Citizen Services Portal Penetration Testing
CREST-accredited penetration testing for local authority citizen services portals, government self-service platforms, and the planning, licensing and benefits portals built on the GOV.UK Design System. We test whether one resident can view or change another resident’s case, whether household links and delegated authority are enforced correctly, and how identity verification, GOV.UK One Login and the casework system behind the portal hold up under attack. Fixed quote in 24 hours.
- Unlimited retesting
- Unlimited pre-retesting
- No hidden fees
“I would highly recommend EJN Labs to any organisation seeking reliable, detailed, and well-managed penetration testing services, particularly for government or enterprise-level projects.”
“There wasn’t another company we could find that could deliver what we needed in the timeframe we needed. The client loved it, and we got instant ROI from the engagement.”
areas of scrutiny run through every citizen services and casework engagement: citizen identity, case confidentiality, delegated authority, high-volume records, third-party access and service continuity.
Citizen Identity and Case Privacy Are the Tests Your Portal Needs
Citizen identity and household links. Every request into a citizen services portal has to be checked against the resident who owns it, not just the person logged in. We test identity verification, GOV.UK One Login and other login integrations, household links between family members, and delegated authority for a parent, carer or appointee acting on someone else’s behalf, because a single path that skips the ownership check exposes another resident’s case.
Casework and case privacy. Behind the public-facing portal sits the casework system: social care casework, investigations and complaints handling. We test case assignment, sensitive notes, attachment access, bulk exports and the third-party access given to delivery partners and other departments, because case confidentiality depends on every one of those paths, not just the login screen.
GOV.UK front ends and integrations. Planning, licensing and benefits portals are commonly built on the GOV.UK Design System, with GOV.UK One Login handling authentication and address-lookup services filling in forms. We test the form handlers, validation logic and the APIs connecting the service to other departments and case-management suppliers, alongside the resilience that keeps the service available to the residents who depend on it.
Who we test for. Local authorities, arm’s-length bodies, and the software vendors who build citizen-facing services and casework systems for them. Public bodies can buy our CREST testing through G-Cloud without running a separate procurement. See our public sector penetration testing page for the wider picture.
SCOPE
What We Test in a Citizen Services Portal
Citizen Self-Service Portals
Local authority self-service portals, and the planning, licensing and benefits portals residents use directly. Household links, delegated authority for parents, carers and appointees, and the case-privacy boundary between residents.
Identity Verification & GOV.UK One Login
GOV.UK One Login and other identity-verification integrations, session handling and account recovery, and whether a verified identity can be reused to view or act on someone else’s case.
Casework & Case Management
Social care casework, investigations and complaints systems behind the public front end. Case assignment, sensitive notes, attachment access, and the boundary between a caseworker’s own cases and everyone else’s.
Bulk Exports & High-Volume Records
Reporting and export functions that pull large numbers of records at once, and the access controls that decide who can run them, what they can filter, and what leaves the system.
Third-Party Data Sharing & APIs
APIs and data-sharing agreements with other departments, delivery partners and case-management suppliers. Object-level authorisation, and whether a third party can pull more than its agreed scope.
GOV.UK Design System Front Ends
Form handlers, address-lookup integrations and validation logic built on GOV.UK Frontend, and where accessibility patterns and security controls interact.
Hosting, Resilience & Service Continuity
Cloud configuration behind the citizen-facing service, and the availability risks that threaten service continuity for residents who depend on it.
OUR PROCESS
From Scope to Attestation in 4-6 Weeks
Scoping Call
30-minute technical scoping call to map the self-service portal, the casework system behind it and any GOV.UK One Login integration. Safe testing windows around resident-facing service hours. Fixed-price quote within 24 hours.
Active Testing
3-15 days of hands-on testing by CREST-certified pen testers, against non-production environments with synthetic citizen data wherever possible. Daily status updates and live findings in your client portal.
Reporting
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores, reproduction steps, screenshots, and specific remediation. 60-minute walkthrough call.
Free Retest
After remediation, we retest at no extra charge. Letter of attestation provided for audit, assurance review or supplier due diligence.
CREDENTIALS
Verified Accreditations Auditors Accept
Every credential below is independently verifiable. UK procurement teams, FCA supervisors, ISO 27001 / SOC 2 auditors, and cyber insurance underwriters all recognise these standards.
GET YOUR QUOTE
Get a CREST citizen services portal pen test quote in 24 hours
A fixed-price quote back in one business day, from a named CREST assessor. No sales pipeline, no chasing.
- CREST and IASME accredited. Testing your auditors and clients already recognise.
- Fast-track testing within 24 hours where required. Free retest of every fix included.
- Live findings via your client portal, not a four-week PDF.
- Fixed price from £3,500 for a single-role, single-app scope, agreed up front. Most engagements run £5,000 and up. No day-rate surprises.
Dan WilcocksonFounder, CelloriUnder NDA Further named references available on a scoping call.
- We reply within one business day with a fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
- You approve the scope and we book a start date, usually within 24 hours.
- Live findings land in your client portal as we test, with a free retest of every fix.
