Network Penetration Testing Services

Please schedule a 30-minute Discovery Session with us so we can best understand your objectives.

A Network Penetration Test, or an infrastructure penetration test, is commonly used as an external penetration test against an organization's Internet-facing systems. It involves testing systems such as web servers, VPN concentrators, firewalls, routers, proxy servers, DNS servers, mail servers, custom application servers, and cloud services. As ethical hackers, we emulate an attacker by performing reconnaissance, identifying vulnerabilities, and attempting to break into your systems. However, unlike an actual attacker, we stop our penetration test before exposing sensitive data or causing harm to your environment.

But what exactly is the purpose of this testing? Network pentesting is a crucial process that aims to carry out a hacker-style attack on your network assets professionally. By actively seeking out vulnerabilities in your network security, it allows us to identify potential weaknesses and assess the effectiveness of your security measures. This comprehensive evaluation helps ensure that your network environment remains uncompromised.

Neglecting the importance of network pentesting can have severe ramifications. Failure to address vulnerabilities could lead to a compromised cloud or network environment, exposing your systems to potential breaches. Therefore, it is essential to undergo network pentesting to proactively identify and address these vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.

We operate with unauthenticated access and limited prior knowledge about the tested systems during a Network Penetration Test. This approach provides a realistic simulation of an actual attack, allowing us to evaluate the security posture of your network thoroughly. By conducting reconnaissance, identifying vulnerabilities, and attempting to breach your systems, our ethical hacking methods enable us to provide you with valuable insights that can be used to improve the overall security of your network.

Our Network Penetration Testing services serve a crucial purpose in evaluating your organization's security posture. By conducting thorough assessments, we provide you with detailed insights into exploitable vulnerabilities, prioritized in a tangible manner. Our goal is to help you better understand your environment from an attacker's perspective, enabling you to prioritize efforts to mitigate risks and reduce the likelihood of breaches or damage.

In addition to identifying vulnerabilities, our Network Penetration Testing services offer a safe way to test your organization's Incident Response (IR) and digital forensics capabilities. This allows you to assess your readiness in handling potential security incidents and improve your incident response procedures. Furthermore, our tests can be utilized to tune and test your existing security controls, such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Firewalls, Endpoint Security, Router ACLs, and more. This ensures that your defenses are robust and effective against real-world threats.

Moreover, our Network Penetration Testing services align with various compliance audit requirements, including FDA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and FISMA. By conducting these tests, you not only ensure the security of your sensitive data but also demonstrate your commitment to meeting regulatory standards.

Our focus extends beyond a one-time assessment. We recognize that security is an ongoing process, which is why our Network Penetration Testing services provide continued maintenance and monitoring. We recommend multiple runs of penetration tests over a continuous time period to ensure long-term security. Our team of professionals will thoroughly review your security controls, such as firewalls, layered security, encryption processes, and other critical components of your business network. By tailoring our penetration tests to your specific needs, we ensure that your system, clients, and overall security receive the necessary attention and protection.

Our Network Penetration Testing provides details on exploitable vulnerabilities in a prioritized, tangible manner. This comprehensive report allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your environment from an attacker's perspective. By identifying potential weaknesses, you can prioritize efforts to mitigate risk and reduce the likelihood of a breach or damage.

In addition to revealing your network's vulnerabilities, our Network Penetration Testing services serve as a safe way to test your organization's Incident Response (IR) and digital forensics capabilities. This invaluable opportunity allows you to assess and fine-tune your security controls, including your IDS, Firewall, Endpoint Security, Router ACLs, and more. By simulating real-world attack scenarios, you can ensure that your defenses are effective and resilient.

Moreover, our Penetration Testing services play a crucial role in enabling compliance with various audit requirements, such as FDA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and FISMA. These regulations impose stringent data security standards, and our assessments help you meet and exceed these expectations. By conducting regular network pentests, you can demonstrate your commitment to maintaining the highest levels of data protection and regulatory compliance.

It is important to note that network pentesting is not a one-time activity but requires continuous maintenance. This ensures long-term security and allows you to review the effectiveness of the security controls employed. By regularly assessing your network's security posture, you can proactively identify and address any emerging vulnerabilities or weaknesses, making your network the safest place on the internet.

