If your business is in a regulated sector, working with the government, or handling critical data, you’ll need more than a basic assessment. You’ll need the expertise of a CERT-In empanelled auditor, a security professional empanelled by India’s national cybersecurity agency CERT-In to conduct security audits.
In this blog, we’ll break down what CERT-In empanelled auditors do and what are the main roles and responsibilities of CERT-In empanelled auditors.
Role of a CERT-In Empanelled Auditor
A CERT-In empanelled auditor plays a crucial role in helping organizations stay secure and compliant. Their job isn’t just about running tools, it’s about digging deep, asking the right questions, and making sure no security gap goes unnoticed. Here’s what they do:
1. Conduct Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT)
They perform both automated and manual testing to uncover weak spots in your systems before attackers do. From network scans to logic flaws in applications, their testing is thorough, and industry aligned.
2. Audit Web Apps, Mobile Apps, APIs, Networks & Cloud Infra
Your digital assets, be it your cloud storage, customer-facing portal, or internal tools; all undergo strict security checks. They audit each layer to ensure you’re not leaving any door open.
3. Issue Safe-to-Host Certificate (If Applicable)
For government-facing applications, they evaluate your security readiness and can issue a Safe-to-Host certificate proving your platform is secure enough to be deployed on platforms such as the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
4. Identify Misconfigurations & Risky Components
They check for unpatched software, unnecessary open ports, outdated versions, and weak configurations all of which could become easy entry points for hackers.
5. Validate Security Controls Against Standards
They evaluate your security posture using global frameworks including CERT-In’s audit baseline. This ensures your systems are aligned with regulatory and industry best practices.
6. Assess the Business Impact of Each Vulnerability
Not every vulnerability is equal. A good auditor helps you prioritize, showing you, which issues could cause the most damage and should be fixed first.
7. Provide Detailed, Compliance-Ready Reports
They don’t just tell you what’s broken. Their reports explain the issue, its impact, how to fix it, and where you stand in terms of compliance. These reports are audit-grade and easy for both tech teams and management to understand.
8. Offer Remediation Support & Retesting
CERT-In empanelled vendors offer guidance and support to help your team fix identified issues. Many, like Peneto Labs, offer free retesting after fixes ensuring your systems are actually secure post-remediation.
9. Guide Risk-Based Security Strategy
They don’t just test, they help shape your security roadmap. Their findings can feed into your broader cyber risk management strategy.
10. Bridge the Gap Between Tech & Compliance Teams
The auditors often act as a bridge between IT/security teams and top management or compliance officers, helping align business goals with security needs.
Types of cybersecurity assessments performed by CERT-In Empanelled Auditor (Scope of Engagement)
CERT-In empanelled auditors are authorized to perform a wide range of cybersecurity assessments. These go beyond basic VAPT and cover specialized domains to ensure comprehensive protection of enterprise systems. Below are the types of audits and assessments included in the official CERT-In scope:
- Compliance Audits – Check adherence to industry standards, regulations, and internal policies.
- Risk Assessments – Identify and evaluate risks from cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
- Vulnerability Assessments – Examine systems for security gaps and test the effectiveness of existing controls.
- Penetration Testing – Simulate real-world attacks to identify exploitable vulnerabilities.
- Network Infrastructure Audits – Review network devices, configurations, and access controls.
- Operational Audits – Evaluate the effectiveness of cybersecurity operations and processes.
- IT Security Policy Review – Assess policies against best practices and suggest improvements.
- Information Security Testing – Validate the implementation of security controls across systems.
- Source Code Review – Analyze application code for security flaws and coding errors.
- Process Security Testing – Evaluate operational processes for security weaknesses.
- Communications Security Testing – Test the security of communication channels and protocols.
- Application Security Testing – Assess web, mobile, and API-based applications for vulnerabilities.
- Mobile App Security Auditing – Evaluate mobile apps for data protection and secure development.
