Search "AI security assessment cost" and most of what comes back is a contact form. The pricing lives behind a discovery call, a scoping deck, and a procurement cycle, by which point you've spent two weeks just to learn whether the engagement fits your budget. That opacity isn't an accident. It lets a firm price each buyer by how much they look like they can pay.
Our approach is to separate a defined first step from broader scoped work. Every DSE engagement receives a private written proposal. How engagements work explains our starting scopes and scoping process. This guide separates the AI Security X-Ray scope from independently attributed market ranges. Bring your application and review requirements to the scoping conversation so we can agree on the work and fee.
The short answer
For a mid-market team with one or two LLM applications in production, plan for one of three commitments:
- A point-in-time AI security assessment of a single system. DSE's AI Security X-Ray is quoted privately, runs about two weeks, mapped to the OWASP LLM Top 10 and MITRE ATLAS.
- A full AI red-team engagement across the application plus its retrieval and agent layers, quoted privately, about four weeks, with a 30-day retest after you ship fixes.
- Retained AI security leadership (a vCISO for your AI program), quoted privately, fixed-fee, owning the AI risk register and the red-team harness as your models change.
Those are the numbers. Below is what's behind them, and how they line up against pen testing and compliance work you may already be budgeting for.
| Engagement | What it is | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Security X-Ray / Snapshot Sprint | Point-in-time threat model + adversarial test of one LLM application. Prompt injection, tool/agent abuse, data-leakage paths. OWASP LLM Top 10 + MITRE ATLAS. ~2 weeks. | Private fixed-fee proposal | DSE: confirmed in writing |
| AI Red Team Sprint | Full red team across the app, RAG/retrieval, and agent layers. Reproducible payloads, captured transcripts, severity-ranked findings, 30-day retest. ~4 weeks. | Quoted privately | DSE: confirmed in writing |
| AI Security Co-Pilot (retainer) | Continuous re-testing and advisory leadership as your prompts, models, and tools change. Keeps the red-team harness and AI inventory current. | Quoted privately | DSE: confirmed in writing |
| vCISO for AI Programs | Retained senior security leadership for your AI program: AI risk register, NIST AI RMF / ISO 42001 / EU AI Act interpretation, board- and insurer-ready reporting. | Quoted privately | DSE: confirmed in writing |
| Security Posture Assessment | Entry point for smaller teams: a point-in-time review of your environment as configured, with a prioritized, plain-English findings list and remediation roadmap. | Quoted privately | DSE: confirmed in writing |
| Penetration test (SMB) | Traditional network/web-app pen test for a small or mid-size business. DSE now offers this directly: see penetration testing, quoted after scoping. | Quote only | DSE penetration testing |
| SOC 2 / compliance audit (SMB) , market | Small-business compliance audit program (e.g., SOC 2), including readiness and implementation. Provided as a market reference point; DSE delivers readiness, not certification. | $15k–$40k | Market: IBSSCORP, 2026 (small-business SOC 2 / ISO) |
All DSE engagements are quoted privately and fixed in writing. Market figures are attributed published ranges for context only, they are not DSE prices and the work is not equivalent: a SOC 2 audit certifies controls over time, while a DSE AI security assessment is point-in-time adversarial testing of an AI system. Market sources: IBSSCORP, "Cybersecurity Audit Cost in 2026"; cross-checked against Soc2Auditors.org (181-firm 2026 study).
Get a fixed-fee quote before you commit.
Tell us what you're running, one form, three steps. We respond within 48 hours with a fixed-fee, fixed-scope proposal. No discovery-call gauntlet, no price that depends on how you look.
Scope your assessment →What moves the price
The written scope depends on the systems, access, evidence requirements and delivery constraints. None of them are secret, and we fix all of them in writing before the engagement starts.
1. Scope: how many systems, and how deep
One LLM application tested at the prompt and tool layer is the X-Ray. Add its retrieval (RAG) layer, its agent/tool-calling surface, and the model supply chain, and you're into red-team territory. The single biggest lever on price is how many distinct attack surfaces are in scope, not the size of your company.
2. The agent and tool surface
An LLM that only answers questions is cheaper to test than one that can call tools, write to systems, or drive a multi-step agent. Each capability you give the model is a new abuse path, and testing abuse paths is where the hours go. If your application is "agentic," expect the upper half of the range.
3. Production vs. staging, and blast radius
Destructive tests against a live system require agreed rate caps, rollback plans, and blast-radius limits. Setting those up safely takes time. A representative staging mirror is usually faster and cheaper to test against than a production system with guardrails we have to negotiate.
4. Compliance and federal overlays
If you need findings mapped to NIST AI RMF, the EU AI Act, or a SOC 2 / ISO 27001 control set, that mapping is included in the Red Team Sprint and available as an add-on elsewhere. Controlled-data and federal (CMMC-aware) handling adds scope around how artifacts and transcripts are stored and shared.
5. Remediation and retest
A roadmap is part of every tier. A 30-day retest after you ship fixes is included in the Red Team Sprint, can be added to the X-Ray, and is continuous under the Co-Pilot retainer. If you want us to verify your fixes, that's a defined line item rather than an open-ended bill.
What's included at each tier
Every DSE engagement is fixed-scope and ends in a named deliverable and a runbook. Here's what you actually receive:
AI Security X-Ray (Private fixed-fee proposal)
- Threat model of one LLM application, mapped to the OWASP LLM Top 10 and MITRE ATLAS.
