HackproofHacks

#3 Feedspot Top 35 Ethical Hacking Influencers · 2026

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HackproofHacks does manual penetration testing of web applications and APIs. Every engagement is tested by hand, and you leave with a report your engineers can actually fix things from, plus a call to walk through it together.

Limited assessment slots each month, now booking · 1 business-day response
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0+ Years finding real bugs
0K+ Hackers trained
0K+ Community following
OWASP-aligned methodology /Tested personally by Hassan Ansari /Executive + technical report /Free remediation debrief /1 business-day response
01 Services

What we test

Every engagement ends the same way: severity-ranked findings, reproduction steps, and remediation guidance written for the people who will do the fixing.

02 Method

How an engagement runs

The process is deliberately simple. You always know what phase we're in, and you hear about critical findings the day we confirm them.

  1. 01

    Scoping call

    We agree on targets, test accounts, timing, and rules of engagement. Usually 30 minutes.

  2. 02

    Testing

    Manual testing over one to three weeks depending on scope. You get a heads-up the moment anything critical turns up, not at the end.

  3. 03

    Report

    Severity-ranked findings with reproduction steps, CVSS scores, and fixes written for the engineers who will apply them.

  4. 04

    Debrief & retest

    A free 60-minute walkthrough of the report. Critical and high findings are retested after you fix them, at no extra charge.

Free tools

Check your own exposure

Built for our own recon work, free for anyone to use. No signup, and your results are never stored.

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Training

Learn to do this work

Live teaching, real labs, and a curriculum built from ten years of actual engagements. Over 10,000 learners so far.

In their words
“I really enjoyed learning with you. You explain things in a very simple manner and give exercises so I can also learn with hands-on experience. If I have any doubts, you always take the time to explain them in a better way. I've also started understanding the tools and concepts much better, and even if I miss a class, I get to watch the recorded session. Thank you!”
Harika Mentorship Student, India
“I really appreciate the way the sessions were organized — the explanations were clear, and the pace of the lessons was just right, making it easier to grasp even the more complex topics. The learning process is much easier and engaging. Overall, it's been a great learning experience, and I really appreciate the effort put into making the lessons both interactive and easy to follow.”

Ishank Nain

Mentorship Student, Studying in the UK

“Everything is going really well and I'm really enjoying it. I really like the way you explain things — you're clear, calm, patient, and you make the subject interesting and easy to follow. It's obvious that you prepare well and care about our pace, which makes a big difference. Thanks for making me feel so comfortable!”

Marianna Susloparova

Mentorship Student, Portugal

Writing

From the blog

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The founder

About Hassan

Hassan Ansari has spent over ten years finding vulnerabilities in production web applications, APIs, and infrastructure. He runs every HackproofHacks engagement personally, teaches the training programmes live, and writes up what he learns for a community of more than 212,000 followers.

“Security isn't a product you buy. It's a process you build — one vulnerability, one fix, one lesson at a time.”
Read Hassan's story
Experience
10+ years
Learners trained
10,000+
Community
212K+ followers
Recognition
#3 Feedspot 2026
Methodology
OWASP-aligned
FAQ

Common questions

How do I know if my application needs a penetration test?

If your application handles user data, payments, authentication, or any sensitive information — it needs a penetration test. Regulatory frameworks (PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2) often mandate them. Even if compliance doesn't require it, the cost of a penetration test is a fraction of the average cost of a data breach. We recommend testing before major releases, after significant architectural changes, and at least annually for production applications.

What makes manual penetration testing better than automated scanning tools?

Automated scanners identify known, pattern-matched vulnerabilities — they cannot understand business logic, chain attack paths, or reason about how your specific application could be abused. HackproofHacks engagements are conducted by a senior analyst who uses automation as a starting point, then applies human reasoning to discover the vulnerabilities that matter most. The result reflects how a real attacker would approach your application — not a list of raw scanner output.

Do you test mobile applications?

Mobile app security testing is available as part of our API security engagements, since most mobile vulnerabilities reside in the backend API the app communicates with. Static analysis of the mobile binary (Android APK or iOS IPA) and dynamic testing via traffic interception are available as add-ons. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements.

What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and a penetration test?

A vulnerability assessment identifies and classifies known vulnerabilities through scanning and manual review — it stops at discovery. A penetration test goes further: findings are actively exploited to demonstrate real-world impact, chained attack paths are explored, and business-logic flaws are uncovered through attacker-like creative thinking. For regulated industries or critical applications, a full penetration test provides stronger evidence of security posture.

Start with a free consultation

Tell us about your application, your stack, and what worries you. We'll help you understand your risk and scope the right engagement. No commitment required.

Limited assessment slots each month, now booking