Penetration Testing

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Pentration Testing Services

Validate your cyber defenses against real-world threats. Hedgehog Security's world-class penetration testing services bring together our SOC365 threat intelligence, hundreds of security assessments completed over the last decade and our team of CREST certified cyber experts — the foundation for our sophisticated and scalable approach.

Penetration Testing, CREST Approved penetration testing from Hedgehog.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing, or pen testing, is a widely used testing strategy to find, investigate and remediate found vulnerabilities in your network or applications. Pen testers use the same tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) as cyber adversaries to simulate a genuine attack against your organisation.

With a routine pen testing cadence, your organisation can reduce cyber risk by finding vulnerabilities and addressing them before cybercriminals can compromise your infrastructure, systems, applications or personnel.

Our Penetration Testing Services

Cloud Services
Cloud penetration testing is a type of penetration testing that focuses on evaluating the security of an organisations cloud infrastructure, including servers, storage, and other cloud-based resources.
Web Applications
The goal of web application penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data, launch a denial of service attack, or execute malicious code.
Wireless
The goal of wireless penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the network, steal sensitive data, or launch a denial-of-service attack.
Maritime
Maritime Cyber Security is the protection of onboard and onshore devices and systems from unpermitted or malicious intrusions. Cyber Security encompasses all possible vectors of access to these systems, including through network connections, on location through console access or through intrinsic weaknesses present in the systems themselves.
Wireless
The goal of network infrastructure penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access to the network or launch a denial of service attack.
Red Team
Red Team engagements are typically a month or longer in duration. The goal is to simulate a full cyber attack against a business, with little to no restrictions, to identify as many weaknesses as possible.
Vulnerability Assessment
The goal of a vulnerability assessment to provide a rapid assessment of an organisations security footing through the identification of known vulnerabilities using automated tooling.
Insider Threat
An insider threat assessment is an internal infrastructure and application penetration test, where the test team have access into the environments and have a set of standard user credentials. The goal of an insider threat assessment is typically to determine if an insider can access and steal information.
PCI-DSS
PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) penetration testing is a type of penetration test that focuses on evaluating the security of an organisations systems, networks, and applications that process, store or transmit payment card data.

Penetration Testing really does help

Penetration testing is a critical component of maintaining and enhancing cybersecurity by systematically identifying vulnerabilities within an organisation's IT infrastructure, applications, and networks. As a fundamental practice within the realm of cybersecurity, penetration testing involves simulating real-world cyberattacks to assess the security posture of a system. By employing ethical hacking techniques, skilled cybersecurity professionals, such as those at Hedgehog Security, meticulously examine potential entry points and weaknesses in a client's digital environment. This process enables the identification of exploitable vulnerabilities that malicious actors could leverage to compromise sensitive data or disrupt operations.

The insights gained from penetration testing empower organisations to proactively address security shortcomings, reinforcing their defensive measures. Hedgehog Security, through its penetration testing services, aids clients in fortifying their cyber defenses by providing actionable recommendations to patch vulnerabilities and enhance overall resilience. Moreover, penetration testing serves as an invaluable tool for regulatory compliance, ensuring that organizations meet industry-specific security standards and safeguard against potential legal and financial ramifications. Ultimately, the continuous integration of penetration testing into an organization's cybersecurity strategy not only helps preemptively thwart cyber threats but also fosters a culture of ongoing improvement, enabling entities to stay one step ahead in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats.

Our approach to Penetration Testing

Over the last decade, we have built up the experience needed to handle large-scale, complex penetration testing engagements, including for the world’s top companies in industries from gaming, media and health care to space and maritime infrastructure.

We have developed a sophisticated approach that includes a comprehensive, in-house team dedicated to providing you with the structure and management background needed to scale and adapt your pen testing program based on your business drivers.

