In India, the term “CERT-In certification” is used in the cybersecurity and compliance environment. Any security audit or VAPT report issued by a CERT-In empanelled company is commonly referred to as a “CERT-In certificate.”
If you are a CEO, CTO, IT Manager or a business owners who is responsible for cybersecurity governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management, you must definitely read this blog to know the CERT-In certification process in India, what it actually means, how it works, and what organizations must do to meet compliance requirements.
The process below explains how organizations typically obtain the CERT-In certificate.
Step 1: Identify the Requirement
The first step is to understand why the CERT-In certificate is required. This may be due to Regulatory obligations, Government or PSU tender requirements, Customer or contractual security conditions, Internal security governance needs. Once the requirement is clear, the scope of assessment is defined. This may include Web or mobile applications, Network infrastructure, Cloud environments, Servers, APIs, or complete IT environments. A clearly defined scope ensures that the assessment meets the intended compliance or business objective.
Step 2: Hire a CERT-In Empanelled Auditor
Only CERT-In empanelled cybersecurity audit companies are preferred for assessments where CERT-In compliance is required.
It is important to:
- Select an auditor that is currently empanelled with CERT-In
- Confirm their empanelment status from the official List of CERT-In empanelled companies
- Ensure their empanelment covers the required assessment type (such as VAPT)
Engaging a non-empanelled firm may result in the assessment being rejected by regulators or procurement authorities.
Step 3: Scope Finalization and Pre-Assessment
Before the CERT-In certificate audit process begins, the auditor and the organization finalize operational details, including:
- Asset identification (IP addresses, domains, applications, systems)
- Rules of engagement, such as testing windows and access levels
- Compliance benchmarks or standards that must be followed
This stage ensures alignment between technical testing and compliance expectations.
Step 4: Security Assessment Execution
The auditor conducts the agreed assessment, which includes:
- Vulnerability Assessment: A Vulnerability Assessment is the process of carefully checking an application, system, or network to find security weaknesses that could be misused by hackers. These weaknesses may come from outdated software, incorrect settings, exposed services, or missing security controls. During this activity, the pentesters use approved tools and manual checks to identify possible security gaps.
- Manual and Automated Penetration Testing: Penetration testing involves controlled attempts to exploit those weaknesses, under agreed conditions. The results show which vulnerabilities pose real security risks and need urgent attention.
- Configuration and Architecture Review (if applicable): A Configuration and Architecture Review focuses on how systems are designed and set up. This includes reviewing server settings, firewall rules, access permissions, authentication methods, and overall system structure. The purpose of this review is to check whether the system follows accepted security practices and whether access controls are correctly implemented.
Step 5: Reporting and Remediation
After testing is completed, the auditor issues a detailed technical report that includes:
- Identified vulnerabilities and observations
- Risk ratings based on severity and impact
- Evidence and technical details
The organization then works on fixing the identified vulnerabilities. This remediation phase is essential before final validation.
Step 6: Retesting and Validation
Once remediation is completed, the auditor performs retesting to confirm that vulnerabilities have been addressed, findings are validated and updated in the report, residual risks, if any, are documented. Successful validation confirms that expected security requirements in the application are met.
Step 7: Issuance of CERT-In Audit / VAPT / Safe to Host Certificate
After successful validation, the CERT-In empanelled auditor issues a final assessment outcome. Depending on the requirement, this may be referred to as:
1. CERT-In Audit Certificate
A CERT-In Audit Certificate is a document issued by a CERT-In empanelled auditor after completing a security audit of systems, applications, or infrastructure. It confirms that the audit was performed according to required guidelines and that security findings have been documented and addressed. This certificate is commonly required for regulatory compliance, government projects, and enterprise security reviews.
2. CERT-In VAPT Certificate
A CERT-In VAPT Certificate is issued after successful completion of Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing by a CERT-In empanelled auditor. It indicates that the defined scope was tested, vulnerabilities were identified, and corrective actions were taken where required. This certificate is widely used for compliance purposes, especially where proof of security testing is mandatory before system deployment or approval.
3. Safe to Host Certificate
A Safe to Host Certificate confirms that a web application has been assessed and is considered suitable for hosting or production use on government infrastructure such as NIC or integrating with government platforms. Like other CERT-In-related documents, it is issued by a CERT-In empanelled auditor and accepted by authorities that mandate security clearance before going live.
These documents are issued by the empanelled auditor, not by CERT-In, and are widely accepted for compliance, regulatory, and tender purposes.
Is There an Official CERT-In Certificate?
There is no official certificate issued by CERT-In to organizations, applications, or IT systems. CERT-In empanels cybersecurity audit organizations that meet defined technical, staffing, and operational requirements. These empanelled organizations are known as CERT-In empanelled companies and are authorized to conduct security assessments such as Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) and security audits.
Why Do People Use the Term CERT-In Certificate?
The term “CERT-In certificate” is commonly used because many government departments, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and regulators require and prefer security assessment reports only from CERT-In empanelled auditors.
Over time, this requirement has resulted in a general practice where any compliant audit report issued by a CERT-In empanelled company is informally referred to as a “CERT-In certificate.” While the terminology is informal, the acceptance of these reports is formal and recognized across multiple regulatory and procurement processes.
Why Choose Peneto Labs for CERT-In VAPT Certificate?
We have completed 2000+ security audits, served 150+ clients across India and UAE. Top brands choose us for CERT-In VAPT certificate because of following reasons:
1. CERT-In Empanelled Security Auditor
Peneto Labs has been empanelled by CERT-In to provide information security auditing services. This ensures that our VAPT and security assessment reports are preferred by government departments, PSUs, regulators, and enterprises where CERT-In compliance is mandatory.
2. Highly Qualified Penetration Testers
Our assessments are performed by professional penetration testers with strong technical qualifications and industry certifications like CISM, OSCP, CCSP, CISSP, and GWAPT. Each engagement is handled by experienced security professionals who understand both technical risks and compliance expectations.
3. Manual Penetration Testing with Automation
Peneto Labs follows a manual-first testing approach, supported by automated tools. Manual testing helps identify complex and business-logic vulnerabilities that automated scanners often miss, while automation improves coverage and efficiency.
4. Proven Industry Experience
With over 10 years of experience, Peneto Labs has worked with organizations across multiple industries, including government, BFSI, healthcare, SaaS, and enterprise IT. This experience allows us to align testing with industry-specific risks and regulatory needs.
5. Clear and Actionable Reports
Our reports are written to be easy to understand and practical to implement. Each finding includes risk severity, technical details, and clear remediation steps, helping IT teams address issues efficiently.
6. Free Retesting After Remediation
We provide free retesting once vulnerabilities are fixed. This helps organizations validate remediation efforts and meet compliance or submission requirements without additional cost.
7. Transparent and Clear Communication
Peneto Labs maintains clear communication throughout the engagement, from scope definition to final report delivery. Business owners, CTOs, and IT managers are kept informed at every stage of the assessment.
Conclusion
The CERT-In certificate process includes identifying the requirements and engaging a CERT-In empanelled auditor for security testing, vulnerability assessment and penetration testing, remediation, retesting, and issuance of the CERT-In VAPT report. Understanding this process helps organizations handling sensitive data and critical sector businesses avoid confusion, delays, and compliance risks.
If your organization requires a CERT-In VAPT certificate or a safe to host certificate or simply a security audit report from a CERT-In empanelled company, contact Peneto Labs today.