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Penetration

Testing

Penetration testing is a vital component of any cybersecurity strategy. It is used to identify, test and highlight vulnerabilities of an organisation’s Cyber security strength before cybercriminals and insider threats can exploit it.

It is essential to test your security posture regularly. However, it is time-consuming and expensive to maintain an in-house team of cybersecurity experts. That is where we come in. We offer comprehensive penetration testing services in the United Kingdom, with our experienced team offering invaluable advice on how you can improve your organisation’s security posture.

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Our Approach

Our unique approach to pen testing gives you access to our CSIQ Insight – Live Risk Management Portal and an assigned project manager. In addition, we provide guidance on any vulnerabilities identified and remediation strategies, keeping you fully informed throughout the entire process.

We are also a CREST-accredited company committed to the highest technical, ethical, and legal standards.

What are the benefits of penetration testing?

  • It tests your cyber-defence capability
  • It reveals any potential vulnerabilities
  • It builds trust with customers
  • It tests the ability to respond to a real cyber threat
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Why us?

As Cyber privacy specialists, we have the expertise needed for any investigation – from malware analyses to the forensic data collection of devices and cloud platforms. We also offer intelligence gathering services, including OSINT data analysis, and can be called upon as an expert witness in our specialist fields. So if you’re looking for an experienced investigator of hostile profiling with the resources necessary for success, we can help.

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Cyber Security Simplified

Our services are built to be cost-effective while maximising risk reduction. All consultancy and managed solutions provide actionable results that protect your business from opportunistic to advanced persistent threats.

17

of businesses have performed an audit of cyber security vulnerabilities

21

of businesses were attacked at least once in 2022

25

of businesses needed new measures to stop future attacks in 2022

Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS)

Our Pre-Pay contract, combined with a managed attack surface package and our professional penetration testing services, brings a full Cyber security service to protect your business from attacks and threats.

Businesses are often stuck in the loop of annual penetration testing and then waiting a year before retesting. With our PTaaS, our ongoing services significantly reduce the time it takes to identify an attack to days instead of months.

What are the Benefits of PTaaS?

  • Continuous security monitoring to protect against emerging vulnerabilities
  • Any new services introduced by the business are automatically assessed
  • Managed by our SOC and Consultancy team
  • CSIQ Insight – giving a full view of all identified security issues
  • Reduces the time between identified vulnerability to remediation with dedicated support

Have further questions about Penetration Testing? Read our FAQs, or contact us here.

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Our Penetration Testing Methodology

Our Crest Approved approach to penetration testing ensures that we identify critical weaknesses in your security posture.

The process includes:

Types of Penetration Testing We Offer

Network Infrastructure Testing

The network infrastructure is often the next objective for cyber criminals following a compromised device or the primary target for insider threats. We will detect vulnerabilities, identify configuration weaknesses, laterally move, and escalate privileges to deliver a comprehensive understanding of your corporate network’s security posture.

Examples of assessments and testing;

  • Identify Insecure configurations
  • Detecting unpatched systems
  • Discovering flaws in application design
  • Use of weak encryption
  • Ineffective firewall design

Wireless Infrastructure

Misconfigured wireless networks pose a serious risk to the data of the organisation. If an attacker gains access to the Staff wireless network, they often have access to the same servers and resources as a user who is cabled into a wall, which might result in data loss or worse.

Examples of assessments and testing;

  • Hunting for Rogue Access Point
  • Wi-Fi Password Recovery
  • Use of Weak Encryption
  • Use of Default Configurations
  • Discovering Overpowered Access Point
  • Identify Design and Coverage Inefficiencies
  • Identify Poor Network Segregation
  • Guest Wi-Fi Misconfigurations

ISO 27001 Penetration Testing

ISO 27001 is an internationally recognised standard for auditing and certifying an organisation’s Information Security Management System (ISMS)

We are ISO 27001 certified and use the framework to ensure that our systems and risks are secured and managed at all times. Through our testing we will ensure that you capture the risks relevant to the context of your organisation and provide the results in a format that will integrate with your existing risk assessment and risk treatment plans.

Social Engineering

Cybercriminals employ psychological manipulation methods to persuade individuals to take actions that may result in system access or the disclosure of personal and sensitive information.

The social engineering testing services we provide enable you to accurately assess the detection and response capabilities of personnel and provide you with risk remediation and training strategies.

Web & Mobile API Testing

An API penetration test gives assurance of the application’s security, and identifies weaknesses that may allow an unauthorised user to use the application in a non-intended manner and provide access to information they are not authorised to view.

APIs provide the added benefit of decoupling user interfaces from the data which fuels most online applications however configuration weaknesses and vulnerabilities are easily introduced without an effective and continuous software development lifecycle.

