External Network Penetration Testing
In an environment where threats are constantly evolving, protecting the external perimeter of your network is no longer optional. External Network Penetration Testing, is a cornerstone service offered by Samurai Security and plays a crucial role in fortifying your cyber defences.
What is External Network Penetration Testing?
External penetration testing measures the security of your network’s edge perimeter. By simulating the tactics used by hackers and cybercriminals, our experts meticulously assess how well your external network can withstand real-world attacks. This proactive approach is vital in preventing potential breaches.
The importance of External Network Testing
Our digital threat landscape is constantly growing, making external penetration testing not just beneficial, but essential for organisations of all sizes.
Cybercriminals are continually developing sophisticated methods to exploit external network vulnerabilities. The consequences of such breaches can range from data theft and financial loss, and damage to your organisation’s reputation.
Recent history is filled with instances where external network vulnerabilities have led to significant security breaches, these cases highlight the severity of neglecting external network security. These examples serve as cautionary tales, emphasising the need for rigorous testing and proactive security measures.
CREST Certified
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Early Vulnerability Detection
Identifying weaknesses before they can be exploited.
Risk Mitigation
Providing proactive strategies to increase defences against potential attacks.
Compliance Assurance
Ensuring adherence to industry standards and regulations.
Our Approach to External Penetration Testing
At Samurai Security, we pride ourselves on a comprehensive and bespoke approach to external network penetration testing. We not only employ industry standards approaches, but also our own unique methodology and advanced techniques to ensure your network’s resilience against cyber threats.
Our Methodology
Samurai Security’s external penetration testing methodology is an amalgamation of best industry practices and innovative techniques. Our approach is detailed as follows:
- Initial Consultation: Understanding your unique network architecture and specific security concerns.
- Customised Test Planning: Tailoring our testing strategy to align with your business objectives and IT infrastructure.
- Ethical Hacking Techniques: Employing a range of ethical hacking techniques to simulate real-world attacks.
- Advanced Tools and Technologies: Utilising state-of-the-art tools and technologies to conduct thorough testing.
Techniques Used
We incorporate various techniques to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of your external network:
- Port Scanning and Enumeration: Identifying open ports and services.
- Vulnerability Scanning: Using automated tools to detect known vulnerabilities.
- Manual Exploitation: Expert penetration testers manually exploit identified vulnerabilities to gauge the depth of possible intrusions.
- Social Engineering: Testing the human element of network security.
Unique Aspects of Our Approach
What sets Samurai Security apart is our commitment to not just identifying vulnerabilities but also providing actionable insights and solutions. Our team of experienced cybersecurity professionals brings a wealth of knowledge and a proactive mindset, ensuring that your external network is not just tested, but fortified.
Why choose us?
Choosing Samurai Security for your external network penetration testing needs is a decision that prioritises expertise, a client-centric approach, and actionable results. We pride ourselves on our CREST-certified team to provide a top-quality service.
- Experienced Team: Our team consists of industry experts with deep expertise in cybersecurity.
- Up-to-date Knowledge: We stay ahead of the curve in cybersecurity trends and threats with our constant research & innovation.
- Bespoke Testing: Each penetration test is custom-designed to suit your specific network architecture and business needs.
- Comprehensive Coverage: We ensure thorough testing of all potential external network vulnerabilities.
Our Approach
01
Scoping
At Samurai Security, we believe that accurate scoping is the foundation of every successful penetration testing project. That’s why we start by gathering as much information as possible about the system in question. If additional information is needed, we will invite you to complete a scoping document or schedule a scoping call to discuss the requirements in more detail.
Our in-depth scoping document helps us accurately scope your penetration testing assessment. It gathers key information regarding the systems in scope of the assessment. If you prefer, we can fill out this document on a scoping meeting instead.
After completing the scoping document, we peer-review it to ensure accuracy and completeness. If additional information is required, we’ll request a scoping meeting.
In this scoping meeting, we’ll request a screenshare demonstration of the systems in scope, discuss any additional testing requirements and expected outcomes, giving both teams the opportunity to ask and answer questions on the scope and testing approach. Once the scoping has been completed, we conduct a final peer-review process and then share the finalised scope of testing with both parties in the form of a proposal.
02
Project Agreement
We will provide you with a formal proposal that will include the scope of works, methodology of testing, project timelines, client requirements and commercials.