Get your fixed pen test quote in 24 hours
Quote request received
We will reply within one business day with your fixed-price quote from a named CREST assessor.
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or book a 20-min scoping call first
We reply within one business day. Your data stays with us. No newsletter signup.
COMPLIANCE READY
Reports Aligned to Every Framework
Findings map to specific control references in each framework, so your audit team submits the report directly without translation work.
NCSC Guidance
Scoped and delivered in line with NCSC penetration testing guidance.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Certified directly by us as an IASME certification body, alongside your test.
NCSC CAF / GovAssure
Objective vulnerability management evidence for CAF-aligned assurance reviews.
UK GDPR
Article 32(1)(d) evidence that you regularly test the effectiveness of your security measures.
ISO 27001
Annex A 8.8 technical vulnerability management, once you declare that control applicable.
G-Cloud
EJN Labs is a Crown Commercial Service supplier, so you can buy our testing through G-Cloud without a separate tender.
PRICING
Transparent Citizen Services Portal Pen Testing Pricing
Pricing depends on the number of user roles, casework systems and integrations in scope, including any GOV.UK One Login or address-lookup service. The day count flexes; the included deliverables stay the same across all engagements.
Depends on app complexity
Single user role, basic CRUD application, marketing website with auth. Around 5 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on app complexity
Multi-role SaaS, business application with payment integration. Around 8 to 12 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on app complexity
Multi-tenant platform, complex authorisation matrix, integration-heavy applications. Around 15 to 20 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quoteWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From Citizen Services Portal Penetration Testing
Six concrete differentiators competitors don’t all match.
CREST-Certified Testers, Verifiable
Every test by a CREST-certified pen tester (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF where applicable). Verify our company status at crest-approved.org.
24-Hour Startup, Where Required
From signed scope to active testing in a single business day for incident response, audit deadlines, or regulator-driven timelines.
Live Findings, Not 4-Week PDFs
Critical issues reported during testing through your client portal. Your team remediates while testing continues.
Audit-Ready Reports
Executive summary plus full technical report with CVSS scores and explicit framework mappings (ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, FCA SYSC).
Free Retests, Standard
Verify remediation of every finding before close-out. Letter of attestation for audit submission included. Most competitors charge £1,500-£3,000 per retest.
UK-Based CREST Testers
Every engagement performed by vetted, UK-based CREST-certified testers, matched to your needs, security clearance, and compliance scope.
FAQ
Frequently Asked
What is citizen services portal penetration testing?
Testing that checks whether a resident using your self-service portal can view, change or delete another resident’s case, whether household links and delegated authority for a parent, carer or appointee are enforced correctly, and whether the casework system behind the portal holds up to the same scrutiny.
Can you test a service built on GOV.UK Frontend and GOV.UK One Login?
Yes. We test GOV.UK Design System services with awareness of their common patterns: form handlers, address-lookup integrations, GOV.UK One Login authentication, and where accessibility and security requirements meet.
How do you test household links and delegated authority?
We map every role that can act on someone else’s behalf, such as a parent, carer or appointee, and test whether the portal enforces that relationship consistently across the user interface, the API and any linked casework record, not just at login.
Can we buy through G-Cloud?
Yes. EJN Labs is a Crown Commercial Service supplier on the G-Cloud framework, so public bodies can buy our testing through G-Cloud without running a separate procurement.
How does your testing fit GovAssure and the CAF?
GovAssure assesses government critical systems against the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework. The CAF is outcome-based: it asks for objective evidence that you manage vulnerabilities effectively, and a penetration test is one form of that evidence. Our reports provide that technical evidence; the review itself is run by the department and its assurance provider.
How do you handle citizen data during testing?
We test in non-production environments with synthetic citizen data wherever possible. Production testing needs explicit information governance approval and a restricted scope agreed in writing.
Have you tested government portals before?
Yes. See our SquareOne case study, covering two government web portals tested by EJN’s CREST team.
What’s in the report?
Executive summary (board-ready), technical report with CVSS 3.1 scores, reproduction steps, screenshots, specific remediation guidance, and a 60-minute walkthrough call. Letter of attestation issued after free retest.
Do you sign NDAs?
Yes. We sign client-supplied NDAs as standard. Engagement data is protected under our ISO 27001 (BSI-audited) information security management system.
How quickly can you start?
From signed scope to active testing in 24 hours where required. Standard pipeline is 3-5 business days from initial scoping call to test start.
Are your testers UK-based and what certifications do they hold?
Every engagement is performed by vetted UK-based CREST-certified testers matched to your engagement based on security clearance, compliance scope, and sector specialism. Testers hold CREST certifications relevant to their discipline (CRT, CCT APP, CCT INF, CCSAM).
20+ CREST-accredited testing services in one place
Web, mobile, API, cloud, AI, infrastructure, red team. Pick the test that fits your environment.
Get my citizen services portal pen test scope
Tell us about your self-service portal, casework system and any GOV.UK One Login integration. A CREST-certified pen tester will contact you within one business day with a fixed price.