A Network Penetration Test, or an infrastructure penetration test, is commonly used as an external penetration test against an organization's Internet-facing systems. We follow a seven-phase methodology designed to maximize our efficiency, minimize risk, and provide complete and accurate results. The overarching seven phases of the methodology are Planning and Preparation, Reconnaissance/Discovery, Vulnerability Enumeration/Analysis, Initial Exploitation, Expanding Foothold/Deeper Penetration, Cleanup, and Report Generation.

In addition to the methodology, it is crucial to understand the different types of network penetration testing and their purposes. These types include 'black box', 'gray box', and 'white box' tests.

A 'black box' test is conducted without prior knowledge of how the network functions or its technical characteristics. This test comprehensively explores the given network to conduct a targeted attack, making it the most realistic attack simulation. It is particularly favored by businesses dealing with sensitive data who want to secure their systems from exploitation.

On the other hand, a 'gray box' test lies between the realms of black and white. This type of test involves simulated attacks to understand the issues an average system could face, such as theft of internal information like login credentials, user privileges, and technical documents. It allows us to frame highly focused attacks and gain insights into the direction of attack by an average hacker. As a result, gray box testing has become one of the most common network penetration testing methods.

Lastly, the 'white box' test takes a different approach. Network professionals collect all possible data about the system and its possible flaws, specifically targeting the infrastructure to evoke a response. This type of testing is akin to an audit and checks the aftermath of increased security measures. Businesses often use it to ensure that their systems are impenetrable to even the most hardcore hacker, making it a crucial final run-through.

The Penetration Test Report includes the IP addresses tested, vulnerabilities discovered, steps taken during the assessment, exploitable areas identified, and prioritized recommendations. For any systems we successfully exploited, we include an 'Attack Narrative' section that outlines the steps we took to gain access and escalate privileges.

Our Network Penetration Testing services offer detailed information on exploitable vulnerabilities in a prioritized and tangible manner. This information enables you to prioritize efforts and mitigate risks, reducing the likelihood of a breach or damage. Additionally, our services can be utilized to test your organization's Incident Response (IR) and digital forensics capabilities and meet compliance audit requirements such as FDA, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and FISMA.

Several distinctive features define Blue Goat Cyber's network penetration testing services:

1. Immediate Reporting of Critical Vulnerabilities: We prioritize the immediate communication of critical findings. When a significant vulnerability is discovered during our penetration testing, it is reported instantly to our clients, enabling them to act swiftly in addressing these urgent security concerns.

2. Comprehensive Reports with Enhanced Details: Our reports are thorough and detailed, encompassing elements of methods used, screenshots, Proof of Concepts (PoC), and prioritized risk rankings. This approach provides a deeper understanding of each vulnerability, its potential impact, and practical solutions.

3. Actionable Recommendations and Tips: Beyond identifying vulnerabilities, we offer specific recommendations and practical tips for fixing these security gaps. We aim to empower clients to fortify their network defenses proactively.

4. Extensive Coverage in Security Testing: Our testing comprehensively covers a wide range of network components, including firewalls, routers, switches, Wi-Fi networks, servers, biometric systems, UPS systems, and Storage Area Networks (SAN), ensuring a complete assessment of all essential security elements.

5. Remediation Validation Test: Following the implementation of recommended security measures, we conduct a remediation validation test. This crucial step reassures that the vulnerabilities have been effectively addressed and that the network's security posture has been significantly enhanced.

6. Letter of Attestation: After completing the network penetration testing and remediation validation, Blue Goat Cyber issues a letter of attestation. This document formally acknowledges the thorough security assessment and remediation efforts undertaken, adding credibility to the network's security status.

In summary, Blue Goat Cyber's network penetration testing services stand out due to their immediate reporting of critical vulnerabilities, detailed and insightful reports, actionable improvement recommendations, comprehensive security testing, rigorous remediation validation, and a formal letter of attestation. Together, these elements ensure robust and resilient network infrastructure for our clients against potential cyber threats.

At Blue Goat Cyber, our penetration testing process is a thorough and methodical journey toward fortifying our clients' network security. It's all about uncovering and mending potential weak spots to bolster the defenses against cyber threats.

The kickoff point for us is deep information gathering. Think of it as setting the stage for a successful test. We dive into understanding what our client needs, outlining the boundaries of our testing playground, and hoovering up all the data we can about their network setup, applications, and infrastructure.

Our team of penetration testers steps into the arena with the lay of the land in hand. Their mission? To meticulously poke and prod the network, unveiling any chinks in the armor. They're like cyber detectives, using a mix of automated snoop tools and hands-on hacking skills to mimic what real baddies might do.

