Case Study
Education Technology Provider
Safeguarded client contracts and maintained compliance through CREST-accredited annual penetration testing. New vulnerabilities identified and remediated, keeping customers satisfied and renewals secured.
At a Glance
The Challenge
A mid-sized education technology provider faced hard security requirements from its customers: annual penetration testing, conducted by a CREST-accredited firm. Without passing these tests, existing contracts risked cancellation and new opportunities would be lost to competitors.
The challenge became more urgent in late 2024 when client contracts began specifying that only CREST-accredited firms would be accepted. While they had worked with other testers previously, this requirement threatened their ability to maintain trusted relationships without switching providers.
In the education industry, the stakes are uniquely high. Students are legitimate users but also frequent attackers, motivated to manipulate systems for personal gain. This creates a hostile environment where threats are constant, insider-driven, and often overlooked by generic testing approaches.
At stake: compliance, customer renewals, and the credibility of their platform in a competitive market.
Our Solution
EliteSec stepped in as the company's long-term penetration testing partner, leveraging CREST accreditation to fully satisfy client requirements.
Engagement details:
- Annual penetration testing of the full application and supporting infrastructure
- OSINT investigation to uncover sensitive data leaks and breached credentials
- Consistent methodology with remediation advice and re-testing
- Letters of engagement provided upfront to reassure customers that testing was underway
Each engagement spanned three weeks, balancing thorough coverage with timely delivery. Findings were communicated clearly, supported by actionable remediation steps, and verified before final reporting.
Technical Approach
Results & Impact
Peace of Mind & Risk Mitigation
Independent validation removed compliance risk and strengthened customer trust
- • Eliminated risk of contract non-renewals due to compliance gaps
- • Increased customer confidence with CREST-accredited testing reports
- • Leadership gained assurance that risks were proactively identified and managed
Revenue Protection & Cost Savings
Annual testing safeguarded revenue by meeting client requirements
- • Retained contracts that might have been lost without CREST accreditation
- • Early vulnerability discovery prevented costly future incidents
- • Letters of engagement reassured customers and avoided renewal delays
Operational Continuity
Predictable testing schedule kept compliance stress-free
- • Security reviews integrated into an annual testing rhythm
- • No last-minute compliance scrambles or reactive fire drills
- • Smooth client renewals and RFP responses with shareable reports and attestations
Soft Benefits
Transparency and consistency strengthened relationships and culture
- • Stronger customer relationships built through clear reporting
- • Year-over-year methodology reinforced internal security culture
- • Sales conversations became easier with third-party attestation letters on demand
Key Takeaways for Your Business
- Accreditation matters — CREST-accredited testing isn't optional anymore, it's the new baseline for credibility.
- Compliance protects revenue — meeting customer requirements secures renewals and wins RFPs.
- Education = high-risk — when legitimate users can also be motivated attackers, thorough testing is non-negotiable.
- Independent validation builds trust — reports and attestation letters give customers proof, not promises.
- Routine testing lowers stress — annual scheduling turns security from a scramble into a business advantage.
"We had our annual pen and vulnerability testing last month and EliteSec.io did an amazing job. John gave us a schedule and hit all the targets. At the end we received a very easy-to-read report and an attestation letter we can share with our customers, and the price was great too. Thanks EliteSec.io—we'll be contacting you in the near future for our next security test!"
Facing annual compliance deadlines?
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