Stay one step ahead of cybercriminals Conducting regular security assessments gives you a clear view of your standing in today's dynamic threat environment. This process helps you pinpoint and patch vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers.

Take command of your infrastructure With the evolution of technology and expansion of your business, the complexity of technical infrastructures increases. It's easy for aspects to fall out of control, or you might lack the specific expertise to ensure your security measures are correctly implemented. Each assessment highlights the dynamics of your system, revealing interdependencies that could affect security. Remember, your security is only as strong as its weakest point.

Demonstrate your security strength You might believe your infrastructure is highly secure, supported by various processes, procedures, and staff training. But do you have proof? A penetration test offers a practical way to validate your security measures, providing tangible evidence that your controls meet the standards and function as intended. This validation is crucial not only for your own reassurance but also for maintaining trust with customers and suppliers.

Effective risk management Penetration tests evaluate your business risks, examining the potential impacts on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your data. These insights help management and technical teams to prioritise, plan, budget, and address risks methodically.

Because compliance is mandatory There's an increasing array of legal obligations, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and best practices that advocate or mandate regular penetration testing. This includes standards like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, FCA, HMG, and CoCo, among others. While compliance doesn't ensure security, these frameworks guide towards maintaining a robust security posture.

Safeguard your enterprise It's obvious that security breaches spell disaster, with significant damage to your brand's reputation and substantial financial loss. Penetration testing significantly lowers the risk of a breach, safeguarding the investment in your organisation and bolstering confidence among current and prospective customers.

Think about the scope Getting the scope correct is crucial. A mis-scoped test can yield limited or no useful results, rendering the time and effort spent as wasted.

Keep your objectives in mind Failing to understand your requirements can lead to setting up unrealistic test conditions.

Set appropriate budgets The scope and complexity of the systems and applications you wish to test will be directly influenced by your budget. Ensure your budget allows for comprehensive testing of all necessary components.

Get the right type of test There are various types of penetration tests, and selecting the appropriate one is essential. We will discuss the specifics of different test types later in this white paper.

Trust your testers Choosing the wrong team for the job can result in a flawed test or even damage to your systems. Do your due diligence on the company to ensure they possess the necessary expertise and skills.

Be prepared Depending on the tests, you might encounter high resource usage, increased latency, and numerous alerts. Prepare for these by selecting suitable targets, timing, and test types.

Really be prepared Penetration tests can affect operational services, so it's advisable to conduct a full backup before starting the testing process.

Penetration testing is not a magic solution No penetration test can assure 100% security, given that new vulnerabilities, techniques, and technologies emerge daily. However, what it does offer is evidence that you've taken steps to make your systems as secure as possible, thus significantly lowering the likelihood of a successful attack.

Tests are time-limited A penetration test captures the security state of your systems at a specific moment. This is why many security standards require periodic retesting, commonly every six months or yearly, to keep up with evolving threats.

What's the scope? Bear in mind that you're only examining elements within the defined scope. By nature, penetration tests are confined to agreed-upon boundaries. While you could instruct a testing company to "hack everything", this approach would likely be inefficient and costly. A more effective strategy is to focus on a scope that is both broad and deep enough to be meaningful.

Human components Be cautious of tests that solely target technical infrastructure, as human factors can be equally critical. The sophistication, maturity, and success of attacks aimed at the human aspect of security are on the rise. Including an element of social engineering in your tests is advisable to assess how well your staff can safeguard your organisation.

White Box In contrast to a black box test where nothing is disclosed initially, a white box test provides full transparency to the testers. This includes detailed breakdowns of target systems, network diagrams, and firewall configurations. Although not as "real-world" as a black box test, it permits a much more exhaustive examination. By exploring every facet of the environment, vulnerabilities can be identified more quickly and in greater detail. The primary disadvantage is its lack of realism, since actual attackers wouldn't have such complete insight into the system's architecture, potentially skewing the test's bias. However, in terms of security, can there ever truly be 'too much' information?

Black Box This represents what many consider a standard controlled hack. It's designed to mimic real-world scenarios, where minimal information is given to the penetration testers beforehand. This approach is beneficial because it positions the tester in the same shoes as a genuine hacker, with scant or no prior understanding of the environment. The downside of black box testing is that the allocated time might not suffice to cover everything, resulting in some areas of the infrastructure remaining untested, possibly due to not being found.

Grey Box As the name suggests, a grey box test shares some but not all information about the target systems with the testers. This middle-ground approach is the most prevalent type of penetration testing, allowing testers to conduct a systematic attack without requiring exhaustive knowledge of the systems they're testing.

Internal penetration testing mimics an attack where the security perimeter has already been breached. It focuses on what an attacker, or potentially a malicious insider, could observe and accomplish within your network. This includes moving between networks, intercepting internal communications, and more.

External penetration testing simulates an attacker's capability to infiltrate your internal network from outside sources or to extract sensitive information from publicly accessible assets like web applications or email servers.

Infrastructure or Network Penetration Testing This test evaluates the security posture of an infrastructure or network, checking aspects like running services, patch levels, misconfigurations, design flaws, and the efficacy of security controls. The aim is to detect and exploit vulnerabilities within the network.