As our team dances through the network, they're not just finding faults but actively trying to exploit them. It's a bit like a friendly burglar testing your locks. They might try to sneak in uninvited, plant digital traps, or use other ninja moves to spotlight where the network might buckle under pressure.

Once we've rounded up a list of vulnerabilities, it's time to huddle up and scrutinize each. This is where our brainy bunch weighs the severity of each issue and figures out how it could impact the network. Clients get a crystal-clear report from us, packed with good and bad news, plus a roadmap of fixes and fortifications to up their security game.

At Blue Goat Cyber, we're big on looping our clients into the conversation. We're not just handing over a report and vanishing; we're there to chew over the findings, answer the hard questions, and guide them through the cybersecurity maze.

Transparent, open communication? Absolutely. We encourage our clients to jump in, get curious, and engage with us throughout penetration testing. After all, it's a partnership, and we're here to ensure their networks are as tough as digital armor against the ever-evolving world of cyber threats.

Several network pen testing techniques are used to examine a network's security. These techniques include:

1. External Pentesting: This technique tests the vulnerable points of the external-facing web assets, such as websites, emails, and the company's DNS. The purpose is to identify and exploit any weaknesses attackers could use to gain unauthorized access or compromise the system.

2. Internal Testing: The tester can access the internal network in this technique. The objective is to simulate the actions of a malicious insider, like a rogue employee or someone who has stolen credentials. By assuming the role of an insider, the tester identifies potential vulnerabilities, assesses the effectiveness of internal security controls, and determines the extent to which an attacker could exploit the environment.

Organizations can gain valuable insights into their network security posture by implementing these various network pen testing techniques. These techniques help identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be addressed and mitigated to enhance overall network security.

Our Network Penetration Testing Services show you what your attack surface looks like to an adversary attacker, but they can be used as a safe way to test your organization's Incident Response (IR) and digital forensics capabilities. Our Penetration Testing services can be used to tune and test your security controls, such as your IDS, Firewall, Endpoint Security, Router ACLs, etc.

In addition to our Penetration Testing services, we recommend implementing a range of network controls for comprehensive network security. These controls include multifactor authentication, data encryption, role-based access control, regular patch updates, and continuous VAPT testing.

Multifactor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of authentication, such as a password and a fingerprint scan, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access sensitive data or systems.

Data encryption is crucial for protecting sensitive information. By converting data into a code that can only be accessed with a decryption key, encryption ensures that even if data is intercepted, it remains unreadable to unauthorized individuals.

Role-based access control ensures that employees have access to the information and systems necessary for their job functions. Organizations can minimize the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches by granting access privileges based on roles and responsibilities.

Regular patch updates are essential for maintaining network security. Organizations can address vulnerabilities and weaknesses that attackers may exploit by keeping software and systems up to date with the latest security patches.

Continuous VAPT testing, including penetration testing and vulnerability assessments, is crucial for identifying and addressing potential network vulnerabilities. Organizations can proactively identify and remediate weaknesses by regularly assessing the network's security posture before they can be exploited.

By combining our Network Penetration Testing Services with these network controls, organizations can ensure a robust and comprehensive approach to network security. Our services provide insights into the organization's attack surface and help assess and strengthen incident response, digital forensics capabilities, and security controls such as IDS, Firewall, Endpoint Security, and Router ACLs. Together, these measures help safeguard your organization's network against potential threats and ensure the integrity and confidentiality of your sensitive data.

There are several well-known open-source network pen testing tools available. Among them, Nmap and Wireshark are popular choices. These tools offer extensive functionality to assess and analyze network security. In addition to these open-source options, there are also commercial tools like Astra Pentest, Metasploit, and Nessus that are widely recognized in the field of network pen testing.

Network penetration testing involves assessing the security of network systems by simulating potential attacks and identifying vulnerabilities. Here are several widely used network penetration testing tools:

1. Nessus: This tool is used for vulnerability assessment (VA) and scans networks for potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

2. Nmap: A powerful network discovery and security auditing tool that scans and maps network systems, devices, and services to identify open ports and potential security holes.

3. NetCat: A versatile tool for port scanning, banner grabbing, and establishing remote connections for network exploration and troubleshooting.

