COVID-19: remote delivery options
We want to reassure our clients that all training and consultancy services will go ahead as scheduled during the current COVID-19 situation. We have adjusted our delivery methods to allow us to provide consultancy services, penetration tests and training remotely where necessary. For more information, please refer to our COVID-19 policy.
What is external penetration testing?
An external network, or external infrastructure penetration test aims to assess your network for vulnerabilities and security issues in servers, hosts, devices and network services
devices and network services.
- Identifying and assessing all Internet-facing assets a criminal hacker could use as potential entry points into your network;
- Evaluating the effectiveness of your firewalls and other intrusion-prevention systems; and
- Establishing whether an unauthorised user with the same level of access as your customers and suppliers can gain access to your systems via the external network.
Clients will receive information about the identified vulnerabilities in a format that allows them to assess their relative business risk and the cost of remediation. This information can be used to resolve the vulnerabilities in line with the network owner’s budget and risk appetite.
Speak to an expert
For more information on how our CREST-accredited penetration testing services can help safeguard your organisation, call us now on
+353 (0) 1695 0411, or request a call back using the form below
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Did you know?
- 96% of external network engagements identify at least one vulnerability.
- User credentials and other confidential information can be obtained in 21% of engagements.
- Weak passwords allowed internal network authentication to 20.8% of testers.
Under the Hoodie: Lessons from a Season of Penetration Testing, Rapid 7 (2019).
Breaking into external systems (those that communicate with the Internet) can be relatively simple if they have not been properly patched and secured against the latest threats.
Once an external attacker has gained access to your network, they can access sensitive data, modify data, cause the system to operate abnormally or crash the system.
Is an external network penetration test right for you?
If you are responsible for your external network, you should ask yourself:
- Are my systems fully patched and properly configured?
- Are any systems or applications secured with weak or default passwords?
- Have I accounted for all the services exposed to the Internet?
- Could malware be present on my system?
- Is every device secured by a correctly configured firewall?
- Is my confidential information properly segregated or secured?
The benefits of an external network penetration test
Our penetration tests will help you:
- Gain real-world insight into your vulnerabilities;
- Identify any patches that need to be installed;
- Reconfigure software, firewalls and operating systems;
- Identify needs for encryption or more secure protocols;
- Find the most vulnerable route through which an attack can be made; and
- Find loopholes that an attacker could use to steal sensitive data.
Our engagement process
Our CREST-accredited penetration testers follow an established methodology based primarily upon the Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM). This approach emulates attackers’ techniques using many of the same readily available tools.
- Scoping - Before a test, our account management team will discuss the requirements for your network/infrastructure assessment to define the scope of the test.
- Reconnaissance - IT Governance will enumerate your network assets and identify any holes in your systems where malicious actors could break in.
- Assessment - Using the information identified in the reconnaissance phase, we test the identified hosts for potential vulnerabilities.
- Reporting - The results will be thoroughly analysed by an IT Governance certified tester. A full report will be prepared that sets out the scope of the test and the methodology used along with the risks identified. This will provide your organisation with the ability to produce an accurate threat and risk assessment.
- Re-test - We can provide access to our testers and the raw test data to support and expedite remediation. We can also retest your systems so that you can be sure all the issues have been successfully resolved.
Select your external network penetration test
We offer two levels of penetration test to meet your budget and technical requirements.
Level 1: contact us for a quote
- Identifies the vulnerabilities that leave your IT exposed.
- Combines a series of manual assessments with automated scans, as our team assesses the vulnerability of your network.
- Allows you to evaluate your security posture and make more accurate budgetary decisions.
Please contact us for further information
or to speak to an expert
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Level 2: contact us for a quote
- Attempts to exploit the identified vulnerabilities to see whether it’s possible to access your assets and resources.
- Provides a more thorough assessment of your security posture, which enables you to make more accurate decisions about investing in securing your business-critical systems.
Please contact us for further information
or to speak to an expert.
Contact Us