Application Penetration Testing This involves examining an application's functionality, process flow, and security measures from both unauthenticated and authenticated viewpoints. It targets areas like access control, session and configuration management, error handling, data protection, and input validation. Application testing provides an external perspective on how different components of an application interact, potentially exposing direct or indirect security vulnerabilities.

Configuration/Build Review Testing This test reviews the existing setup of various system components. It's a non-invasive method aimed at auditing configurations to ensure they adhere to hardening standards and best practices. This helps guarantee that both current and future deployments follow industry guidelines, minimising risks of tampering or exploitation.

Social Engineering Focusing on the human aspect of security, social engineering tests attempt to gain access to sensitive information through psychological manipulation. Techniques include phishing emails, phone calls, exploiting operational procedure weaknesses, and attempting to bypass physical security measures.

Wireless Penetration Testing This test assesses weaknesses in wireless networks by examining packet data, access points, rogue devices, encryption mechanisms, and the status of patches.

Risks related to the current setup, configuration of servers/applications

Identified vulnerabilities and active services on servers and applications

Methods used to exploit each security flaw

Steps for remediation

Short-term and long-term action plans

Get a signed NDA to guarantee confidentiality.

Inform all relevant personnel within your organisation about the upcoming penetration tests.

Back up all critical data from systems that will be included in the tests, as they might be impacted during the process.

Provide necessary resources like VPN access, IP whitelisting, etc., before the tests start to avoid any delays.

Notify your penetration testing company immediately if you encounter any faults, interference, or other issues during the test.

Penetration testing isn't appealing to small businesses - Regardless of your company's size, penetration testing is crucial to ensure you've taken every possible measure to safeguard your business. Cybercriminals target organisations of all sizes; if you're an easy target, you're at risk.

It's only for Government or financial institutions - Security is a fundamental aspect of any business, irrespective of the sector. It's essential for maintaining business operations and preventing significant reputational and financial damage following a security breach.

They're the same as vulnerability assessments - Often, there's confusion between penetration testing and vulnerability assessments. Vulnerability assessments use automated tools that look for known security issues using pre-existing signatures, focusing on patch levels without confirming if the vulnerabilities can actually be exploited. Additionally, these automated scanners won't detect vulnerabilities not yet in their databases.

Initial Consultation: We begin by understanding your business, its needs, and current security landscape to tailor our approach.

Gap Analysis: We assess where you stand in relation to ISO 27001 requirements, identifying gaps in your existing security measures.

Risk Assessment: Our experts conduct a thorough risk assessment to prioritise threats and vulnerabilities specific to your organisation.

Policy Development: We assist in creating or refining your Information Security Management System (ISMS) policies, procedures, and controls.

Implementation: With a clear roadmap, we help implement the necessary controls, training staff, and embedding security practices into your daily operations.

Documentation: We ensure all necessary documentation is in place, compliant, and properly managed.

Pre-Audit Preparation: Before the certification audit, we perform internal audits to ensure readiness and address any last-minute issues.

Certification Support: We guide you through the certification process, helping you liaise with certification bodies until you achieve ISO 27001 certification.

Change Impact Assessment: We evaluate how the 2022 updates affect your current ISMS.

Training and Awareness: Our team provides training sessions to update your staff on the new requirements and their implications.

Policy and Procedure Update: We help revise your existing policies to align with the new standard, ensuring compliance.

Control Implementation: New or updated controls are implemented to meet the revised standard's expectations.

Documentation Revision: We assist in updating all relevant documentation to reflect the changes in the standard.

Mock Audits: Conducting practice audits to ensure that your ISMS is fully compliant before the official transition audit.

Transition Audit Support: We support you during the transition audit, helping to address any findings and ensuring a successful certification to ISO 27001:2022.

Regular internal audits to monitor compliance, identify improvements, and maintain the effectiveness of your ISMS.

Customised audit plans based on your business operations, risks, and compliance needs.

Preparation for third-party certification audits with mock audits, ensuring your organisation is fully prepared.

Liaison with external auditors to streamline the certification process.

Post-audit follow-up to address non-conformities and implement corrective actions.

Audit Reporting: Comprehensive reports detailing findings, non-conformities, observations, and recommendations for improvement.

Continuous Improvement: We don't just audit; we advise on how to evolve your ISMS for better security and efficiency.

Microsoft Stack Expertise: From Azure to SharePoint, I provide comprehensive services that leverage Microsoft technologies for your business benefit.

IT Deployments & Divestments: Smooth transitions with minimal downtime, whether you're expanding or scaling back your IT operations.

Project Planning: Detailed planning and execution to ensure your projects meet deadlines, budgets, and quality standards.

Infrastructure Solutions: Optimise your IT infrastructure with solutions that enhance performance, security, and scalability.

Exchange & Network Management: Expertise in managing and troubleshooting Exchange servers and network issues to keep your communications robust and secure.

20 Years of Experience: A deep understanding of IT challenges across various industries.

Cost-Effective Solutions: I focus on solutions that not only solve problems but also save you time and money.

Personalised Approach: Every business has unique needs, and I tailor my services to match your specific requirements.

Proven Track Record: Numerous successful projects under my belt, ensuring you're in capable hands.