What is a Website Vulnerability Assessment?
A FireOak website vulnerability assessment is a hands-on review of a website’s security posture. We examine all components of your website—internally and externally—to gain a complete understanding of your site's ecosystem, including factors that may impact its security. This comprehensive approach is often referred to as a “white box” assessment.
What’s the difference between a penetration test and a vulnerability assessment?
“Penetration tests” and “vulnerability assessments” are often confused, but they are distinct services. Read our full explanation of the difference between the two, when to conduct each type of assessment, and which might be the best fit for your organization. (Spoiler: it’s likely a vulnerability assessment!)
What platforms do you assess in website vulnerability assessments?
FireOak conducts website vulnerability assessments for nearly any website platform. While many of our clients use WordPress, we have experience with Squarespace, Wix, Drupal, Kraft, and custom-developed sites using a range of programming languages and tools.
How long does it take to conduct a website vulnerability assessment?
- WordPress sites: 4–6 weeks once we begin
- Other CMS: timing varies depending on details
- Custom-developed sites: typically 6–8 weeks or longer, depending on complexity
Our organization doesn’t have a dedicated IT team. Will we be able to understand your recommendations?
Many of the small businesses and nonprofits we work with do not have dedicated IT staff. We ensure our reports are accessible to non-technical teams and will review all recommendations with you, answering questions as needed.
Why do you need administrative credentials to our hosting provider’s portal?
FireOak conducts “white box” vulnerability assessments to evaluate your site’s entire ecosystem. Admin credentials allow us to thoroughly examine all components and identify security influences from interconnected systems, delivering a comprehensive analysis.
Do we need to stop work on our website while FireOak is conducting this website vulnerability assessment?
No. Your team may continue adding content or managing day-to-day operations. If you are planning major infrastructure changes, please inform us beforehand.
If we’re getting ready to do a big overhaul of our website, should we wait until after that to do a website vulnerability assessment?
It depends. If you’re retaining the same hosting provider and platform, it’s often beneficial to conduct an assessment before the overhaul to inform your updates. If you’re switching to a new CMS or making substantial infrastructure changes, waiting until after the migration may be best. Let us know what you’re planning, and we can advise on timing.
I work for a nonprofit organization; we don’t have a huge budget. What do most of your remediation recommendations cost to implement?
Many of our recommendations involve configuration changes or adjustments you can make with your current resources, often at no added cost. We tailor recommendations to your organization’s risk, size, and resources, and most clients are able to implement our guidance within limited budgets.
Our organization has multiple websites. How should we proceed?
Let us know which sites you’d like assessed. If hosted on the same provider, we may evaluate multiple sites simultaneously. For different platforms or providers, we can discuss whether to assess them individually or bundle them.
What’s the price of a website vulnerability assessment?
Pricing depends on platform, complexity, and scope. We offer discounts for nonprofits, small businesses, and certain types of assessments. Contact us for tailored details.
Have more questions about a website vulnerability assessment?
Reach out to the FireOak team. We're happy to discuss.
