HECVAT, the Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit, is the security questionnaire nearly every US college and university now requires from a software or service vendor before signing a contract. Answering it well depends on having current, credible penetration testing evidence behind the questions — not just checking boxes.
We deliver the testing that backs up a strong HECVAT response, and can help review your answers against what testing actually supports.
We test your production application, API and cloud infrastructure, and map findings directly to the sections of the HECVAT (full or Lite) that ask about vulnerability management, penetration testing history and incident response — so your questionnaire answers are backed by real, referenceable evidence.
Why it matters
A weak or unsupported HECVAT response is a common reason an edtech or SaaS vendor stalls in a university's procurement process, sometimes after months of sales effort. Universities increasingly cross-check questionnaire answers, and vague responses about "regular testing" without evidence read as a red flag to a security reviewer who evaluates these constantly.
What we test
- Production application & API penetration testing
- Cloud infrastructure & configuration review
- Vulnerability management process review
- Access control & authentication testing
- Incident response readiness validation
- HECVAT-mapped evidence summary
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- No current, independent penetration testing evidence for HECVAT responses
- Vague or unsupported answers to vulnerability management questions
- Untested incident response process
- Cloud misconfigurations that would concern a university security reviewer
- Access control gaps in systems handling student or research data
- No clear evidence trail linking claims to actual testing
Our methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your hecvat security assessment support, so testing is safe, authorized and focused on what matters to your business.
- Reconnaissance & mapping. We enumerate the full attack surface in scope, building a complete picture before any exploitation begins.
- Manual exploitation. Our senior testers chain vulnerabilities by hand — going far beyond automated scanners — to prove real, demonstrable impact.
- Analysis & reporting. Every finding is triaged, risk-rated with CVSS and written up with a copy-paste reproduction and clear remediation.
- Remediation support & free retest. We support your team through the fixes and retest the remediated issues to confirm they are genuinely closed.
Tools & techniques
We test your production application, API and cloud infrastructure, and structure the report specifically to answer the penetration testing, vulnerability management and incident response sections of the HECVAT directly, so your team can reference concrete findings and dates rather than generic assurances.
When you need this engagement
- You are an edtech or SaaS vendor completing a HECVAT for a university prospect
- A deal is stalled in procurement over security questionnaire concerns
- You need current penetration testing evidence to reference in your response
- You are renewing a contract and need updated testing evidence
- You sell into higher education regularly and want a standing testing program
What you receive
- Manual penetration test report
- HECVAT-mapped evidence summary
- Vulnerability management process review
- Incident response readiness findings
- Prioritised remediation roadmap
- Free retest with documented evidence
What’s included in your report
Every hecvat security assessment support engagement concludes with a comprehensive, board-ready report and a working session to walk your team through it. Your report includes:
- An executive summary with overall risk posture for non-technical stakeholders
- Detailed technical findings, each with a step-by-step, copy-paste reproduction
- CVSS v3.1 severity ratings and business-impact context for every issue
- Prioritized, actionable remediation guidance your engineers can apply directly
- A complimentary retest to confirm fixes and update finding status
- A formal attestation letter for customers, auditors and compliance programs
Standards & frameworks
HECVAT (Full and Lite)
NIST SP 800-115
Outcomes you can expect
After your hecvat security assessment support, you will have clear, evidence-based visibility into your real security risk — not a scanner’s guesswork. You will know exactly which weaknesses an attacker could exploit, what the business impact would be, and the precise steps to fix them in priority order. Teams use our findings to close critical gaps, satisfy customer and regulator security requirements, and demonstrate due diligence to their board. With a complimentary retest included, you also get documented proof that the issues are genuinely resolved.
Engagement details & logistics
Every hecvat security assessment support starts with a short, no-obligation scoping call to understand your goals, environment and constraints, followed by a fixed-price proposal and a clear statement of work. Most engagements are delivered fully remotely, with on-site work arranged where it genuinely adds value. Throughout testing we maintain an agreed communication cadence and escalate any critical, high-impact finding to you immediately rather than waiting for the final report. All work is performed under a signed NDA with strict data-handling controls, using safe, non-disruptive techniques and carefully coordinated rules of engagement to protect your production systems. On completion you receive your report and a walkthrough session, followed by a complimentary retest once your fixes are in place. Typical engagements are booked one to three weeks in advance, and urgent or pre-deadline testing can often be accommodated — just ask at hi@agentoffense.com.
Why organizations choose AgentOffense
Our hecvat security assessment support is delivered by senior offensive-security engineers who test the way real attackers do — manually, creatively and with a relentless focus on proving genuine, demonstrable impact. Here is what sets our engagements apart:
- Manual, exploit-driven testing that chains vulnerabilities the way a real attacker would, going far beyond what automated scanners can find.
- Reproducible proof for every finding, with copy-paste reproduction steps your engineers can follow and independently verify.
- Honest severity calibration so you invest in fixing what genuinely matters and avoid wasting effort on false positives and noise.
- Clear, business-focused reporting that speaks to engineers and executives alike, tying every issue to real-world impact.
- A complimentary retest included, so you get documented proof that your fixes actually close the attack path.
- Responsible, collaborative delivery with a named point of contact and secure handling of all data throughout the engagement.
Explore related services
HECVAT Security Assessment Support is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
How much does HECVAT Security Assessment Support cost?
Every hecvat security assessment support is scoped and priced individually, so you pay for exactly the coverage you need — with no hidden extras. After a short, no-obligation scoping call we send a fixed-price quote, usually within one business day, with clear deliverables, a firm timeline and a complimentary retest included. The price of your hecvat security assessment support depends on the size and complexity of the target and the depth of testing required, so you always know the cost up front before any work begins.
Get a fixed-price quote
Frequently asked questions
What is HECVAT?
The Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Toolkit — a standardised security questionnaire developed by EDUCAUSE and widely adopted by US colleges and universities to assess vendors before procurement.
What is the difference between HECVAT Full and Lite?
HECVAT Lite is a shorter version for lower-risk engagements; the Full version is far more detailed and typically required for vendors handling sensitive student, research or financial data.
Do you help fill out the questionnaire itself?
We focus on delivering the technical testing evidence your answers reference — we can review draft answers against what our testing actually supports, so nothing you state goes unbacked.
How often do universities expect updated testing evidence?
Typically annually, and specifically ahead of contract renewals — stale testing evidence is one of the most common reasons a renewal gets extra scrutiny.