Penetration Testing Beyond a Security Check.

Uncover vulnerabilities before attackers do with tailored penetration testing assessments. Strengthen your defenses, keeping your data safe.

    Talk to one of our Cyber Offsec security specialists.

    Penetration Testing Beyond a Security Check:

    External Public Network Penetration Test

    Using industry-leading methodologies and frameworks, Cyber Offsec assesses your external attack surface for vulnerabilities. Our External Network Penetration Test includes the following steps:

    Network Reconnaissance and Mapping
    • Identify publicly exposed assets, open ports, services, and potential entry points using passive and active enumeration techniques.
    • Map out the external attack surface to understand potential risks.
    Network-Level Attacks
    • Assess exposed services and protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS, VPN, SMTP) for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
    • Evaluate firewall, IDS/IPS, and other perimeter security controls for evasion or bypass techniques.
    Authentication and Authorization
    • Test externally accessible authentication portals (e.g., VPNs, web logins) for issues such as weak password policies, brute-force susceptibility, and multi-factor authentication bypasses.
    • Identify insecure authentication flows or token mismanagement.
    Access Control Validation
    • Evaluate whether unauthorized external users can access sensitive endpoints, APIs, or services.
    • Test for improper access control on public APIs, including Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR).
    Injection Attacks
    • Test for vulnerabilities like SQL, command, and LDAP injection on publicly exposed web applications and APIs.
    • Focus on input validation and sanitization practices to prevent remote code execution.
    Sensitive Data Protection
    • Assess data exposure through improper SSL/TLS implementation, open directories, and exposed API endpoints.
    • Verify encryption practices for data in transit using protocols like HTTPS and IPsec.
    Security Misconfigurations
    • Identify default credentials, open administrative interfaces, and verbose error messages.
    • Check for missing security headers (e.g., CSP, HSTS) that could enhance protection against certain attacks.
    Client-Side Vulnerabilities
    • Test for Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerabilities.
    • Analyse client-side JavaScript for insecure handling of tokens or sensitive information.
    Outdated and Vulnerable Components
    Analyse publicly accessible libraries, frameworks, and software for known CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures).
    Advanced Threat Scenarios
    Simulate APT-style attacks to test defence mechanisms against data exfiltration, lateral movement, and external pivoting.

    Internal Penetration Test

    Our Internal Penetration Testing evaluates your network’s security by identifying vulnerabilities exploitable by insiders or attackers with access. This helps strengthen defenses and reduce attack risks.

    How we do it:

    Internal Network Reconnaissance and Mapping:
    • Identify active hosts, open ports, and services within the internal network using network scans and SNMP enumeration.
    • Map network segments to assess potential pivot points.
    Layer 2 (L2) Attacks
    • Conduct ARP spoofing, VLAN hopping, and MAC flooding to assess the security of internal switching infrastructure.
    • Test for STP (Spanning Tree Protocol) manipulation and DHCP snooping weaknesses.
    Active Directory (AD) Security Assessment
    • Evaluate AD for misconfigurations such as insecure Kerberos settings, unconstrained delegation, and excessive privileges.
    • Test for vulnerabilities like Pass-the-Ticket, Pass-the-Hash, and analyse Group Policy Objects (GPOs) for abuse paths.
    Authentication and Authorization
    • Assess AD, LDAP, and other internal authentication mechanisms for vulnerabilities.
    • Test for weak NTLM configurations and unauthorized access to SMB shares.
    Internal Access Control
    • Test access restrictions between network segments (e.g., VLANs) and identify unauthorized access to sensitive internal systems.
    • Test the enforcement of the Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) for users, services, and applications.
    Injection Attacks
    • Test for SQL, command, and LDAP injection vulnerabilities on internal web applications and databases.
    • Focus on inter-system communication channels and backend database interactions.
    Sensitive Data Protection
    • Assess encryption practices for data at rest on file shares, databases, and endpoints.
    • Identify plaintext credentials, sensitive files, or exposed backups.
    Security Misconfigurations
    • Identify exposed management interfaces and services with default or weak credentials.
    • Check for verbose error messages and open internal ports without firewall protection.
    Outdated and Vulnerable Components
    • Identify unpatched operating systems, applications, firmware, and libraries vulnerable to known CVEs.
    • Evaluate exposure to well-known exploits such as EternalBlue and other lateral movement enablers.
    Privilege Escalation
    • Attempt to elevate privileges using local misconfigurations, weak service permissions, or exploitation of insecure software.
    • Identify misused administrative scripts, SUID binaries, or improper access control settings.
    Lateral Movement
    • Simulate post-exploitation movement using compromised credentials, WMI, PsExec, RDP, or PowerShell remoting.
    • Target critical internal systems such as domain controllers and application servers.
    Advanced Threat Scenarios
    Simulate insider threats or compromised devices to evaluate internal detection and response capabilities.