- Hands-on adversarial testing of prompt injection, tool/agent abuse, and data-leakage pathways, with reproducible payloads.
- Severity-ranked findings, each verified before it ships, with a prioritized remediation roadmap.
- First findings in 48 hours; a principal on the work, every time.
AI Red Team Sprint (private quote)
- Everything in the X-Ray, extended across the RAG/retrieval layer, the agent and tool surface, and the model supply chain.
- Captured transcripts and reproducible exploits for every finding, evidence, not a checklist.
- A framework-mapping annex so your security and compliance teams can connect each finding to NIST AI RMF, MITRE ATLAS, and the OWASP LLM Top 10.
- A 30-day retest after you ship fixes.
Tests one AI system you already run, not the company you just acquired; if you need a post-close review of a whole target's security posture instead, see DSE's Post-Close Cybersecurity Review for PE Acquirers.
AI Security Co-Pilot & vCISO for AI (private quote)
- Continuous re-testing as your prompts, models, and tools change, the harness stays current instead of going stale the day the report lands.
- Ownership of the AI risk register and board- and insurer-ready risk reporting.
- NIST AI RMF / ISO 42001 / EU AI Act interpretation for your program. This is readiness and advisory leadership, not a certification, and not a 24/7 SOC.
How it compares to pen tests and compliance audits
If you've bought security before, you're probably anchored on two numbers: a penetration test and a compliance audit. They're useful reference points, but they buy different things.
A traditional penetration test for a small or mid-size business is a different, larger-scope engagement: it tests your network and applications, not the unique failure modes of an LLM, where the "input" is natural language and the attacker's payload is a sentence.
A SOC 2 or compliance audit for a small business runs roughly $15,000–$40,000 including readiness and implementation, per the same 2026 study, and a first SOC 2 Type 2 with a specialist firm commonly lands at $15k–$70k per the 181-firm Soc2Auditors.org study. An audit certifies that controls operated over a period. An AI security assessment is the opposite posture: an adversary actively trying to break one system, right now, with the receipts to prove it.
The honest framing: a DSE AI security assessment sits in the same budget neighborhood as the work you already plan for, and tests a surface those engagements don't reach. It's not a replacement for a pen test or an audit, it's the AI-specific layer on top.
How we agree on the scope and fee
A defined starting scope helps you plan a focused diagnostic. Broader testing and ongoing leadership depend on the systems, evidence requirements and responsibilities involved. We scope that work and provide a private fixed-fee proposal before you commit.
The written proposal confirms what your engagement covers, its exclusions and the fixed fee.
Key facts
- A DSE AI security assessment of a single LLM application receives a private fixed-fee proposal for one LLM application over two weeks, mapped to the OWASP LLM Top 10 and MITRE ATLAS (DSE, 2026).
- A full DSE AI red-team engagement across an application with its RAG and agent layers is privately scoped, typically over four weeks, with a 30-day retest after fixes ship (DSE, 2026).
- Retained AI security leadership (a vCISO for AI programs) and continuous AI security re-testing receive private fixed-fee proposals (DSE, 2026).
- For comparison, a small-business SOC 2 / compliance audit program runs $15,000–$40,000 (IBSSCORP, 2026).
- DSE provides private proposals with scope, exclusions and fixed fee confirmed in writing (DSE, 2026).
Frequently asked questions
How much does an AI security assessment cost?
The AI Security X-Ray covers one LLM application over two weeks and receives a private fixed-fee proposal. Broader red-team engagements and retained leadership are quoted privately. Scope, exclusions and the fixed fee are agreed in writing before work starts.
Does DSE publish a price for every security engagement?
DSE provides a private fixed-fee proposal for every engagement. The AI Security X-Ray covers one LLM application over two weeks; broader testing and retained leadership are quoted privately. We confirm the deliverables, exclusions and fixed fee in writing before work starts.
What's the difference between an AI security assessment and a penetration test?
A traditional pen test tests your network and applications; DSE also runs this directly through its penetration testing service, quoted after scoping. An AI security assessment targets the unique failure modes of LLM systems (prompt injection, tool and agent abuse, RAG poisoning, and data-leakage paths) where the attacker's payload is natural language. They're complementary, not interchangeable.
Is an AI security assessment the same as a SOC 2 audit?
No. A SOC 2 or compliance audit ($15k–$40k for a small-business program, per IBSSCORP 2026) certifies that controls operated over a period of time. A DSE AI security assessment is point-in-time adversarial testing: an attacker actively trying to break one AI system, with reproducible evidence. DSE delivers readiness and testing, not certification.
What makes the price go up?
Scope is the main lever: how many distinct attack surfaces are in scope (prompts, RAG, agents, supply chain), whether the model can call tools or drive multi-step agents, testing against production versus staging, and any compliance or federal (CMMC-aware) overlays. Company size is not a pricing factor, surface area is. Every factor is fixed in writing before work starts.
On the numbers: The DSE X-Ray scope covers one LLM application over two weeks; your scope and exact fee are fixed in writing during scoping. Market figures are attributed published ranges provided for context and are not DSE prices.
On scope of work: DSE delivers point-in-time, advisory security assessment and readiness work, not certification, and not a 24/7 security operations center. Continuous monitoring, where needed, is delivered by a vetted MDR partner the client contracts and we orchestrate.
Scope a fixed-fee AI security assessment.
You've seen the numbers and what moves them. The next step is a 48-hour fixed-fee proposal for your exact system, no obligation, no sales gauntlet.
Start the scoping form →