We offer a very unique pen testing advantage: the insights provided by our SOC365 platform and the SOC analyst team in their incident response practice, which feed our certified cyber experts the information they need to test against the exploits attackers are executing today.                                    
Our 7 Step Approach to Pentesting
Our 7 step approach to penetration testing has been honed over the last decade to provide a real tangible return on investment for your penetration testing budget.
1. Pre-Enagement - aka Scoping etc

The penetration test initiates with consultations between you and the testing team. Goals, scope, and expectations are clarified to ensure a tailored approach that aligns with your unique environment.
2. Intelligence Gathering

In this phase, the testing team gathers relevant information about the scope and your organisations digital footprint. This includes domain names, IP addresses, network architecture, and other critical details that could aid in identifying potential entry points.
3. Threat Modelling

Building on the acquired intelligence, the testing team develops a threat model. This involves mapping out potential attack vectors that adversaries might employ, based on the specific scoped assets, technologies, and industry vulnerabilities.
4. Vulnerability Analysis

This stage focuses on scanning your systems, applications, and network for known vulnerabilities. Automated tools and manual techniques are employed to uncover weaknesses that could serve as potential entry points for attackers.
5. Exploitation

Once vulnerabilities are identified, the testing team attempts to exploit these weaknesses, simulating the actions of a real attacker. This step provides valuable insights into the potential impact of a successful breach.
6. Post Exploitation

In the event of a successful exploitation, the testing team explores the extent to which an attacker could pivot within the network, escalating privileges and accessing sensitive data. This phase showcases the potential consequences of a breach and emphasizes the need for containment and mitigation strategies.
7. Reporting

The culmination of the penetration test is the generation of a comprehensive report. This document provides a detailed account of the vulnerabilities discovered, the methods employed to exploit them, and actionable recommendations for remediation. The report serves as a roadmap for bolstering cybersecurity defences and prioritizing risk mitigation efforts.
Why Choose Hedgehog Security?
  • We are a global Cyber Security company
  • CREST Certified Red and Blue teams
  • Focus on Quality of Service, not Quantity of Clients
  • Fast, Easy service deployment
  • Technology Agnostic
  • High Client Satisfaction
FAQs
What is Penetration Testing?
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Penetration testing, also known as pentesting, describes the assessment of computer networks, systems, and applications to identify and address security weaknesses affecting computer networks, systems, applications and websites. Some vulnerabilities can’t be detected by automated software tools.

Penetration testing is a form of ethical which ensures that any weaknesses discovered can be addressed in order to mitigate the risks of an attack. It is recommended that all organizations commission security testing at least  with additional assessments following significant changes to infrastructure, as well as prior to product launches, mergers or acquisitions.
What are the different types of  Penetration Testing?
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Types of pen test vary in focus, depth and duration. They can include internal/external infrastructure penetration testing, which assesses on-premise and cloud network infrastructure, wireless penetration testing, which targets an organization’s WLAN, as well as wireless protocols.

Other types of tests include web application testing, which assesses websites and custom applications delivered over the web, mobile application testing which tests mobile applications on operating systems, including Android and iOS to identify authentication, authorization, data leakage and session handling issues, and build and configuration reviews which review network builds and configurations.
Why is Penetration Testing important?
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Penetration testing is an important part of maintaining cyber security and addressing gaps in your organization’s defenses. Penetration testing should be a critical element of all organizations’ security programs to help them keep up with the fast-evolving threat landscape.

With threats constantly evolving, we recommend that every organisation conducts a penetration test at least twice a year, but more frequently when making significant changes to an application or infrastructure, launching new products and services, undergoing a business merger or acquisition or preparing for compliance with security standards.
What steps are involved in Penetration Testing?
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High quality penetration testing services apply a systematic methodology to ensure that all the relevant aspects are covered. In the case of a blackbox external network pentest, once the engagement has been scoped, the pen tester will conduct extensive reconnaissance, scanning and asset mapping in order to identify vulnerabilities for exploitation.