    Web App Penetration Test

    This test uses valid user credentials to perform an in-depth vulnerability scan of your web application. By simulating a logged-in user, it reveals security issues within internal features, input fields, and user-specific functionality that aren't visible to the public or unauthenticated users. Leveraging automated tools, the scan identifies known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across the authenticated portions of your application, providing a clearer picture of real-world risk. Our webapp testing includes: Grey box web application & API penetration testing and Black box web application penetration testing.

    Our Web App Penetration Test includes the following steps:

    Credentialed scanning
    • Utilize authenticated sessions to simulate real-user interactions with the application.
    • Capture and maintain valid session tokens to ensure full coverage of all accessible routes and features.
    Automated Tooling
    • Use Burp Suite Professional’s scanner to detect web application vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, insecure cookies, and more.
    • Leverage additional vulnerability scanners, such as Nikto and Nuclei.
    Vulnerability Coverage
    • Detect common and high-risk vulnerabilities as defined by OWASP Top 10 and CWE standards.
      • Identify misconfigurations, outdated components, and potential exposure of sensitive data through automated fingerprinting and heuristic checks.
    Validation & Manual Review
    • Manually validate high and critical findings to reduce false positives and provide meaningful risk context.
    • Cross-reference automated results with manual penetration testing efforts to ensure consistency and depth of coverage.

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    1What is a penetration test, and how is it different from a vulnerability scan?
    A penetration test is a simulated cyberattack performed by ethical hackers to identify and exploit real-world vulnerabilities in your systems. Unlike a vulnerability scan, which is automated and only identifies potential weaknesses, a penetration test actively tests those weaknesses through manual processes by our highly certified team to determine how far an attacker could go. It provides a clearer picture of your actual risk exposure.
    2How often should penetration testing be conducted?
    At minimum, penetration testing should be done annually. However, we recommend testing:
    1. After major infrastructure or software changes,
    2. After a breach or suspected compromise,
    3. Before launching new systems or applications,
    4. Quarterly or biannually for high-risk or compliance-sensitive environments.
    3What types of penetration testing do you offer?
    We offer a range of offensive testing services tailored to your needs, including: External network testing, Internal network testing, Web & mobile application testing, Wireless and IoT testing, Social engineering simulations, Red teaming (multi-vector attack emulation) and more.
    4What’s involved in a typical pentest engagement?
    Our pentest process includes:
    1. Scoping & Planning – Define systems, goals, and rules of engagement
    2. Reconnaissance & Scanning – Gather intel and identify vulnerabilities
    3. Exploitation – Attempt real-world attacks in a controlled manner (preferably in a non-production environment)
    4. Post-Exploitation & Analysis – Assess impact and risks
    5. Reporting – Deliver a comprehensive, actionable report in our client portal which will be the base of the ongoing retesting and remediation efforts between Cyber Offsec and the client
    6. Remediation & Optional Retesting – Providing our clients with remediation support and retesting. The Cyber Offsec team will verify fixes and close the loop on communication through retesting
    5Will a penetration test disrupt our operations?
    Our tests are carefully planned to try and avoid any negative impact on production environments. We operate with clearly defined rules of engagement and keep you informed in real time if anything unexpected arises. Most tests are performed in a non-disruptive manner with minimal risk to business continuity.
    6How much does a penetration test cost?
    Should be: Our pricing is based on the estimated effort and time required for the assessment. Factors influencing cost include the number of systems, type of testing (e.g., network vs. application) and complexity. We’ll work with you to scope your engagement accurately and transparently.

    Talk to One of Our Specialists.