// Decision comparison
RET vs hiring a development agency
Quick answer
A development agency and an independent security review do not compete; they do different things. The agency builds (or refactors) the product. RET does not build: it tests, from the outside, what already exists, including what the agency delivered. Whoever writes the code is rarely the best person to find its flaw, the same blind spot AI has.
If you just need more hands to build, hire the agency. If you need proof that the product is secure (B2B sale, customer data, questionnaire), you need an independent eye that tests, not the builder saying it is fine.
Building is not the same as proving
The common confusion is thinking "the agency handles security". It handles what it builds, to its own standard; that is not an independent assessment:
| Criterion | Dev agency | RET (review) |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Builds the product | Tests what exists, from outside |
| View | From inside (wrote the code) | Independent (attacker mindset) |
| Proof for a B2B customer | Internal, less accepted | Third-party report, more accepted |
| Finds its own flaw? | Natural blind spot | That is exactly the job |
| When to pick | Need to build/refactor | Need to prove security |
When the agency is enough (and we are not fooling you)
If the product is internal, with no sensitive data and no sale that requires proof, an agency building carefully may be enough for now, we are not inventing urgency. Independent review enters when a mistake gets expensive: paying customer, third-party personal data, due diligence, security questionnaire. There, an outside report is worth what the builder’s word is not.
Many companies do both: the agency delivers, RET reads 1 to 3 sensitive flows in Risk Review and says what to fix before it goes to the customer.
Frequently asked questions
Does my agency not already handle security?
It handles what it builds, to its own standard, but that is not an independent assessment. Whoever wrote the code has a blind spot for its own flaw (like AI). Security proof for a B2B customer usually requires a third party that tested, not the builder’s word.
Do I need to switch agencies?
No. Independent review does not replace the agency; it complements it. The agency builds, RET tests what it delivered. Having both is common and healthy.
Who runs the review at RET?
Gabriel Lima Ferreira, founder and lead pentester, with authorization and a tight scope, delivering reproducible evidence.