitation. A vulnerability scan may identify possible issues, while penetration testing confirms what can be reached, chained or abused and documents the evidence.
Ethical hacking is a broad term for authorized security work, while a standard penetration test focuses on defined systems and objectives. Red teaming is usually more adversarial and goal-driven, often testing detection and response as well as technical defenses.
A strong Penetration Testing specialist often brings application security, cloud security, identity management, scripting and threat modeling skills. Clear reporting, secure evidence handling and knowledge of software delivery processes are equally important.
Penetration Testing needs a clear scope, authorization, test accounts, technical contacts and agreed rules for handling sensitive findings. The depth of expertise required depends on the systems, access model, business criticality and objectives, not simply on the size of the environment.
Penetration Testing is often completed remotely through controlled access, test accounts, VPNs and agreed communication channels. On-site collaboration can be valuable for physical security, wireless assessments, social engineering or environments that cannot be accessed securely from outside.
A good pentest report links each finding to affected assets, realistic impact, reproducible evidence and practical remediation. It should separate confirmed vulnerabilities from observations, explain limitations and include a retest outcome when fixes have been applied.
Ethical hacking requires written authorization, defined boundaries, careful handling of credentials and an escalation process for critical discoveries. Experienced professionals avoid unnecessary disruption, minimize sensitive data collection and keep a clear record of actions, evidence and client decisions.
The average hourly rate of freelancers who have used Penetration Testing in their recent projects is 105 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 836 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers who have used Penetration Testing in their recent projects, 93% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 58% hold at least a Master's degree, and 7% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers who have used Penetration Testing in their recent projects have 18 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2 years.
The most common languages among freelancers who have used Penetration Testing in their recent projects are English (99%), German (98%), and French (15%).
The most common industries among freelancers who have used Penetration Testing in their recent projects are Information Technology (97%), Banking and Finance (54%), and Professional Services (50%).
The most common business areas among freelancers who have used Penetration Testing in their recent projects are Information Technology (99%), Project Management (70%), and Quality Assurance (69%).
Main locations of FRATCH Experts, who have recently used Penetration Testing
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home all over Germany — available on-site in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and every major business hub, or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
In Austria our freelancers and interim experts support companies from Vienna to Graz — on-site where your project needs them, or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Across Switzerland our specialists are active in Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern — working on-site or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Countries:
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