Expert Engineering Review for Software and SaaS Teams
Strata's commercial consulting practice complements the Commercial Platform with expert-led analysis, architectural review, and manual validation — for software companies, SaaS organizations, and mobile and product engineering teams that need deeper assessment than automated scanning alone provides.
Engineering Review Beyond Automated Scanning
Automated scanning is a strong first pass — fast, repeatable, and continuous. These engagements complement that coverage with what a human engineer contributes: architectural judgment, manual validation of how findings actually chain together, and hands-on review of the areas that benefit most from direct analysis.
Three Ways to Engage
Every engagement is scoped individually — these tiers describe typical starting points, not a fixed menu.
A fast, affordable review for smaller projects.
A rapid, targeted review suited to small repositories, early-stage codebases, and startup teams that need prioritized findings quickly rather than a full-scope engagement.
Request a ConsultationLearn more →- ✓Small repositories
- ✓Targeted review
- ✓Prioritized findings
- ✓Startup-friendly
- ✓Rapid turnaround
A fast, targeted review — not an exhaustive assessment. Suited to smaller projects and early-stage codebases.
Strata's primary commercial engagement.
Expert engineering review beyond automated scanning — source code review, authentication and authorization analysis, dependency and secrets review, and architectural observations, reported with clear risk prioritization and a remediation roadmap.
Request a ConsultationLearn more →- ✓Source code review
- ✓OWASP alignment
- ✓Authentication review
- ✓Authorization review
- ✓Dependency analysis
- ✓Secrets review
- ✓Configuration review
- ✓Application architecture observations
Not every engagement includes every activity above — scope is tailored to the application and goals during project planning.
Strata's most comprehensive assessment.
The flagship engagement for organizations that need the deepest level of manual validation — combining application security review with hands-on mobile reverse engineering, client-side attack surface analysis, and executive-level presentation of findings.
Request a ConsultationLearn more →- ✓Repository review
- ✓Application architecture review
- ✓Mobile reverse engineering
- ✓Client-side attack surface analysis
- ✓Dependency review
- ✓Authentication evaluation
- ✓Authorization evaluation
- ✓API observations
- ✓Local storage review
- ✓Certificate pinning review
- ✓SSL/TLS implementation observations
- ✓Jailbreak or root detection review
- ✓Token handling review
- ✓Client-side cryptography observations
- ✓Sensitive information exposure assessment
Engagement scope varies with application complexity — this list represents potential coverage, tailored per engagement, not a fixed checklist applied uniformly.
| Capability | Security Snapshot | Application Security Assessment | Product Security Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source code / repository review | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Prioritized findings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| OWASP-aligned findings | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Authentication & authorization review | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dependency & secrets review | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Application architecture observations | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile reverse engineering | — | — | ✓ |
| Client-side attack surface analysis | — | — | ✓ |
| Certificate pinning & SSL/TLS observations | — | — | ✓ |
| Executive reporting | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remediation roadmap | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Executive presentation & technical walkthrough | — | Optional | ✓ |
| Optional remediation validation | — | — | ✓ |
Security Retainer
Continuous coverage after an assessment.
Ongoing security coverage for teams that have completed an assessment and need new risk caught as the codebase changes — continuous automated scanning backed by a named engineer who reviews what it finds, rather than a dashboard nobody reads.
Starting at $1,500/month
Not Included
- 24/7 monitoring or staffed security operations
- Incident response or breach investigation
- Infrastructure or network penetration testing
Scope and cadence are set per client — application count, release frequency, and review depth all move the monthly figure, which is why no maximum is published.
Manual Mobile Application Assessment
Assess what sensitive information, credentials, authentication artifacts, application logic, or client-side functionality could realistically be extracted or abused from the distributed application.
This is hands-on binary and application analysis performed by an engineer, not an automated scan — part of the Product Security Assessment engagement, scoped to the platforms and artifacts a specific application actually ships.
More Than a Vulnerability List
Deliverables depend on agreed scope — not every engagement includes every item below.
Executive Reporting
Technical Findings
Prioritization & Remediation
When Applicable
Every Engagement Concludes With
What a Report Actually Looks Like
Structure only — no findings are shown here. Every real report reflects the engagement's actual scope and results.
Executive Summary
A plain-language summary of business risk and overall posture, for stakeholders who don't need the technical detail.
Business Risk
What the findings mean in terms of business impact, not just technical severity.
Technical Findings
Each finding described in full engineering detail — what it is and why it matters.
Evidence
Screenshots, code excerpts, or other artifacts supporting each finding.
OWASP/CWE Mapping
Findings mapped to standard classifications where a mapping genuinely applies.
Recommendations
Concrete remediation guidance, sequenced by priority.
Developer Notes
Implementation-level detail intended for the engineers who will make the fix.
Executive Briefing
A live walkthrough of the report with stakeholders, not just a document handoff.
This illustrates report structure only — no findings are shown here. Every real report reflects the specific engagement's actual scope, application, and results.
What's Inside a Report
The stages above describe the report as a sequence; this is the fuller library of sections a report can draw from, organized by category. No engagement includes every item — see each tier's own page for what it typically covers.