- Physical Security Testing – Assess physical controls protecting IT infrastructure and personnel.
- Red Team Assessment – Simulate adversarial attacks to test real-world defense readiness.
- Cloud Security Testing – Assess cloud platforms for misconfigurations and security gaps.
- Log Management Audit – Review log generation, retention, and monitoring practices.
In addition to traditional VAPT and compliance audits, CERT-In empanelled auditors are also authorized to perform specialized assessments such as wireless security testing, digital forensic readiness, ICS/OT and IoT security audits, endpoint and AI system evaluations, blockchain audits, and SBOM/QBOM/AIBOM reviews.
These advanced audits help organizations secure emerging technologies, manage third-party risks, and ensure readiness for future threats and regulatory scrutiny.
- Wireless Security Testing – Simulate attacks on wireless networks to detect weaknesses.
- Digital Forensic Readiness Assessment – Evaluate preparedness to collect and preserve digital evidence.
- ICS/OT Security Testing – Test industrial systems for vulnerabilities that could disrupt operations.
- IoT/IIoT Security Testing – Evaluate connected devices for risks in industrial and consumer environments.
- Endpoint Security Assessment – Assess desktops, laptops, and mobile devices for endpoint threats.
- AI System Audits – Evaluate AI systems for security, transparency, and ethical alignment.
- Vendor Risk Management Audits – Assess third-party cybersecurity practices and supply chain risks.
- Blockchain Security Audit – Review blockchain systems and smart contracts for integrity and access control.
- SBOM/QBOM/AIBOM Auditing – Audit software, quantum, and AI component inventories for vulnerabilities and compliance.
Special Responsibilities of a CERT-In empanelled auditor
1. Mandatory Use of CVSS and EPSS Scoring
CERT-In mandates that all vulnerabilities identified during the audit must be:
- Classified using CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) to indicate severity.
- Supplemented with EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) to estimate the likelihood of real-world exploitation.
- Mapped to CWE and CVE identifiers for standardization and traceability.
This ensures that vulnerabilities are prioritized based on both impact and exploitability.
2. Secure Data Handling and Disposal
Auditors must:
- Store audit-related data only on systems located in India.
- Encrypt all audit data during storage and transit.
- Wipe all audit-related data from devices post-engagement using secure deletion methods.
- Issue a formal certificate of data disposal to the auditee confirming irreversible deletion.
These practices are mandatory to ensure confidentiality and compliance with CERT-In’s data handling policy.
3. Auditor Independence and Personnel Declaration
- Auditors must remain independent and must not be involved in remediation activities for the same audit engagement.
- Only personnel declared to CERT-In in the Snapshot Information Form are authorized to conduct audits.
- The audit report must be signed by the actual auditors, reviewed by a mid-management reviewer, and authorized by the Head of the Auditing Organization.
4. Mandatory Submission of Audit Metadata
Auditing organizations are required to:
- Submit audit metadata and summary to CERT-In within 5 days of audit completion.
- Use the format prescribed by CERT-In for this submission.
- Ensure that this data is kept confidential and used only for quality control and capacity-building purposes.
5. Restrictions on CERT-In Branding
Auditing organizations:
- Must not use CERT-In’s logo or imply endorsement in any promotional material without prior written permission.
- May only state: “This organization is empanelled by CERT-In for providing Information Security Auditing Services.”
Any misuse of CERT-In branding may lead to penalties or de-empanelment.
Responsibilities of a CERT-In empanelled auditor During a CERT-In Security Audit
Once the audit begins, a CERT-In empanelled auditor has some key responsibilities to fulfill. Their job goes beyond technical testing, they ensure that the entire assessment is structured, ethical, and aligned with regulatory expectations.
Here’s what they’re responsible for during the audit process:
1. Defining Scope with Clarity
Auditors first sit with your team to understand what needs to be tested. Is it your customer portal? Internal servers? Mobile app? They make sure nothing critical is left out and also ensure that sensitive or high-risk systems are handled carefully.
