Application security services your customers can trust
Our application security services find the weak points in your software and help you close them before an attacker finds them. We build protection into new projects and test live systems the way an attacker would.
Find your weak points before an attacker does
Authorised testing of your web apps, APIs, mobile apps and cloud setup.
What we test
- Web applicationsSign in, sessions, forms and payments
- APIsEach caller sees only their own data
- Mobile appsData left on phones and weak connections
- Cloud settingsOpen storage and loose permissions
- Vulnerability scansAn engineer checks every result
- RetestsEvery fix confirmed in writing
- We sign a confidentiality agreement first
- Serious findings reported to you straight away
What application security covers
Application security protects the software itself: your website, app, customer portal or internal system, and the APIs (the connections that let systems share data) behind them. Serious breaches often start with something small. A login page that lets someone guess passwords all night is enough.
If you're building something new, we practise secure software development and check for problems at each stage rather than saving them for the end. If the software already exists, we run a security audit and hand you a ranked list of fixes.
Who this service is for
- Businesses that hold personal or financial data, like card payments or health records.
- Teams with a customer's security questionnaire on their desk and no evidence to attach yet.
- Owners of older systems nobody has looked at properly in years.
- Product teams releasing every week or two who want a check built into each release.
Our application security services
Book any of these on its own or combine them, for new builds or live systems.
Secure software development
We write the protection in from the first line: checked inputs, safely stored passwords, role based access and encryption. Every change is scanned automatically.
Security audit and code review
We read your code line by line, then check your system design and cloud settings.
Penetration testing
With your written permission, we attack the system in a controlled way to see which weaknesses can really be used. You get a fix plan ranked by risk.
Monitoring and incident readiness
We set up alerts for odd sign ins and traffic spikes, and write down who does what if something goes wrong.
Security testing services
Security testing shows how your software stands up to a real attacker. You can book it on its own, just before a launch, or once a year so the evidence you show customers stays current. Our application security checklist lists what to check before a launch.
Web application testing
We try your sign in, sessions, forms and payment steps against the OWASP Top 10, logged in as each type of user you have.
API testing
We call each API endpoint to make sure it hands back only the data that caller is allowed to see, and that it can't be flooded or misused.
Mobile app testing
On iOS and Android we look for data left behind on the phone, weak links to your servers, and code someone could unpack and read.
Cloud configuration review
We check your AWS or Azure account for open storage, permissions set too wide and networks reachable from the internet.
Vulnerability assessment
An automated scan covers your systems and the libraries they use. Then an engineer checks every result, so you aren't chasing false alarms.
Retesting after fixes
When your team has made the changes, we test each finding again and confirm in writing that it's closed.
Three ways to run a test
- Black box. We start with only the web address, like an outside attacker.
- Grey box. You give us ordinary user accounts, so we can see what a signed in user could reach. Most clients choose this.
- White box. We also see the code and design, so we cover the most ground in the time available.
Safe and authorised testing
- Written approval first. We agree the scope, dates and test accounts with you and get them signed before we start.
- A copy where possible. We only touch a live system if you agree, and outside your busy hours.
- Serious findings reported at once. We tell you straight away rather than saving them for the final report.
- Your data stays yours. We delete any test data when the work ends.
Six layers of protection we check
Our starting point is the OWASP (Open Worldwide Application Security Project) Top 10, a widely used list of serious web risks.
Where weak points hide from your code to live monitoring
How a security review runs
A typical security audit takes two to four weeks. Where you land depends mostly on the size of the system.
- Agree scope and accessWe sign a confidentiality agreement and you give us limited access. We test nothing until you've approved it in writing.Days 1 to 3
- ReviewWe run automated scans, then review by hand, because tools can't spot a flaw in how your business rules work.Weeks 1 to 2
- Key stepRank and fixWe rate each finding by how likely it is and how much harm it could do. The worst get fixed first, then we test them again.Weeks 2 to 4
- Keep checks runningWe add scans to your CI/CD pipeline (the automated process that tests and releases each change) and switch on monitoring.Ongoing
On projects we build, these checks happen at each stage of our software development process, from the first design to release.
Privacy by design
Privacy by design means deciding how personal data is handled before any code is written. If a feature only needs an email address, we don't ask for a date of birth. We make it easy to export or delete a person's records. We explain each measure in plain words so your legal adviser can check it against your obligations.
How long it takes and what affects cost
You'll have a fixed estimate from us before any work begins, so you know the cost up front.
Typical length in weeks
Secure development and monitoring are ongoing.
What affects the cost
- Audit. How big your codebase is, how many environments you run, and whether any documentation exists.
- Penetration test. The number of user roles, screens and APIs we test, plus the retest afterwards.
- Fixes. How many serious findings turn up, and whether your team or ours makes the changes.
- Ongoing work. How often you release, and the hours you want covered.
Clear findings you can act on
- A security report that opens with a short summary for your managers, followed by the detail your engineers need.
- A ranked fix plan, with every finding rated by how serious it is.
- Retest results showing that each fix worked.
- Automated scans running in your release pipeline.
- An incident plan naming who does what and the first steps to take.
Results you can expect
- Fewer weaknesses reach live systems. Problems are caught before launch, while they're cheap to fix.
- Faster detection. Someone trying passwords at 3am sets off an alert.
- A calmer response. Everyone already knows their part.
- Evidence for your customers the next time they ask how their data is protected.
Security in practice
Application security questions
We work from recognised methods such as the OWASP Top 10, from the moment code is written through to monitoring after launch. We're happy to walk you through them, and help with the security questionnaires your customers send.
Yes, even if we didn't build it. We review the system as it stands and give you a ranked list of what to fix first.
An audit reads your code and settings from the inside. A penetration test attacks the running system from the outside to show which weaknesses someone could actually use. Many clients start with the audit.
We test on a copy wherever we can. If we need the live system, we agree timing and limits in writing first and steer clear of anything that could interrupt your customers.
You hear about it straight away, not in the final report. We explain what it is and what fixing it involves, then agree with you how fast to act.
We can. It can be part of the security work, or you can move on to our software maintenance and support service, which covers security patching and alerts.
Services often paired with security
Custom software development
New web and mobile apps with the security checks built in from the start.
Explore custom softwareCloud and infrastructure
AWS and Azure accounts set up with tight access and encryption from the first day.
Explore cloud servicesData and AI
Dashboards and AI features that use your data without exposing the sensitive parts.
Explore data and AIIndustries we do security work in
Security matters most in sectors where records are sensitive and the rules are written down. Finance and banking has screening and audit duties. In healthcare you have to be able to prove who opened a patient record. The public sector holds records people have no choice about handing over, and in insurance a single claim can carry health and financial details together. See all the industries we work in.
Find out where your risk sits
Tell us what you need protected. We're happy to sign a confidentiality agreement first.