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External Network Penetration Testing

The leading method to prevent cybercriminals from gaining unauthorised access into your network is to test for external vulnerabilities before they do. Find out how we can help your organisation:

EXTERNAL PENETRATION TESTING FOR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:

A Game-Changing Move

Expenditure on multiple aspects of cybersecurity to protect your network can be unproductive if your fundamentals, such as your configurations, patching and architecture, are vulnerable to malicious threat actors. External penetration testing is a combination of manual and automated testing of a client’s public facing systems by testing from the perspective of an attacker. In addition to being an essential part of managing cybersecurity threats, this blackbox penetration test aims to comply with many IT security compliance guidelines including ISM by Australian Signals Directorate and PCI DSS.

The Result of COVID-19 on Cybersecurity

Figures from the Swiss National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reported a 250% increase in cyberattacks since the start of the pandemic. Organisations were forced to create quick solutions to allow for working from home, by providing employees with quick access to systems and data to adjust to new remote-working environments. Yet by doing so, cybersecurity had not been prioritised and external network vulnerabilities were created. 

This upsurge in sophisticated external cyberattacks calls for new cutting-edge detection mechanisms, which have been cultivated by Gridware to meet the highest security standards.

Gridware Differentiators

Gridware is known for its distinctive approach to external penetration testing with methods that provide a thorough analysis of our client’s existing infrastructure and processes, as well as our accredited specialist teams in Sydney and Melbourne. Gridware is in a unique position to provide quick turnaround, a wealth of experience, and a diverse team of commercial and government clients.

We are proud to be CREST (Council for Registered Ethical Security Testers) Certified, a result of our expertise in the protection of Australian organisations. Employing the highest quality cybersecurity talent in the market, we continue to offer our clients results that speak for themselves, allowing them to avert financial loss, reputational damage and lost time.

The Gridware Approach to External Penetration Testing

 Gridware’s external penetration testing services will typically focus on PTES (Penetration Testing Execution Standard) and OSSTMM (Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual) for your organisation’s public-facing systems. In doing so, our expert penetration team aims to identify security flaws with your organisation’s external facing network that hold the potential to be exploited.

Gridware can guarantee security through an external penetration test, which is completed in accordance to the following method:

Scoping

The Gridware management team will meet with your organisation to discuss your external network and establish a scope of assessment. A report will also be constructed to notify you and your stakeholders of the nature and timeline of your external penetration test

Reconnaissance

Gridware’s penetration team will then take a black box approach to will establish the number of network assets within the defined scope of your organisation’s external environment, identifying any existing technology that may pose a threat to your cybersecurity.

Execution

With reference to the information identified in the initial phase, Gridware’s penetration testers assess your external environment for potential threats from the perspective of a hacker. Gridware’s accredited tactics and techniques will produce the most valuable output for your organisation.

Reporting

The penetration test results are collated and intricately analysed into a report that describes the approach and findings.

Application

Gridware’s expert recommendations are organised by their risk factor and coupled with easy-to-understand requirements for you and your stakeholders to apply efficiently.

Re-verification

After confirmation that your organisation has implemented Gridware's remediation activities, a re-verification test will be conducted to ensure that all changes have been made correctly and no subsequent issues have arisen.

Game-changing:

Key Benefits

Gridware’s services will help you take preventive action to avoid the cost of network recovery and downtime which may result from an external cyber attack.  It can be a game-changing move to take your organisations external systems from below-average to strategically in tune with the latest threats and challenges.

An external penetration test is a proactive way of shaping mature cybersecurity strategies by testing remote working systems before something can go wrong. 

External Penetration Test FAQs

An external penetration test identifies and remediates all weaknesses to your external environment, to prevent costly and damaging exploitation from hackers. Once weaknesses have been found, Gridware will provide their respective remediation activities for your company to implement, followed by re-verification testing to ensure that all changes have been made correctly.

A black box security audit is carried out in settings similar to an external attack performed by a remote unknown attacker. This means that no (or very little) information is provided to Gridware’s penetration testers prior to the start of the tests.

A black box security audit is carried out in settings similar to an external attack performed by a remote unknown attacker, with little-to-no information provided to Gridware’s penetration testers.

Contrary to the black box, a white box penetration test means that the maximum amount of information is shared with with Gridware’s penetration testers before the audit.

During a grey box penetration test, Gridware’s penetration testers start with information about their target. This allows more in-depth testing, with a better understanding of the context.

Just as you would check the locks of your door and your office alarm, it is crucial to regularly test your external cyber environment. By doing so, you can guarantee that cybercriminals will not gain unauthorised access to your external network and private data, as well as ensure that your organisation will not experience costly downtime and damaging reputational damage that is associated with a data breach.

External penetration testing should be performed by an external provider to guarantee that there is no bias in the analysis and that it is done separately from the company by CREST-accredited experts who are up to date on vulnerabilities and are familiar with both international and industry standards.

The cost of an external penetration test will generally depend on the type of assessment  (whitebox, blackbox or greybox testing). In our experience, most companies looking to undertake an external penetration test can require between 6-10 days of testing and consulting services. There are other factors to consider that affect the price, including any regulatory or legal requirements affecting your industry.

In our experience, an external penetration test can take between 6-10 business days to complete, depending on whether the assessment requires whitebox, blackbox or greybox testing.  

Gridware’s unique and accredited approach to penetration testing will ensure that your business will experience no downtime while the assessment is taking place. By doing so, Gridware ensures that your organisation will have no disruption to its everyday functions.

Customer Stories

Gridware has acted for hundreds of companies and helped them recover from potentially disastrous situations. Read about how our services have helped others:

Improve your cybersecurity resilience with Gridware

Contact us to learn more about how we can help you test your systems

 

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Sydney Offices
Level 12, Suite 6
189 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
1300 211 235

Melbourne Offices
Level 13, 114 William Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
1300 211 235

Perth Offices
Level 32, 152 St Georges Terrace
Perth WA 6000
1300 211 235

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