Fortify your perimeter

External Penetration Testing Services

Our external penetration testing services are designed to identify and fix the security risks and entry points most commonly exploited by hackers to breach your public-facing assets.

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What is External Penetration Testing?

External penetration testing is a type of security assessment designed to identify and fix vulnerabilities within publicly accessible network infrastructures by replicating the same techniques used by hackers. External network infrastructures are among the most targeted components. This is why experts recommend to perform external assessments at least once a year or following any major changes to the infrastructure to stay on top of the latest cyber threats. Conducting an external pentest is also required by various standards, such as PCI-DSS, ISO27001, and SOC 2.

Why Conduct an External Pentest?

Conducting an external penetration test provides invaluable insights into the potential security risks your organization may face from external threats. Here is what your organization will gain after conducting a project with our team:

Validate your existing security controls

Our external penetration tests will help validate the effectiveness of your existing security controls in preventing and detecting external attacks. By simulating an attacker, our experts will identify gaps in your defenses and provide remediation measures to improve your ability to prevent cyberattacks.

Simulate a cyberattack on external systems

Our external penetration tests will identify and measure vulnerabilities that could be exploited to gain access to sensitive data or systems, compromise operations, or damage your reputation. By understanding exactly what could happen during an attack, organizations can prioritize their security efforts and allocate resources effectively.

Identify & fix all existing vulnerabilities

Our external pentests help you identify all existing vulnerabilities in your external infrastructure, including critical vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker to gain access to your network or sensitive data. This will help you prioritize remediation efforts and reduce your overall risk exposure.

Improve your external perimeter security

Our services will provide detailed information on how an attacker can breach your network from the public internet, what data or systems they could target and how to protect them. With this information, our team will provide you with prioritized recommendations to improve your security posture and protect against potential external threats.

Comply with regulatory requirements

Many regulatory frameworks require external penetration testing as part of their compliance requirements. Our tests will help ensure that your organization meets these requirements efficiently and avoids potential penalties for non-compliance.

PROTECT AGAINST THE LATEST THREATS

When Should You Perform an External Penetration Test?

External penetration testing should be conducted regularly to identify and address vulnerabilities inadvertently introduced in public-facing systems and reduce the risk of cyber attacks:

IDENTIFY & FIX YOUR VULNERABILITIES

Common Cybersecurity Risks & Vulnerabilities Identified

Conducting external penetration testing commonly reveals the following vulnerabilities for most organizations:

Authentication bypass

A vulnerability that allows an attacker to bypass the authentication process and gain unauthorized access to a critical system or network infrastructure.

Weak firewall rules

Firewalls act as a barrier between internal & external systems. If misconfigured, they can leave you vulnerable to unauthorized access. Our tests identify misconfigurations in firewalls, helping you mitigate these risks.

Use of default credentials

When default usernames and passwords are not changed on critical systems, an attacker can use them to gain access to the system, leading to unauthorized access and data breaches.

Authorization bypass

A security flaw that enables an attacker to bypass access control mechanisms and perform actions they are not authorized to do.

Improper input validation

A weakness that occurs when user input is not properly validated, leading to injection attacks, buffer overflows, and other security issues.

Vulnerable configurations

When network or system configurations are not properly secured, an attacker can exploit them to gain access to sensitive information or compromise the system.

Our Penetration Testing Process

If your organization has not gone through a penetration test before, you may not know what to expect. Even if you have, maybe you are wondering what Vumetric’ stages of penetration testing are. Here is a high-level break down of each step of our proven process:

Project Scoping

Duration: ~ 1-2 days

Activities: We learn about your specific needs and objectives.

Outcome: Business proposal, signed contract.

Kick-off / Planning

Duration: ~ 1 hour

Activities: We review the scope of work, discuss requirements and planning.

Outcome: Scope validation, test planning.

Penetration Testing

Duration: ~ 2-3 weeks

Activities: We execute the test in accordance with the project scope.

Outcome: Detailed penetration test report, presentation.

Remediation Testing

Duration: Up to 1 month

Activities: We test and validate vulnerability fixes.

Outcome: Remediation report, attestation.

BENEFITS

The Main Benefits of Testing The Security of Your External Network

Bots and hackers are continuously probing the public internet for vulnerable entry points, which makes your external networks the most important asset to protect in order to prevent incidents. An external penetration test will allow your organization to answer the following:

Are my systems up to date and properly configured?

