Where it starts
Public-facing portals, remote access for drivers, warehouse Wi-Fi and supplier integrations all create entry points. Most go untested for years.
What it costs
Unpatched and misconfigured systems are the most common ransomware entry point in the UK SME market.
How we work
We run authenticated and unauthenticated scans across your internal and external estate, validate the findings by hand to remove false positives, and give you a prioritised fix list.
What it really costs to wait
Unpatched systems are the easiest way into an SME. The cost is rarely visible until an automated scanning attack finds the same gap and uses it.
Internal IT teams know patching matters but rarely have the bandwidth to do it consistently. The gap between knowing and doing is where most incidents land.
What you will be able to say in 90 days
- Authenticated scans across servers, endpoints and key applications
- Findings prioritised by exploitability and business impact, not raw CVSS
- Quarterly cadence that detects new exposure within weeks, not years
- Evidence pack for insurer, customer and Cyber Essentials assessor
A scenario from the field
Context
A logistics SME with 60 endpoints, two on-premises servers, a hosted WMS and a customer portal exposed to the internet.
Trigger
A known vulnerability in the customer portal is published. The internal IT team plans to patch in the next maintenance window.
Consequence
Automated scanning finds the gap before the maintenance window. The attacker establishes access and lingers for weeks.
With DefendVista
A DefendVista programme would have flagged the exposure within 24 hours of disclosure, prioritised it above other work, and either patched or compensated for it before exploitation became likely.
What you get
- Eliminate the noise: only real, exploitable findings
- Clear retest after remediation, included as standard
- Evidence to satisfy customer security questionnaires
- Quarterly cadence available for higher-risk operations
How an engagement runs
- 01
Scope
Agree systems, IPs, applications and testing windows.
- 02
Scan
Authenticated and unauthenticated scans across the agreed scope.
- 03
Validate
Manual triage to remove false positives and confirm real risk.
- 04
Report and retest
Plain-English report, executive summary and retest after fixes.
Is this the right fit?
- Businesses with public-facing portals or supplier integrations
- Organisations preparing for Cyber Essentials Plus
- Any SME that has not had an independent technical review in 12 months
Common questions
Is this a penetration test?+
Vulnerability assessment is broader and lighter touch. We also offer targeted penetration testing for specific applications when needed.
Will it disrupt our systems?+
No. Scans are throttled and scheduled around your operational windows.
How quickly do we get the report?+
Draft findings within 5 working days, final report within 10.
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Book a free 30-minute consultation. No sales pitch, no obligation. Just clear answers about where your business is exposed and what to do first.