4. Hydra: This specialized tool is used for brute-forcing login credentials by systematically and automatically attempting various username and password combinations on targeted systems.

5. Wireshark: A popular packet sniffing and analysis tool that captures and analyzes network traffic, helping to identify potential security breaches and analyze network behavior.

6. Nikto: This tool is designed for scanning web servers to detect potential vulnerabilities and misconfigured settings that an attacker could exploit.

7. Metasploit: A comprehensive framework that includes various tools for identifying, testing, and exploiting vulnerabilities in networks and servers. It also provides a platform for developing and executing custom exploits.

8. PRET: A specialized tool for checking the security controls of printers, which can often be overlooked but pose significant vulnerabilities if not properly secured.

9. Burp Suite: A widely used vulnerability assessment and penetration testing tool focused on web applications. It helps discover and exploit web application vulnerabilities, including input validation flaws, insecure session management, and others.

These tools represent a selection of options available to network penetration testers, each offering unique features and functionalities to identify and address potential security risks within network systems.

Blind penetration testing refers to a testing approach where the testing team is kept unaware of the specific details and timing of the tests. This method is employed to simulate real-world cyber threats where attackers possess zero knowledge about the targeted systems. By conducting blind testing, organizations can evaluate their incident response capabilities in handling unknown attack vectors. In essence, blind penetration testing aims to mimic undetected cyberattacks, enabling companies to identify and address potential vulnerabilities effectively.

Black box, white box, and gray box penetration tests are different approaches to testing a target system's security.

1. Black Box Penetration Tests: In black box tests, the tester has no prior knowledge or specific information about the target system. They start with only general information that could be easily obtained, such as the company name. The tester then conducts thorough reconnaissance to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in the system. Since the tester works without any inside knowledge, black box tests can be time-consuming. However, they provide a realistic simulation of what an actual hacker would rely on when attempting to breach the system.

2. White Box Penetration Tests: White box tests differ from black box tests in that the tester possesses detailed information about the target system. This includes knowledge of IP addresses, network infrastructure schematics, operating systems, source code, and other internal details. With this information, the tester can simulate an internal security attack, leveraging their understanding of the system to identify vulnerabilities. While white box tests are more elaborate than black box tests, they still offer valuable insights into the system's security posture.

3. Gray Box Penetration Tests: Gray box tests involve a combination of black box and white box approaches. Prior to commencing the test, the ethical hacker is provided with information about a user who has elevated privileges within the target system. This method allows the tester to simulate the actions of an internal attacker who has long-term access to the system. By having limited knowledge of the system, similar to an insider, the ethical hacker can evaluate the effectiveness of security measures against potential internal threats. Gray box tests help uncover vulnerabilities that might not be apparent through black box or white box testing alone.

Overall, black box, white box, and gray box penetration tests present different levels of pre-existing knowledge about the target system. Each approach provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of a system's security and helps organizations identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors.

Network penetration tests can be conducted in two main ways: locally or remotely. During a network pen test, an ethical hacker simulates real-world attacks to assess the security of a network. This involves identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in the network's infrastructure and internet-connected devices.

To begin, the tester uses various attack vectors such as phishing emails, third-party software, and password guessing. By sending deceptive emails or creating fake websites, the ethical hacker attempts to trick employees into revealing sensitive information like passwords or login credentials. Additionally, they might take advantage of vulnerabilities in software or weak password practices to gain unauthorized access to the network.

Once inside the network, the tester targets internet-enabled devices, such as security cameras, networked printers, or smart home systems. These devices often have weak security measures, making them potential entry points for attackers. By intentionally exploiting vulnerabilities in these devices, the ethical hacker aims to access confidential information, disrupt system operations, demand a ransom, or steal valuable data.

Throughout the penetration test, the ethical hacker meticulously documents the vulnerabilities discovered and the techniques used to exploit them. This information becomes part of a comprehensive report that outlines the weaknesses found within the network and provides recommendations for improving security.

Ultimately, network penetration tests serve to identify potential security weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. By conducting these tests, organizations can implement effective measures to protect their networks, systems, and sensitive data, thereby minimizing the risk of cyberattacks and unauthorized access.

Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning are two distinct approaches to assessing and enhancing the security of a system. While they share similarities, they have fundamental differences in their methodologies and objectives.

