Bishop Fox is one of the best-known names in offensive security consulting. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, they have built a strong reputation for technical depth, research output, and work with large enterprise clients. Their EDGE research team publishes respected work on vulnerability research and attack technique development.
Lorikeet Security is a newer firm, purpose-built for the security needs of growth-stage and mid-market companies that need real adversarial testing — continuous ASM, developer-integrated PTaaS, and compliance-ready reporting — without the overhead and pricing model of a large enterprise consultancy.
Both firms do penetration testing. The question is which one is the right fit for your situation. This post covers the key differences honestly.
Company Overview
| Dimension | Bishop Fox | Lorikeet Security |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2005 | Growth-stage era firm |
| Headquarters | Tempe, Arizona (US) | Australia / Global delivery |
| Primary model | Traditional consulting + Cosmos platform | PTaaS platform + continuous ASM |
| Primary target client | Large enterprise, Fortune 500 | Seed through Series C, mid-market |
| Team size | 500+ employees | Focused team, senior-led |
| Research capability | EDGE research team, significant output | Practitioner-focused, applied research |
| Continuous testing | Via Cosmos platform (separate product) | Integrated ASM + PTaaS platform |
| Compliance support | SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, FedRAMP | SOC 2, ISO 27001, startup-stage compliance |
Testing Methodology
Both firms conduct manual penetration testing by experienced consultants. The methodology differences emerge in scope, depth, and how continuous testing is handled between point-in-time engagements.
Bishop Fox methodology
Bishop Fox's testing approach is well-documented and follows a structured offensive security methodology that covers reconnaissance, enumeration, exploitation, post-exploitation, and reporting. Their EDGE team contributes novel attack research that informs their testing techniques. They have particular depth in:
- Red team and adversary simulation engagements
- Physical security and social engineering
- Hardware and embedded systems security
- Complex enterprise active directory environments
- Application security for large, multi-tier architectures
Cosmos, their ASM platform, provides continuous asset discovery and vulnerability scanning between manual engagements. It is designed for large enterprises managing complex, constantly-changing attack surfaces across multiple business units.
Lorikeet Security methodology
Lorikeet's PTaaS model integrates continuous ASM with periodic manual testing, providing ongoing visibility into your external attack surface rather than a snapshot in time. The platform correlates asset discovery, vulnerability scanning, and manual findings into a unified view. Testing methodology emphasizes:
- API security and multi-tenant authorization testing (BOLA, BFLA, SSRF chains)
- Cloud configuration and privilege escalation (AWS, GCP, Azure)
- CI/CD pipeline and supply chain security
- Authentication and session management across modern SaaS architectures
- Developer-integrated findings — not just a PDF, but guidance that maps to your codebase
Pricing Reality
Neither firm publishes pricing on their website. Based on market data and industry conversations, here is a realistic range for comparison purposes:
Bishop Fox
- Web application pentest: $25,000–$60,000 for standard scope
- API + web combined: $40,000–$90,000
- Red team engagement: $100,000–$300,000+
- Cosmos platform: Separate annual subscription, typically $50,000+/year for enterprise
- Minimum engagement: Typically $20,000+
Lorikeet Security
- Scoped for growth-stage and mid-market budgets
- Transparent, fixed-price engagements — no hourly billing surprises
- ASM and PTaaS platform included, not sold separately
- Remediation retesting included in scope
Direct Comparison: Key Dimensions
| Factor | Bishop Fox | Lorikeet Security |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement start time | 4–8 weeks typical pipeline | 1–2 weeks typical |
| Report delivery | Detailed technical report + executive summary | Platform-native findings + exportable report |
| Remediation retesting | Typically additional cost or limited window | Included in engagement scope |
| Continuous monitoring | Cosmos (separate platform subscription) | Included — ASM integrated with PTaaS |
| Developer-facing findings | PDF report with code-level detail | Platform tickets with codebase context |
| Compliance evidence | Report format accepted by auditors | Report + compliance mapping included |
| Senior tester assignment | Varies by account tier and engagement size | Senior-led on all engagements |
| Best for | Large enterprise, complex red team, FedRAMP | Seed to Series C, mid-market, PTaaS |
When Bishop Fox Makes Sense
Bishop Fox is genuinely an excellent firm for specific use cases. We would recommend evaluating them if:
- You are a large enterprise with a $150K+ security testing budget and complex, multi-tier architecture
- You need red team and full adversary simulation — physical, social engineering, advanced persistent threat simulation
- You have FedRAMP or DoD compliance requirements that require specific accredited assessors
- Your CTO or CISO has a specific relationship with Bishop Fox consultants and wants continuity
- You need hardware or embedded systems security testing, where Bishop Fox has demonstrated expertise
- Your board or procurement team specifically requires a "name brand" firm for optics purposes
When Lorikeet Security Makes Sense
- You are a growth-stage company (seed through Series C) that needs real security, not enterprise overhead
- You want continuous attack surface monitoring between point-in-time tests, not just an annual snapshot
- Your primary testing needs are web application, API, cloud, and SaaS architecture security
- You need findings delivered in a way that developers can act on — not just a PDF that sits in a shared drive
- You are preparing for enterprise sales or Series A/B fundraising and need a clean, actionable pentest report fast
- You want transparent pricing and fixed-scope engagements without hourly billing uncertainty
- Remediation retesting within the engagement scope is important to you
Questions to Ask Any Pentest Vendor
Whether you are evaluating Bishop Fox, Lorikeet Security, or any other firm, these questions will help you cut through marketing and understand what you are actually getting:
- Who specifically will be performing my test? Ask for the resume or background of the assigned testers. The firm's brand matters less than the individual capability of the person running your engagement.
- What is your methodology for our specific scope? Ask them to describe, in technical terms, how they approach a web application test for a multi-tenant SaaS. Vague answers indicate template-based testing.
- Does remediation retesting cost extra? If you fix findings and want confirmation they are resolved before your compliance deadline, knowing the cost structure matters.
- What format will the report be in, and who is the audience? A good report serves both your engineering team and your board. Ask to see a sanitized sample.
- What happens if you find a critical vulnerability during testing? You need to know their escalation process — will they call you, email you, wait for the report?
- Can you provide a reference from a company at our stage? A reference from a $10B enterprise is not relevant if you are a 40-person startup. Ask for a reference that matches your situation.
See How We Work Before You Commit
We are happy to walk you through our methodology, show you sample reports, and give you references from companies at your stage. No sales pressure — just a transparent conversation about whether we are the right fit for your situation.
Book a Scoping Call