Have I successfully secured every service exposed on the internet?

Is my confidential data properly secured or publicly accessible?

Could a ransomware infiltrate my network from the internet?

Does my firewall intercept common hacking attempts?

DID YOU KNOW?

“ Cyberattacks on external networks represent 1/3 of all cyber threats faced by organizations. ”

-IBM Security

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REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

Compliance Standards Requiring External Penetration Testing

Our external pentest services are designed to help you achieve compliance goals as efficiently as possible. Various standards require a yearly penetration test as one of the requirements to maintain compliance, such as:

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why is external penetration testing important to prioritize?

External networks are the most commonly targeted technologies by hackers. Conducting an external penetration test helps identify and fix the vulnerabilities most likely to be exploited to breach your cybersecurity, helping mitigate your most important risk of facing an incident.

How is it performed? What is the process?

External penetration testing is conducted by simulating a series of real-world attacks, by using both automated and manual methods based on recognized technological frameworks and adversary techniques used by modern hacking groups, to help organizations detect any security gaps present within a network’s external perimeter.

Can your external penetration tests cause downtimes?

Our external penetration tests are designed to minimize disruption to your organization’s normal operations and the overwhelming majority of our tests are unnoticeable to our clients. Our team will work with you prior to the project launch to determine any areas that may be susceptible to affect your productivity and will take the necessary steps to minimize any potential impact.

Do we need to provide any access or permissions for the test to be conducted?

In most cases, no access or permissions are required for external penetration testing. The goal is to replicate an authentic external cyber threat attempting to break into your network or systems, and therefore the test is conducted entirely from an external perspective without any inside knowledge or access. However, if any access is required to achieve specific goals, we will coordinate with your team during the project launch call, where we will confirm the testing target and any necessary access requirements.

How does external penetration testing fit into our overall cybersecurity strategy?

External penetration testing is a critical component of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. By identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your external infrastructure, you can take proactive steps to protect your organization from the most likely risks of facing potential attacks. Regular testing can help ensure that your security measures are up-to-date and effective, and can provide valuable insights into areas that may require additional attention or investment.

Will this test allow us to meet compliance requirements?

Our external penetration tests helps several organizations of all types meet compliance requirements every year by identifying vulnerabilities that need remediation. Once remediation testing is completed, we provide an official attestation confirming that vulnerabilities have been remediated, helping organizations meet compliance requirements efficiently.

What is the difference between internal and external testing?

Internal pentesting is conducted from within the organization’s network by a tester who has access to the internal network. External pentesting is conducted from outside the organization’s network and simulates an attack on public-facing systems. The primary difference is the point of origin of the test, with internal testing being more focused on internal network security measures while external testing focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in systems that are accessible from the internet.

Professional Reporting With Clear & Actionable Results

Our penetration reports deliver more than a simple export from a security tool. Each vulnerability is exploited, measured and documented by an experienced specialist to ensure you fully understand its business impact.

Each element of the report provides concise and relevant information that contributes significantly towards improving your security posture and meeting compliance requirements:

Executive Summary

High level overview of your security posture, recommendations and risk management implications in a clear, non-technical language.
Suited for non-technical stakeholders.

Vulnerabilities & Recommendations

Vulnerabilities prioritized by risk level, including technical evidence (screenshots, requests, etc.) and recommendations to fix each vulnerability.
Suited for your technical team.

Attestation

This document will allow you to meet compliance and regulatory reporting requirements efficiently and with minimal overhead.
Suited for third-parties (clients, auditors, etc).

THE CYBER SUCCESS TEAM

Empowering Your Cybersecurity, Our Mission

Our ISO9001-certified cybersecurity services are trusted by more than 400 organizations each year, including SMBs, Fortune 1000 companies, and government agencies.

Vumetric, Leader in External Network Penetration Testing

Vumetric is a leading cybersecurity company dedicated to providing comprehensive penetration testing services for over 15 years. We pride ourselves on delivering consistent and high-quality services, backed by our ISO9001 certified processes and top industry standards.

100% dedicated to pentesting

No outsourcing

No resell of material / software

Transparency & reputation

Actionable results

Certified experts