2. Maintaining Confidentiality & Ethics
Everything they assess from user data to internal systems — is kept confidential. Certified auditors strictly follow ethical guidelines and are bound by NDAs.
3. Running the Security Tests
They perform vulnerability scans, manual penetration tests, misconfiguration checks, and more. These activities follow frameworks like OWASP, NIST, and CERT-In’s audit baseline requirements.
4. Collecting and Documenting Evidence
Auditors take snapshots and logs to back their findings. This evidence helps your team understand each issue and also proves useful during compliance reviews.
5. Communicating Risks Clearly
A good auditor won’t just list technical issues. They’ll explain what each vulnerability means for your business whether it can leak sensitive data, take down your system, or lead to compliance violations.
6. Sharing Fixes and Recommendations
They don’t leave you guessing. For every issue found, the auditor provides clear, actionable recommendations. Think of it as a “here’s the problem, and here’s how to solve it” guide.
7. Supporting Remediation & Retesting
If you fix the issues, many auditors offer to recheck those areas to make sure the patch actually worked. At Peneto Labs, for example, we include a free retest as part of our CERT-In aligned audit.
8. Issuing Reports and Certificates
Finally, they deliver a detailed report that’s structured for compliance. If all criteria are met, they issue a Safe-to-Host certificate after successful audit and remediation, which is required for NIC hosting and may be requested for certain government projects.
How CERT-In Auditors Add Real Value Beyond the Technical Audit?
A CERT-In empanelled auditor isn’t just a techie running tools in the background. Their job goes far beyond the scan-and-report cycle. Here’s how they become a real partner in your organization’s cybersecurity journey:
1. Helping You Prepare for Regulatory Audits
CERT-In auditors can help you prepare for audits from regulators like RBI, SEBI, and IRDAI by aligning your systems with cybersecurity best practices. However, acceptance of audit reports depends on the specific regulatory context.
2. Educating Your Internal Teams
Most companies struggle with technical jargon. A good auditor breaks it down. They’ll explain how certain flaws could be exploited, what your team should look out for, and how your developers or IT admins can avoid similar mistakes in the future.
3. Suggesting Long-Term Security Improvements
They don’t stop at fixing today’s issues. Auditors often recommend ways to improve your security posture over time like implementing least privilege access, enabling better logging, or adopting secure SDLC practices. Think of them as a coach, not just a critic.
4. Collaborating with Legal and Compliance Teams
Your compliance and legal teams play a big role in government or enterprise projects. Auditors can work alongside them to ensure the audit output including reports, certificates, logs and meets submission or tender requirements. This can save time and avoid back-and-forth during vendor onboarding.
5. Mapping Gaps to Business Risk
Every vulnerability is different. An experienced auditor helps you understand which ones truly affect your business from customer trust to operational downtime and guides you to prioritize what matters most.
6. Supporting Cybersecurity Roadmaps
Planning to grow your IT infrastructure or move to the cloud? Your CERT-In auditor can offer input on secure architecture, helping you build with security in mind instead of patching later.
In short, they don’t just point out problems. They help you build a stronger, smarter, and more compliant business from the inside out.
Final Thoughts
Choosing to work with a CERT-In empanelled auditor is about building trust, improving your organization’s cyber resilience, and staying one step ahead of growing threats. These professionals bring more than technical skills to the table. They offer guidance, clarity, and deep support that extends across your IT, compliance, and leadership teams.
CERT- In has empanelled Peneto Labs to conduct information security auditing services.
At Peneto Labs, we’re trusted by top brands across industries. From helping you get audit-ready to issuing Safe-to-Host certificates, our team of certified experts is here to make cybersecurity simple, actionable, and business-aligned.
Ready to take the next step?
Let’s talk about how a CERT-In aligned security audit can benefit your organization today.