In most cases, project timelines will have been agreed in the proposal. However, if timelines have not yet been agreed, Samurai will provide a number of available dates when testing can be conducted. The client will have an opportunity to agree with the proposed dates, or request different dates.
Based on the availability from both teams, we will then formally book in the project and share the final project timelines with all parties. Once the project timelines are agreed, best efforts must be made by both parties to ensure the timelines are adhered to.
Once the project timelines have been confirmed, both teams will work together to gather the technical requirements for penetration testing, these will be covered in the proposal and typically include:
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Availability of dedicated point of contact
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Written permission to conduct Penetration Testing
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Adding our IP address to allow lists on relevant systems
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Agree on the full technical scope of the assessment
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Ensure necessary backups have been made prior to testing
03
Conducting Penetration Testing
We approach penetration testing projects in line with the industry standards such as the OWASP testing methodology, and combine this with our own testing methodology which has been built up from years of experience conducting penetration tests.
We follow a high-level approach:
- Reconnaissance
- System Mapping
- Vulnerability discovery & potential exploitation
To ensure limited impact to operations and critical systems, we will communicate with the client before conducting any extensive scans or running a malicious exploit. We will not conduct any Denial of Service (DOS) attacks unless requested. All of the tools used by Samurai technical team are tested in the lab environment for accuracy and behaviour before they are used in client engagements.
Throughout the assessment, the client will need to be available in order to answer any technical questions and to enable access to the systems in scope. The technical consultants will contact the client immediately if any Critical or High level vulnerability is found.
At the end of each working day, a summary of the testing findings will be sent to the client. If required, meetings are offered to provide context around these findings on the day. Finally, a full email summary of all the findings from the penetration test is sent on the last day testing.
Outputs
01
Report
Our comprehensive report includes:
Scope of Assessment:
We provide a detailed list of the systems, applications, and network components that were tested during the engagement. This helps clients to understand the areas where potential security issues were identified.
Methodology of Penetration Testing:
We provide an overview of our high-level testing methodology and the specific tools and techniques used during the engagement. This helps clients to understand the approach we took and the testing techniques we employed.
Comprehensive risk findings:
This section presents a succinct and concise summary of the key findings, including those that require immediate action, persistent problems, and other general findings.
Findings and Vulnerabilities:
We provide a comprehensive list of all vulnerabilities discovered during the testing, including their severity rating and the likelihood of exploitation. This information helps clients to understand the potential impact of the vulnerabilities and the risks associated with them.
Remediation Actions:
We provide actionable recommendations for remediation of the discovered vulnerabilities, including prioritisation based on severity. This helps clients to understand the steps they need to take to address the identified security issues.
02
Technical Meeting
After every engagement, we offer a focused meeting to discuss the assessment and its outcomes. This allows the business and risk owners to ask specific questions and ensure that all parties understand the context of the risks, as well as their likelihood and impact of successful exploitation. The potential mitigation steps will be discussed, allowing for the implementation of robust measures and an understanding of the effort required.
03
Remediation Plan
A formal document outlining the agreed plan to remediate vulnerabilities, including deadlines and assigned responsibilities for tracking progress. This information presented in a GANTT view provides visibility to the management team and ensures that all necessary actions have been taken to safeguard the business.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the scope of an external network penetration test?
The scope of an external network penetration test typically includes testing the security of your external network infrastructure, such as firewalls, routers, and servers, as well as any web applications or other externally accessible services.
What methodology do you use for external network penetration testing?
We use a variety of industry-standard methodologies, such as Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES), as well as our own customised methodologies, to ensure a comprehensive and thorough assessment.
How long does an external network penetration testing take?
The duration of the testing depends on the size and complexity of your network infrastructure. Typically, an external network penetration testing can take between 5-10 days.
Will the testing affect the performance of my network infrastructure?
Our testing methodology is designed to minimise the impact on the performance of your network infrastructure. However, there may be a slight impact on performance during testing. We work closely with our clients to schedule testing during off-peak hours to minimise any impact on their business operations.
What happens if you find vulnerabilities during the testing?
If we find vulnerabilities during the testing, we will provide a comprehensive report detailing the findings and our recommendations for remediation. We can also work with our clients to develop and implement a remediation plan to address the identified vulnerabilities.
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Or, email us: [email protected]