External Penetration Testing
Companies nowadays have a huge number of internet facing assets which include sensitive data, IoT devices, cloud assets, etc. The dynamic nature of exposed systems and web applications, and the increasing adoption of cloud technologies further broadens potential entry points for attackers increasing the attack surface. An external penetration testing is built to mimic the actions of an external attacker attempting to breach an organization’s systems. The focus of the testing is on the organization's perimeter defenses, targeting external-facing assets like public websites, internet-accessible hosts, and web applications.
The Importance of External Penetration Testing
External network penetration testing reduces risk and improves network security. We help you identify security vulnerabilities, such as patch, configuration, and code issues at the network, system, and application layers. We assist you by providing actionable recommendations for remediation helping you to identify ways to improve your network security. We provide you with an additional view on:
- Attack Surface Visibility
- Assess your defenses
- Idetify emerging threat and attack vectors
- A clear direction for the improvement of your defenses
Our Approach
Our approach to external network penetration testing is based on years of experience and continuous follow up of the latest emerging threats and attack vectors. We combine industry recognized methodologies, latest technology and years of experience, tailoring our methodology to your specific needs. We enumerate your exposures, identify critical vulnerabilities, and exploit them using the tactics, techniques, and procedures used by real-world threat actors. Our team starts every testing with extensive reconnaissance, combining automated and manual techniques to gather open-source intelligence and assess assets impacted by emerging threats. By applying current tactics and techniques, we simulate real-world attack scenarios to reveal vulnerabilities and defensive gaps. This process identifies the full spectrum of security weaknesses, their severity, likelihood of exploitation, and potential impact.
Our approach is based on the following steps:
- Reconnaissance (OSIT, Network Scanning & Enumeration, Vulnerability Scanning)
- Scanning validation
- Exploitation
- Analysis
- Reporting
- Retesting
Key Features of Our External Network Testing Services
- Firewall Configuration: Assessing the configuration and effectiveness of your firewalls to prevent unauthorized access.
- Rule Review: Evaluating firewall rules to ensure they are aligned with security best practices.
- Access Controls: Verifying that access controls are in place and configured correctly.
- Perimeter Security: Identifying vulnerabilities in your network perimeter to prevent external attacks.
- Port Scanning: Scanning for open ports that could be exploited by attackers.
- Service Enumeration: Identifying and assessing the services running on exposed ports.
- Web Application Security: Evaluating the security of public-facing web applications to prevent exploitation.
- OWASP Top 10 Assessment: Assessing web applications against the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
- Application Configuration: Ensuring secure configuration of web applications.
- Network Infrastructure: Assessing the security of external network devices such as routers, switches, and load balancers.
- Configuration Review: Evaluating the configuration settings of network devices.
- Firmware Updates: Ensuring that network devices are running the latest firmware with security patches applied.
- DNS Security: Ensuring the security of your Domain Name System (DNS) to prevent hijacking and other attacks.
- DNS Configuration: Reviewing DNS settings to ensure they are secure.
- DNS Monitoring: Implementing monitoring to detect and respond to suspicious DNS activity.
- DDoS Protection: Evaluating your defenses against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks to ensure availability.
- DDoS Mitigation: Assessing and improving your DDoS mitigation strategies.
- Traffic Analysis: Monitoring network traffic to detect and respond to DDoS attacks.
Detailed Reporting and Remediation Guidance
Our detailed penetration testing report is written in understandable terms and provides clear and actionable information about identified vulnerabilities, their potential impact, and recommended remediation steps. This allows your team to quickly understand and start addressing issues immediately.
- Executive Summary: High-level overview of the findings aimed for management and delivered shortly after the assessment.
- Technical Details: In-depth reporting with details at every step of our penetration testing services, helping your technical teams replicate the vectors easily and remediate swiftly.
- Report Readout: We provide report read out for your management, accelerating the understanding of the report and clarifying any unclarities on the spot.
- Remediation Guidance: Post-pentest step-by-step support and guidance on how to fix identified vulnerabilities and accelerate the remediation
- Free Retesting: Following the remediation of identified vulnerabilities, we offer a free retesting of all the vulnerabilities to ensure everything has been remediated.
Why Work With Us
Our team of experienced security professionals brings deep knowledge and experience of application security and the latest threat landscapes. We operate as your internal team, seeking to always understand the challenges you face and ensure you solve them, always. Work with us and experience open and transparent communication throughout the testing process providing real-time updates and insights. This collaborative approach ensures that you are always informed and can prioritize remediation efforts.
KeyPoints
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Automated Tool Limitations
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External Vulnerability Identification
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Effective Mitigation Strategies
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Security Posture Assessment
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External Penetration Testing
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Cybercriminal Exploitation Awareness
Related Certifications
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Offensive Security Certified Expert
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Offensive Security Web Expert
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AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
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Certified Ethical Hacker
Our Approach
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We Assess
After an initial call with the client, Pretera will start working on scoping and based on the required amount of the time required to complete the work, the client will receive a detailed offer.
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We Prevent
During the assessment phase, Pretera will provide its services for which the client has paid for, and it could range from a few days assessment to a several weeks assessment.
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We Secure
Upon completion of the assessment, Pretera will deliver a detailed report of findings to the client and will offer a walk-through presentation if asked by the client.