Ransomware groups do not need a zero-day — they need one exposed service, one reused password, one flat network and one backup they can reach. A ransomware readiness assessment answers the only question that matters before it happens: if an operator got a foothold today, how far would they get, would your team notice, and could you actually recover? We test all three — the attack path, the detection, and the recovery — against the tactics real ransomware affiliates use.
This is a controlled, safe simulation. We never detonate real ransomware; we replicate the behaviours that precede it.
We combine an attacker's view with a defender's. On the offensive side we map realistic paths to domain-wide impact — initial access, privilege escalation, credential theft, lateral movement and, critically, whether an attacker can reach and destroy your backups. On the defensive side we test whether your EDR, logging and team detect and respond to each stage, and we validate that your backups are truly isolated and restorable within the recovery time you assume.
Why it matters
Most organisations discover their backups were reachable, their network was flat, or their detection was silent only after an incident — when the ransom note is already on the screen. Ransomware is now the dominant cause of serious downtime, affiliates weaponise new vulnerabilities within days, and under NIS2 and DORA a disruptive incident is also a reporting and resilience obligation. Testing readiness in advance is far cheaper than discovering the gaps live.
What we test
- Initial-access & foothold simulation
- Privilege escalation & Active Directory attack paths
- Credential theft & lateral movement
- Backup reachability, immutability & recovery validation
- Detection & response coverage (EDR, logging, SOC)
- Executive & technical tabletop exercise (optional)
Common vulnerabilities we uncover
- Backups reachable and destroyable from the domain
- Flat networks enabling fast lateral movement
- Weak Active Directory tiering and credential hygiene
- Silent gaps in detection and alerting
- Untested or too-slow recovery procedures
- Exposed, exploitable entry points on the perimeter
Our methodology
- Scoping & rules of engagement. We agree objectives, targets and boundaries for your ransomware readiness assessment, 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 emulate ransomware-affiliate TTPs mapped to MITRE ATT&CK — from initial access and Active Directory abuse to credential dumping and lateral movement — using controlled tooling and safe payload stand-ins. In parallel we assess backup architecture (immutability, isolation, offline copies), recovery procedures and detection coverage at each stage.
Optionally we run a facilitated tabletop exercise with your technical and executive teams so decision-making, communications and reporting are rehearsed, not improvised, when it counts.
When you need this engagement
- You want to know your real exposure to a ransomware event
- You are in scope for NIS2 or DORA resilience requirements
- Your insurer or board is asking about ransomware preparedness
- You have never validated that backups are isolated and restorable
- You want to rehearse incident response before a real crisis
What you receive
- Ransomware attack-path report with proven impact
- Backup and recovery resilience findings
- Detection & response gap analysis (MITRE ATT&CK mapped)
- Prioritised hardening and resilience roadmap
- Executive readiness scorecard
- Optional tabletop exercise report
What’s included in your report
Every ransomware readiness assessment 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
MITRE ATT&CK
NIST CSF
NIS2 Directive
DORA (for financial entities)
Outcomes you can expect
After your ransomware readiness assessment, 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 ransomware readiness assessment 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 ransomware readiness assessment 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
Ransomware Readiness Assessment is frequently scoped alongside our other offensive-security services for broader coverage. Explore related engagements that complement it:
- Assumed Breach Assessment — Assumed breach assessment — start from a compromised foothold to measure blast radius, lateral movement and…
- Red Team Operations — Full-scope red team operations — stealthy, objective-driven attack simulation across digital, human and physical vectors to…
- Internal Network Penetration Testing — Internal network penetration testing — lateral movement, privilege escalation and segmentation review from an assumed-breach position…
How much does Ransomware Readiness Assessment cost?
Every ransomware readiness assessment 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 ransomware readiness assessment 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
Do you deploy real ransomware on our network?
Never. We safely emulate the attacker behaviours that precede ransomware — access, escalation, lateral movement and backup targeting — using controlled tooling and payload stand-ins. No live encryption is performed.
How is this different from a normal penetration test?
A pentest finds vulnerabilities; a ransomware readiness assessment specifically models the end-to-end ransomware kill chain, then tests your backups, detection and recovery — the three things that decide whether an incident is a nuisance or a catastrophe.
Does it help with NIS2 or DORA?
Yes. The resilience, detection and recovery evidence maps directly to NIS2 and DORA operational-resilience obligations and supports your reporting posture.
Can you include a tabletop exercise?
Yes — an optional facilitated tabletop rehearses technical and executive decision-making, communications and regulatory reporting alongside the technical simulation.