VAPT Compliance Guide: ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS & GDPR

VAPT compliance mapping aligns vulnerability assessment and penetration testing activities with specific regulatory requirements. According to OWASP, 94% of applications have some form of broken access control-making VAPT a critical compliance requirement across ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI DSS, and GDPR frameworks.

Testing frequency varies by framework: PCI DSS requires quarterly ASV scans and annual penetration tests; ISO 27001 recommends at least annual VAPT with testing after significant changes; SOC 2 Type II requires continuous monitoring with quarterly testing cycles. NIST recommends risk-based frequency determination.

Vulnerability assessment uses automated tools (Nessus, Qualys, OpenVAS) to identify known vulnerabilities across your infrastructure. Penetration testing goes further-ethical hackers actively attempt to exploit vulnerabilities to demonstrate real-world attack scenarios. Most compliance frameworks require both: automated scanning for breadth and manual testing for depth.

Yes. The guide includes comprehensive coverage of RBI cybersecurity framework requirements for BFSI organizations, SEBI cyber resilience guidelines, and CERT-In reporting obligations. All testing recommendations are aligned with Indian regulatory expectations.

This guide is essential for CISOs, compliance officers, IT auditors, and security managers responsible for meeting regulatory requirements. It's particularly useful for organizations preparing for ISO 27001 certification, SOC 2 audits, or PCI DSS assessments where VAPT documentation is a key evidence requirement.

The guide covers OWASP Testing Guide v4.2, PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard), OSSTMM, and NIST SP 800-115 methodologies. Each methodology is mapped to specific compliance requirements with practical guidance on scope definition, testing execution, and evidence documentation.