Hoplite Use Case

Assessments for Mergers & Acquisitions

Understand What You’re Actually Acquiring.

When you acquire a company, you’re not just acquiring revenue; you’re inheriting its liabilities. Most due diligence focuses on financials, operations, and legal exposure, while information security gets reduced to questionnaires and surface-level reviews.

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Assumptions Aren't Enough

Security diligence is often treated as a checkbox in the deal process.

Security questionnaires are completed, internal teams provide assurances, and high-level reviews suggest things are “in good shape.”

But that doesn’t answer the real questions:

How exposed is this environment in practice?
What happens if systems are actually tested?
How quickly could an issue become your problem post-acquisition?

Most risk isn’t intentionally hidden; it’s just never validated.

Where M&A Teams Get Stuck

Security diligence breaks down in predictable ways.

Overreliance on self-reported posture
Teams trust internal assessments or third-party documentation without independent validation.

Limited depth in technical review
Diligence often stops at surface-level checks instead of testing real exposure.

Time pressure during deals
Security gets compressed into tight timelines, reducing it to a formality.

Risk is discovered too late
Issues show up after acquisition when they’re harder and more expensive to fix.

How Hoplite Helps

Hoplite provides independent, offensive validation of the environment you’re evaluating.

We don’t rely on what’s reported—we test what’s real.

Through targeted offensive security testing, we:

Assess real-world exposure
Identify how the environment behaves under adversarial conditions

Validate application and infrastructure risk
Understand where systems can actually be exploited

Evaluate identity and access pathways
Determine how far access can spread once inside

Surface material risks before close
Highlight issues that impact valuation, integration, or post-deal risk

What This Looks Like in Practice

We tailor testing to the realities of deal timelines.

Focused penetration testing
Prioritized around high-risk systems and external exposure

Application security assessment
Especially for proprietary or customer-facing platforms

Identity and privilege analysis
Understanding how access is structured and where it breaks down

Clear reporting for stakeholders
Findings translated into business impact—not just technical detail

The Outcome

You move forward with clarity—not assumptions.

Understand the real risk you’re acquiring
Not just what’s been reported

Avoid post-acquisition surprises
Identify issues before they become your responsibility

Strengthen negotiation and valuation
Use security findings as part of deal discussions

Accelerate integration planning
Know what needs to be fixed immediately vs. over time

Where Teams Get Stuck

Most SOC 2 efforts don’t fail because controls are missing, they fail because those controls haven’t been tested in practice.

Controls exist, but haven’t been validated
Everything looks right on paper, but no one has tested whether controls hold up under real conditions.

Documentation drifts from reality
Policies don’t always keep pace with how systems actually evolve and operate.

Compliance ≠ security
Frameworks define expectations, but they don’t prove your environment is resilient in practice.

How Hoplite Helps

Hoplite is not a compliance firm.
We validate whether your controls actually work.

Through targeted offensive security testing, we:

Test access controls in real conditions
Validate whether permissions behave as intended.

Measure how far access can spread
Understand how users (and attackers) can actually move through your environment.

Validate logging and detection
Confirm you can reconstruct activity when something happens.

Identify gaps between policy and reality
Surface where documented controls don’t match real behavior.

What This Looks Like in Practice

We focus testing on the areas that matter most for SOC 2 readiness.

Application & infrastructure testing
Aligned to SOC 2 control areas and real-world exposure.

Identity and access validation
Across actual user behavior and system interactions.

Logging and detection validation
Ensuring incidents can be investigated—not just assumed.

Clear, actionable findings
Prioritized based on real risk and audit relevance.

The Outcome

You leave with clarity, not just documentation.

Confidence your controls actually work
Not just that they exist.

Fewer surprises during audit
Issues are addressed before they become findings.

Clear prioritization of risk
Know what matters and what doesn’t.

A posture that holds up beyond compliance
Security that operates in practice, not just on paper.

[FAQ]

Frequently Asked

Questions

When should we bring Hoplite into the deal process?

As early as possible, ideally before final terms are set. The earlier you validate risk, the more leverage you have to address it in valuation, negotiations, or remediation planning.

Can this fit within typical deal timelines?

Yes. We scope testing to the realities of the deal, focusing on the systems and exposures that matter most, not trying to boil the ocean.

Is this just a standard penetration test?

No. This is targeted validation aligned to diligence. We focus on material risk, not exhaustive coverage, so you can make informed decisions quickly.

What if the target company already has security documentation or a recent audit?

That’s a starting point, not a conclusion. Documentation shows intent. We validate how the environment actually behaves.

Will this disrupt the target company’s operations?

No, testing is coordinated and controlled to avoid operational impact while still providing meaningful insight into real risk.

How do findings get used in the deal?

Findings can inform valuation, negotiation, and post-acquisition planning. At a minimum, they help you avoid inheriting unknown risk.

If you identify issues, will that kill the deal?

Not necessarily. The goal isn’t to stop deals, it’s to understand risk so you can make informed decisions and plan accordingly.

Acquiring a Company? Understand the Risk First.

Security issues discovered after close are significantly more expensive—and harder to contain.

Validate the environment before the deal is finalized.

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