Executive Reporting
Executive Summary
A plain-language overview of business risk and overall posture, for stakeholders who don't need technical detail.
Business Risk Overview
What the findings mean in terms of business impact, not just technical severity.
Executive Dashboard
A single-page visual summary of risk distribution and posture, built for a quick stakeholder read.
Executive Recommendations
Strategic, prioritized next steps aimed at leadership, not implementation detail.
Findings & Risk Analysis
Technical Findings
Each finding documented in full engineering detail — what it is, where it lives, and why it matters.
Risk Prioritization
Findings ranked by severity and real-world reachability, not a raw score alone.
CVSS Summary
Standardized severity scoring applied where a CVSS score genuinely applies to the finding.
OWASP Mapping
Findings mapped to OWASP categories where a mapping is applicable.
Affected Components
The specific files, endpoints, or modules a finding touches, so engineers know exactly where to look.
Attack Paths
How a finding could realistically be chained or exploited, explained in plain engineering terms.
Evidence & Documentation
Evidence Collection
Supporting artifacts — code excerpts, request/response captures, or configuration snippets — behind each finding.
Screenshots
Visual evidence captured during manual review, referenced directly from the relevant finding.
Remediation Guidance
Developer Guidance
Implementation-level detail aimed at the engineer who will actually make the fix.
Remediation Roadmap
Findings grouped and sequenced by priority and dependency, not an unordered list.
Estimated Fix Effort
A rough sense of engineering effort per finding, to help with sprint planning.
Reverse Engineering Findings
Reverse Engineering Summary
A plain-language overview of what manual binary analysis covered and found.
Binary Analysis
Findings from static and, where applicable, dynamic analysis of the compiled application artifact.
Authentication Review
How the mobile application implements authentication and session handling, observed directly in the binary.
Local Storage Review
What the application stores on-device, and how it's protected.
Certificate Pinning Review
Whether and how the application validates the server certificates it connects to.
Sensitive Data Exposure Review
Where sensitive information could realistically be exposed client-side.
Architecture & API Observations
Architecture Observations
How the application's components and trust boundaries fit together.
API Surface Observations
Endpoints and API behavior discovered through manual analysis of the client.
The Consultation Experience
Collaborative planning, not a purchase — here's what happens between a first conversation and a delivered report.
Initial Discussion
A conversation about the application, goals, and rough timeline — no commitment required.
Scoping
Together, scope is defined — what's included, which tier fits, and what the engagement needs to succeed.
Proposal
A written proposal covering scope, timeline, and price, so there are no surprises before work begins.
Scheduling
A start date and key milestones are confirmed against both sides' availability.
Kickoff
Access, authorization, and points of contact are confirmed before assessment work starts.
Assessment
The engagement itself — manual and tool-assisted review of the authorized scope.
Reporting
Findings, evidence, and recommendations are delivered in the agreed deliverable format.
For the engineering practice behind the Assessment stage itself, see the Methodology page.
What Happens After You Contact Us
The Consultation Experience above covers the business side — proposal, scheduling, delivery. This is what happens technically once an engagement is underway.
Before Work Begins
Discovery Call
A conversation about your application, goals, and rough timeline — no commitment required.
Scope Definition
Engagement tier, boundaries, and authorized targets are agreed in writing before any work begins.
Repository / Mobile App Collection
Access, build artifacts, or application binaries are collected, scoped exactly to what's authorized.
Assessment Planning
The engineer performing the work plans the specific review areas based on the application's actual architecture.
During the Engagement
Automated Analysis
Tool-assisted scanning establishes a fast, repeatable baseline across the authorized scope.
Manual Engineering Review
An engineer manually validates findings and reviews the areas automated tooling can't reach alone — logic, architecture, and business risk.
Reverse Engineering (when applicable)
Hands-on binary analysis of a mobile application artifact, included in engagements that cover it.
After the Engagement
Executive Reporting
Findings are documented with business risk framing, evidence, and a prioritized remediation roadmap.
Technical Walkthrough
Findings are reviewed directly with your engineering team, not just handed off as a document.
Optional Validation
A follow-up review to confirm remediation, scoped and scheduled separately.
What an Engagement Needs From You
Rules of Engagement
- Testing is performed only on software, systems, repositories, mobile applications, or environments for which the client has provided explicit authorization.
- Assessments are designed to improve security posture.
- This work is not a compliance certification.
- This work does not guarantee complete security.
- Project scope is agreed before assessment begins.
- Findings and remediation guidance are engineering recommendations, not legal or regulatory advice.
- Client software, code, and data shared for an engagement are used only for the purposes of that engagement.
When to Go Beyond Automated Scanning
The Commercial Platform remains the fastest way to start — these engagements pick up where continuous scanning reaches its limits.
From the Knowledge Center
- OWASP Coverage
- Application Security Reference Database
- Decision Center
- Learning Paths
- Vulnerability Prioritization Beyond CVSS
For how these engagements are actually run, see the Methodology page.
Scope Your Assessment
Every engagement starts with a conversation, not a purchase — tell us about the application and we'll help figure out the right tier.