Vulnerability scanning is an automated and high-level security assessment that aims to identify known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential lack of security controls. It scans the system for publicly known vulnerabilities and provides a comprehensive report outlining the weaknesses that malicious actors could exploit. Vulnerability scanning relies on preconfigured signatures and databases of known vulnerabilities to analyze the system quickly and efficiently. It is a valuable tool for continuously monitoring and proactively identifying security weaknesses.

On the other hand, penetration testing, also known as a pen test or ethical hacking, involves a more comprehensive and hands-on approach. Unlike a vulnerability scan, penetration testing employs skilled testers who manually simulate cyber-attacks on the target system. These experts use a combination of tools, techniques, and methodologies to thoroughly explore and exploit potential vulnerabilities. By mimicking real-world attacks, penetration testers aim to identify vulnerabilities that may not be detected through automated scanning processes. This method provides unique insights into the system's security posture, including identifying the root causes of vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors that an automated scan might overlook.

As ethical (white hat) hackers, we understand the importance of thoroughly assessing the security of your systems to safeguard against potential threats. While our focus lies on internal penetration testing, it is crucial to be aware of the various internal security threats that organizations commonly face.

In addition to our expertise in emulating attackers and identifying vulnerabilities, we recognize the significance of addressing weak access controls, insecure file sharing or unencrypted data, and network misconfigurations. We also understand the risk posed by weak or shared passwords and the potential damage that can result from social engineering and phishing attacks.

By conducting an Internal Penetration Test, we can simulate an insider threat scenario, allowing us to assess the potential damage a user with non-administrator privileges could inflict upon your environment. This scenario helps us evaluate the user rights, permissions, and access within your Enterprise Windows Domain, ensuring that individuals are granted only the necessary access required to perform their job functions.

During our assessments, we have encountered instances where organizations lacked a comprehensive understanding of the access granted to standard user-level accounts. In some cases, improper permissions on network shares allowed users to access sensitive information, including that of high-level executives such as the CEO. Unfortunately, this scenario is not uncommon and underscores the importance of thoroughly evaluating and documenting user access rights.

By combining our expertise in internal penetration testing with a thorough understanding of common internal security threats, we can provide you with a comprehensive assessment to enhance your overall security posture.

As ethical (white hat) hackers, we emulate an attacker by utilizing similar techniques to perform reconnaissance, identify vulnerabilities, and break into your systems. Unlike an attacker, however, we stop our test before exposing sensitive data or doing harm to your environment. With an Internal Penetration Test, we have 'user' level knowledge about and access to a system. This means we simulate scenarios where an insider threat could compromise your environment.

One common scenario that an internal penetration test may simulate is that of an unhappy rogue employee (malicious insider) who attempts to compromise or damage the system. This is crucial to identify any vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an insider who has access to your systems and wishes to cause harm.

Another common scenario involves an external malicious attacker who gains access to the system through social engineering, phishing scams, or stolen credentials. By simulating this scenario, we can assess the effectiveness of your security measures against external threats, ensuring that your systems are adequately protected.

In addition to testing insider and outsider threats, an Internal Penetration Test verifies user rights, permissions, and access within an Enterprise Windows Domain. We assess whether users have appropriate access levels and permissions, ensuring they only have access to what is necessary for their job roles. This helps identify any improper permissions or excessive access that could lead to security breaches.

The specific goals, methodology, conditions, and targets can differ significantly between internal and external penetration testing approaches. An Internal Penetration Test is typically employed to assess the potential damage a user without administrative privileges could inflict on the environment. It specifically focuses on testing whether insider threats are intentional or unintentional. We meticulously validate and test user rights, permissions, and overall access levels by emulating a user with access to an Enterprise Windows Domain. This type of testing provides valuable insights into the vulnerabilities that may arise from within the organization.

In contrast, an External Penetration Test is designed to evaluate the security of external-facing systems from the perspective of an attacker who possesses no prior knowledge or privileged access. The primary objective is identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities that external hackers could target. By simulating an external threat actor, we can assess the robustness of the organization's defenses against potential attacks. This type of testing helps organizations bolster their security posture by addressing weaknesses that malicious actors could exploit outside the network perimeter.

While both internal and external penetration testing involve emulating an attacker, the distinction lies in their specific focuses. An Internal Penetration Test hones in on insider threats and user-level access, ensuring that the organization is adequately protected from potential risks originating from within. On the other hand, an External Penetration Test concentrates on fortifying external-facing systems against external threats, mitigating the vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers seeking unauthorized access.