Once access to the network has been established, the pen tester will then attempt to move laterally across the network to obtain the higher-level privileges required to compromise additional assets and achieve the objective of the pentesting engagement. The final stage is the provision of a detailed report.
How long does a Penetration Test take?
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The duration of a penetration test will depend on the scope of the test and the nature of the organization. Factors affecting penetration testing duration include network size, whether the test is internal or external facing, whether it involves any physical penetration testing and whether network information and user credentials are shared prior to the penetration testing engagement. Your chosen vendor should discuss your options with you and agree what works best for your organization prior to starting the penetration testing.
How often should Penetration Testing be performed?
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Under GDPR and the UK data protection acts you have a legal responsibility to test your security "at least annually". We recommended all organisations conduct a penetration test at least twice a year, as well as after any significant upgrades or modifications to the company network. Given the rapid rate at which new exploits are discovered, quarterly tests are highly beneficial. Regular penetration tests are often required for compliance with regulations such as PCI DSS.
What happens after a Penetration Test is completed?
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To help facilitate the remediation process, pen testing should be assessed to ensure that it delivers actionable guidance to drive tangible security improvements. After each engagement, the ethical hacker assigned to the test should produce a custom written report, detailing and assessing the risks of any weaknesses identified, and outlining recommended remedial actions. A provider may also offer a comprehensive telephone debrief following submission of the report.
How much does Penetration Testing cost?
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Penetration testing costs vary widely, so it’s essential to ensure that the pen testing you select enables you to achieve the best security outcomes from your budget. Every organisation has its own testing requirements and penetration testing pricing varies according to the type of test performed, as well as its overall objectives and duration. Penetration testing costs ultimately depend on the issues and requirements identified during the initial scoping phase.
How is Penetration Testing conducted?
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Penetration testing as a service utilises the tools, techniques and procedures used by genuine criminal hackers. At Kroll, our five-phase approach incorporates two powerful sources of insight: the front-line experience of our global team of leading cyber investigators and the real-time threats gained from sophisticated technology, including our patent-protected dark web tools. For organizations whose cyber maturity is advanced, we can also provide red teaming exercises (on a onetime or periodic basis) that focus on specific objectives and scenarios provided by your team.
Will a Penetration Test interupt business operations?
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As penetration testing involves the exploitation of vulnerabilities, a clearly defined scope is needed to ensure that testing won’t impact business operations and fall foul of the law. A good pen testing provider should work closely with you to minimize any potential disruption to your business during the testing process. They should also agree in advance how to maintain the security of your systems and assets throughout the process.
How is Penetration Testing from Vulnerability Scanning?
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Botand automated vulnerability scans are useful tools for managing vulnerabilities. While these are different testing methods, they are complementary and both should be performed.

A vulnerability scan is an automated, low-cost method for testing common network and server vulnerabilities. This is sometimes referred to as an automated pen test. Many automated tools are available and most are easily configured by the end user to scan for published vulnerabilities on a scheduled basis. While an automated vulnerability scan is very efficient and cost-effective in identifying common vulnerabilities such as missing patches, service misconfigurations, and other known weaknesses, they are not as accurate in validating the accuracy of vulnerabilities nor do they fully determine the impact through exploitation. Automated scanners are more prone to reporting false positives (incorrectly reporting weaknesses) and false negatives (failing to identify vulnerabilities, especially those impacting web applications). Automated Vulnerability Scanning is mandated by the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) as noted in requirement 11.2.

A penetration test focuses on the environment as a whole. In many ways, it picks up where the scanners leave off to provide a comprehensive analysis of the overall security posture. While scripts and tools are leveraged by a penetration tester, their use is largely limited to reconnaissance activities. The bulk of a penetration test is manual by nature. A penetration test identifies vulnerabilities scanners cannot, such as wireless flaws, web application vulnerabilities, and vulnerabilities not yet published. Further, pen testing includes attempts to safely exploit vulnerabilities, escalate privileges, and ultimately demonstrate how an attacker could gain access to sensitive information assets. Penetration testing frequently applies “test scenarios” specific to an organization as well. For example, a university may grant access to student workers, a hospital may leverage third party service providers, or a consultancy may have unique access rights for their engineers. Each of these scenarios would require different positioning of the penetration tester within the environment and requires adjustments to the methodology. Penetration testing is also mandated by the PCI DSS as noted in requirement 11.3.

Penetration testing and automated vulnerability scans both serve a purpose and both types of testing belong in a comprehensive vulnerability assessment program. Automated vulnerability scanning should be scheduled to run on a frequent basis, ideally at least weekly, with network penetration tests scheduled quarterly or when significant changes are planned to an environment.

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