External Penetration Testing
Your perimeter, tested like an attacker would.
We attack your perimeter the way real adversaries would—scanning for exposed services, testing authentication mechanisms, and attempting to breach your internet-facing systems.
Overview
External penetration testing evaluates your organization's security posture from the perspective of an outside attacker with no prior access to your network. We target everything visible from the internet: web servers, mail systems, VPNs, cloud infrastructure, and any other externally accessible services. Our goal is to identify vulnerabilities that could allow an attacker to breach your perimeter and gain initial access to your internal network.
What We Test
Our external penetration testing engagements cover these key areas:
Perimeter Services
Web servers, mail servers, DNS, FTP, and other internet-facing services scanned for vulnerabilities and misconfigurations.
Authentication Systems
VPNs, remote access portals, and authentication mechanisms tested for weak credentials and bypass opportunities.
Web Applications
Public-facing applications probed for OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, business logic flaws, and data exposure.
Cloud Infrastructure
AWS, Azure, GCP configurations evaluated for exposed storage, overly permissive access, and misconfigured services.
Email Security
SPF, DKIM, DMARC configurations and mail server security assessed to prevent spoofing and phishing attacks.
SSL/TLS Configuration
Certificate validity, cipher suites, and protocol versions evaluated against current best practices.
Our Approach
Our external testing follows the PTES framework, combining automated scanning with manual exploitation techniques to find vulnerabilities that automated tools miss.
Reconnaissance
We enumerate your external footprint using OSINT, DNS analysis, and service discovery—just like a real attacker would.
Vulnerability Analysis
Identified services are analyzed for known vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential attack vectors.
Exploitation
We attempt to exploit discovered vulnerabilities to demonstrate real-world impact and prove exploitability.
Documentation
Every finding is documented with evidence, reproduction steps, and prioritized remediation guidance.
Common Findings
These are issues we frequently discover during external penetration testing engagements:
Exposed Admin Interfaces
HighManagement consoles, admin panels, and development environments accessible from the internet without proper access controls.
Weak SSL/TLS Configuration
MediumOutdated protocols, weak cipher suites, or expired certificates that could enable man-in-the-middle attacks.
Default Credentials
CriticalAppliances, network devices, or applications still using factory-default usernames and passwords.
Information Disclosure
MediumVerbose error messages, directory listings, or metadata exposing internal system details to attackers.
Missing Security Headers
LowWeb applications lacking Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, or other protective HTTP headers.
Outdated Software
HighInternet-facing systems running software versions with known, exploitable vulnerabilities.
Common Questions
What's the difference between external testing and a vulnerability scan?
Vulnerability scans identify potential issues; external penetration testing proves them exploitable. We manually verify findings, chain vulnerabilities together, and demonstrate actual business impact—not just theoretical risk scores.
Do you need access to our network for external testing?
No. External testing is performed entirely from outside your network, simulating a real attacker with no prior access. We only need your permission and a list of in-scope IP addresses or domains.
How often should we conduct external penetration testing?
At minimum, annually or after significant infrastructure changes. Many compliance frameworks require annual testing. Organizations with frequent changes or higher risk profiles may benefit from quarterly assessments.
Other Penetration Testing Options
Internal Penetration Testing
Simulating a compromised workstation or rogue insider, we test how far an attacker could move laterally through your network and what sensitive data they could access.
Wireless Security Testing
We assess your wireless networks for rogue access points, weak encryption, and attack vectors that could give adversaries a foothold into your environment.
Physical Penetration Testing
Combining physical security testing with social engineering, we evaluate whether attackers could gain physical access to sensitive areas and systems.
Ready to Strengthen Your Defenses?
Schedule a free consultation with our security experts to discuss your organization's needs.
Or call us directly at (445) 273-2873