Re: pricing model for Pen-test

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Date: 16 Nov 2003 09:08:37 -0000
To: pen-test@securityfocus.com

This sounds like a good way to get totally chewed up. A fixed price also has a high risk for you, the pen-tester. The cost of that risk is built into the price. In addition, a fixed time schedule prevents "free" overruns as the client delays waiting for their network people to fix bugs while you perform your test. It also enables you to accurately and effectively staff your projects.

(Just a quick warning for those people starting their own businesses out there.)

Dave Aitel
Immunity, Inc.

>From: "Bojan Zdrnja" <Bojan.Zdrnja@LSS.hr>
>To: <pen-test@securityfocus.com>
>Subject: RE: pricing model for Pen-test
>Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 15:54:51 +1300
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>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: dave@immunitysec.com [mailto:dave@immunitysec.com]
>> Sent: Friday, 14 November 2003 11:55 p.m.
>> To: pen-test@securityfocus.com
>> Subject: Re: pricing model for Pen-test
>>
>> In-Reply-To:
>> <20031112204753.26518.qmail@sf-www3-symnsj.securityfocus.com>
>>
>>
>>
>> Any pricing based on a per-IP is bogus anyways. The client
>> knows you are doing a time-based estimate. Just say "6 Class
>> C assessment for 2 weeks is 10K" the same as a "1 Class C
>> assessment for 2 weeks" . As long as you define the scope to
>> basically be a nessus scan plus any extra time that you have
>> goes into "verification" you have all the wiggle room you
>> need. And pricing based on a time estimate is more honest, in
>> my opinion, than tried to develop some complex price scaling
>> algorithm based on scope. Your SOW should have the time limit
>> explicitly in it.
>
>I agree with Dave, a total price should depend upon time it took you to run
>the penetration test, analyze the results and create the final report (plus
>eventually presentation).
>
>The problem is that the customer usually wants a fixed price. As a rule of
>thumb, you can use OSSTM rules. However, what I usually like is that we give
>a top price to the customer (like this is the biggest price it'll cost you)
>and then, at the end, calculate used hours. Obviously, if our estimation of
>top price was correct, used hours * price per hour will be near that. If
>it's below, even better for the customer (that means we spent less time then
>we thought we'll need). On the other hand, if price is above the agreed top
>price - then we charge agreed top price and loose the rest.
>
>I think this is pretty fair to the customer, you just have to be good in
>predictions :)
>
>Regards,
>
>Bojan Zdrnja
>CISSP
>
>
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