Penetration Testing for UK Telecoms and Connectivity Providers
CREST-accredited penetration testing for UK internet service providers, mobile network operators, fixed and converged communications providers, and the resellers and MVNOs on their networks. Scoped around subscriber portals, provisioning APIs, SIM management and reseller portals, with reporting that reflects the tiered approach of the UK Telecoms Security Code of Practice.
- 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.”
tiers of UK telecoms and communications providers set out in the Code, each facing different expectations by relevant turnover.
What the Telecoms Security Code of Practice Expects
UK Telecoms Security Code of Practice. Public telecoms providers carry a legal duty under the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 and the Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regulations 2022. The Code of Practice (version 1.1, 14 July 2026) sets out the government’s preferred approach to meeting that duty. Ofcom enforces it, and the Code itself carries no pass/fail certification. gov.uk: Telecommunications Security Code of Practice.
Provider tiers. Expectations scale with relevant turnover: Tier 1 providers (£1bn and over) face the fastest timeframes, Tier 2 (£50m to under £1bn) get more time, and Tier 3 providers (under £50m) are not expected to follow the measures. Our guide sets out what each tier is typically asked to show. Penetration Testing Under the Telecoms Security CoP: What Each Provider Tier Must Show.
Testing expectations. The Code does not name penetration testing as mandatory for any tier. Regulation 14 of the Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regulations 2022 requires appropriate tests that simulate the goals and methods of a potential attacker, and Code paragraphs 13.9 to 13.11 frame testing and red team exercises as how defences are verified, stating that it is essential the testing simulates real-world attacks so far as possible. TBEST is named as a strongly recommended example, not a mandate. Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regulations 2022.
Who we test for. Internet service providers, mobile network operators, fixed and converged communications providers, and the resellers and MVNOs on their networks. We scope engagements around subscriber portals, provisioning APIs, SIM management and reseller portals: the application layer where provisioning authority, account takeover and SIM swap abuse show up.
SCOPE
What We Test for UK Telecoms and Connectivity Providers
Subscriber Portals & Self-Service
Customer-facing subscriber portals, billing dashboards and self-service account management. Account takeover, IDOR across subscriber records, session handling, and authentication and password-reset flows.
Provisioning APIs & Network Authority
Provisioning API testing against the OWASP API Top 10, plus provisioning-authority abuse: authorisation boundaries between provisioning systems and the downstream network-configuration changes they trigger.
SIM Management & SIM Swap Workflows
SIM swap workflow testing, agent-assisted swap process abuse, identity-verification bypass and porting-fraud pathways between subscriber identity and network provisioning.
Reseller & Wholesale Channel Portals
Reseller and channel-partner portal segregation, cross-reseller data leakage, delegated account-creation abuse and commission or billing tampering.
Internal Network & Active Directory
Internal AD attacks and segregation between provisioning, billing and network-operations environments. Privileged access paths to network-management systems.
External Infrastructure & Network Edge
External-facing infrastructure, network-edge devices and management interfaces exposed to the internet, in line with Regulation 14’s requirement for appropriate tests simulating an attacker.
VoIP & SIP Network Services
VoIP and SIP infrastructure serving communications providers. Call-routing manipulation, SIP registration abuse and toll-fraud pathways.
Red Team
Multi-week assume-breach engagement against threat actors known for SIM-swap and telecom-provider intrusions. Spear phishing, persistent C2, provisioning-authority abuse and SIM swap social engineering across the full kill chain.
OUR PROCESS
From Scope to Attestation in 4-6 Weeks
Scoping Call
30-minute technical scoping call. Define attack surface across subscriber, provisioning and network-management systems, rules of engagement, and safe testing windows for live network infrastructure. Fixed-price quote within 24 hours.
Active Testing
3-15 days of hands-on testing by CREST-certified pen testers, working to agreed rules of engagement around live subscriber and network systems. Daily status updates and live findings delivered to 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 as supporting evidence for your Code of Practice documentation, Ofcom engagement, or buyer 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 Telecoms 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
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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.
Telecoms Security Code of Practice
Testing and red team guidance in Code paragraphs 13.9-13.11; TBEST is named a strongly recommended example, not a mandate.
Electronic Communications (Security Measures) Regs 2022
Regulation 14 requires appropriate tests that simulate the goals and methods of a potential attacker.
ISO 27001
Annex A 8.8 technical vulnerability management, once you declare that control applicable.
UK GDPR
Article 32(1)(d) evidence that you regularly test the effectiveness of your security measures.
Cyber Essentials Plus
An assessor-led technical audit, not a penetration test. Certified directly by us as an IASME certification body.
NCSC Vendor Security Assessment (Annex B)
Vendors cannot pass, fail or comply; evidence routes include product-specific spot checks and lab-tests on the product itself.
PRICING
Indicative Engagement Pricing
Fixed-price quotes confirmed during scoping. Free retest, executive summary, walkthrough call, and letter of attestation included.
Depends on service + scope
External / web / API / mobile single-target engagement. CREST-certified delivery. Around 3 to 5 working days from kickoff to report.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on service + scope
Multi-target combined engagement (web + API + external + AD), or single complex target. Typically 7-10 days.
Get a fixed quoteDepends on service + scope
Full-stack engagement (multiple cloud accounts, hybrid AD, complex web + API + mobile). Typically 12-15+ days.
Get a fixed quoteWHY EJN LABS
What You Get From Telecoms 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
We’re a small ISP under Tier 3. Do we need a penetration test?
Tier 3 providers (relevant turnover under £50m) are not expected to follow the Code’s measures. Many carrier partners, payment providers and enterprise customers still ask for independent security testing before they will onboard you as a supplier, regardless of your Ofcom tier. A scoped test gives you that evidence.
Can you test our SIM management platform before we launch a new MVNO?
Yes. We test the SIM swap and porting workflow end to end: agent-assisted swap abuse, identity-verification bypass, and the boundary between subscriber-facing self-service and the provisioning systems that action a swap.
Do you test OSS/BSS provisioning APIs and network-configuration interfaces?
Yes. Provisioning APIs are tested against the OWASP API Top 10, with specific attention to provisioning-authority abuse: whether a compromised or over-privileged account can push network-configuration changes it should not be able to.
How does your scope change by CoP tier?
Your Ofcom tier is not something we determine, but we scope the engagement around what your tier is typically asked to show. See our tier-by-tier guide, Penetration Testing Under the Telecoms Security CoP, for what Tier 1, 2 and 3 providers commonly need to evidence.
Do you test reseller and wholesale channel portals separately from our own network?
Yes. Reseller and MVNO channel portals are tested for cross-reseller data leakage, delegated account-creation abuse and segregation from your core provisioning and billing systems.
Can you simulate SIM-swap social engineering against our support and retail staff?
Yes, as part of a red team or dedicated phishing engagement. We test whether social engineering against support or retail staff can be used to trigger an unauthorised SIM swap or porting request.
Do you also test our outsourced network operations or MSP-managed infrastructure?
Yes. Where provisioning or network management is run by an outsourced provider, we test the boundary between your systems and theirs. See our MSP penetration testing page for engagements scoped to managed service providers themselves.
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 Telecoms pen test scope
A CREST-certified pen tester will contact you within one business day with a fixed price scoped to your provider tier and systems.