Examples of assessments and testing;

  • Inject Flaws including SQL, NoSQL, LDAP and OS
  • Broken Authentication
  • Sensitive Data Exposure
  • XML External Entities
  • Broken Access Control
  • Security Misconfiguration
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
  • Insecure Deserialization
  • Using Components with known vulnerabilities
  • Insufficient Logging and Monitoring

Physical Penetration Testing

Physical penetration testing is a live demonstration of a technical attack against an organisation’s physical defences and access control processes. Our testing will allow you to evaluate your ability to detect an adversary and identify areas for improvement in detection capabilities and processes.

Examples of assessments and testing;

  • Access control badge, interception, and cloning
  • Dumpster diving
  • Telephotography
  • Review of CCTV coverage and placement
  • Placement of network implants
  • Identify underground Intrusion detection systems
  • Identifying security personnel routines
  • Evaluating perimeter defence and deterrents

Cloud Platform (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) Testing

Cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, Digital Ocean, and Linode have enabled organisations to extend the capabilities of traditional infrastructure technologies while benefiting from scalability and pay-as-you-go pricing.

Examples of assessments and testing;

  • Identify leaked information
  • Secure use of object storage in applications
  • Secret Key search engine leakage
  • Authorisation and Authentication
  • Detecting shadow admins
  • Bucket and Blob storage protection
  • Meeting compliance standards for GDPR, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC2 and more.

Cloud Productivity Suite Testing

Microsoft 365 and Google’s G-Suite are unified workplace solutions for individuals, teams and businesses. As these solutions enjoy rapid development with the introduction of new features, securing the platforms has become increasingly challenging with a single compromised account often resulting in data loss and further attacks on customers and partner organisations.

We offer a comprehensive assessment on the use of cloud productivity tools to ensure they are configured securely.

Examples of assessments and testing;

  • Azure AD configuration review
  • Microsoft 365 Configuration Review

CSIQ Insight: Risk Management Portal

All consultancy and managed services include access to our Risk Management Portal.

A Single Pane of Glass

All risk types, including technical, human, residual and inherent, are allocated a score, allowing for a strategic approach to risk reduction.

Monthly Reports

Monthly reports from our managed services detailing individual risk scores, a summary of events, detailed vulnerabilities, and security recommendations are all available from the platform.

Visual Attack Path

Multiple vulnerabilities are typically exploited to reach a target. Our platform visualises the attack path taken by your consultant to achieve the objective.

Trend Analysis

Track your exposure over time to ensure that your IT teams are tackling the vulnerabilities identified.

If you have our pre-pay contract, simply send us a message through the platform to assist with the remediation.

Flexible Pre-Pay Contract

Benefit from 25% off and rapid response with our Pre-Pay Contract

Journey to Cyber Maturity

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Non-Disclosure Agreements
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Scoping Questionnaire
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Rules of Engagement
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Testing
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Present Findings
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Feedback & Evaluation
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Post Engagement Support

Journey to Cyber Maturity

1

Non-Disclosure
Agreements
2

Scoping
Questionnaire
3

Rules of
Engagement
4

Testing
5

Present
Findings
6

Feedback &
Evaluation
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Post Engagement
support

FAQ

What is the difference between a vulnerability scan and a penetration test?

Vulnerability Scans are typically automated and look for known vulnerabilities using free and commercial tools. A skilled and experienced ethical hacker typically conducts a penetration test, who will attempt to verify weaknesses and exploit them manually. Many vulnerability tests report what is known as a “false positive”, where the software reports vulnerabilities that may not be accurate. A penetration test includes manual verification of vulnerabilities to ensure that the true representation of risk is presented.

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How frequently should I perform a penetration test?

Because cyber threats are constantly evolving, it is advised that external and internal penetration testing is performed at least annually.

It is also advised that a penetration test is conducted if significant changes are made to the infrastructure or when new applications are deployed. This ensures that any changes made do not introduce new vulnerabilities into the environment.

Some certifications, such as ISO 27001 or PCI DSS, require a scheduled testing frequency to remain compliant.

Can I track progress during the engagement?

Yes. All penetration testing engagements include access to CSIQ Insight and our client portal, allowing you to track projects and vulnerabilities as they are identified and until remediation is complete.

What happens after the penetration test is completed?

After each engagement, the cybersecurity consultant assigned to the test will produce a custom-written report detailing the risks of any identified weaknesses, outlining recommended remedial actions prioritised by overall risk reduction.

CSIQ includes validation testing for all vulnerabilities identified.

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Penetration Testing

Services

Need penetration testing for web applications? Visit our web application penetration testing page to see how we can help.

Or get in touch to learn more about our available services.

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Our Accreditations & Memberships

We are proud of our industry recognised certifications in Cyber Security and Service Delivery

CSIQ NCSC Assured Service Provider Cyber Advisor
CSIQ NCSC Assured Service Provider Cyber Advisor
Cyber Essentials Plus Certification Body
Cyber Essentials Plus Certification Body
IASME Governance Certification Body
IASME Governance Certification Body
CSIQ IASME Cyber Baseline Certification Body
CSIQ IASME Cyber Baseline Certification Body
ISACA Professional Members
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Have a question for us about our services?

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