Network Penetration Testing
A network can look secure from the inside while still exposing paths an attacker could use to gain access, move between systems, or reach sensitive resources. Our network penetration testing methodology follows established practices from the Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES) and NIST SP 800-115, helping ensure testing is structured, repeatable, and aligned with recognized security testing practices.
A Network Can Be Secure at the Perimeter and Still Expose the Inside
Firewalls and perimeter controls can reduce unwanted access, but they don't eliminate the risk created by exposed services, weak credentials, excessive privileges, outdated systems, or poorly separated network segments. Once an attacker gains an initial foothold, the security of the systems behind that perimeter becomes just as important.
A network penetration test evaluates how those weaknesses can be combined to move from one system or segment to another. Instead of simply listing vulnerable hosts, the assessment helps your team understand where access could lead, what critical resources may be reachable, and where network controls need stronger validation.
See How Your Network Holds Up Under Real Attack Conditions
Test Your External Exposure
Assess internet-facing hosts, services, remote access points, and network devices for weaknesses that could give an external attacker an initial foothold.
Validate Internal Segmentation
Test whether network boundaries actually restrict movement between user environments, servers, sensitive systems, and other internal segments.
Examine Access and Privilege Paths
Assess authentication, authorization, exposed services, and privilege relationships to determine whether compromised access could lead to broader network control.
Identify Paths to Critical Systems
Trace realistic routes toward high-value infrastructure and sensitive resources to determine whether an initial compromise could develop into a more serious network-level incident.
Measure the Security of Your Network Before You Test It
Know What an Attacker Could Reach From a Single Compromise
See which externally or internally accessible weaknesses could provide an attacker with a starting point inside your environment.
Understand whether network controls actually prevent movement between systems, segments, and environments that should remain separated.
Identify whether critical infrastructure can be reached through realistic attack paths and where additional security controls may be needed.
Don't Stop at Finding the Open Door
A network penetration test becomes valuable when it shows what an attacker could accomplish after gaining access. Testing can follow realistic attack paths to determine whether an initial compromise can lead to additional systems, elevated privileges, or access to sensitive infrastructure.
The result is more than a list of vulnerable devices. Your team gains a clearer understanding of how individual weaknesses can connect, where network controls successfully limit an attacker, and where they need strengthening.
Common Questions About Network Penetration Testing
How long does a network penetration testing engagement take?
Most network penetration testing engagements are completed within two to four weeks, depending on the number of hosts, network segments, locations, access conditions, and testing objectives involved. The final timeline is established during scoping, so your team knows what to expect before testing begins.
Can you test both external and internal networks?
Yes. An engagement can evaluate internet-facing infrastructure, internal networks, or both, depending on what your organization needs to validate.
Will network penetration testing affect production systems?
Testing is planned around agreed rules of engagement and operational requirements. The objective is to conduct meaningful security testing while keeping unnecessary disruption to a minimum.
Can you test network segmentation?
Yes. Testing evaluates whether security boundaries effectively restrict access between different network segments and whether an attacker with an initial foothold could move beyond the area they first compromise.
What types of network infrastructure can be tested?
Depending on scope, testing can include servers, network devices, externally exposed services, remote-access infrastructure, internal systems, and other components that form part of your network environment.
Can you simulate an attacker who already has internal access?
Yes. Internal testing can be structured around different starting positions to help determine what an attacker could accomplish after gaining access to the network.
How is network penetration testing different from vulnerability scanning?
Vulnerability scanning primarily identifies known weaknesses. Penetration testing manually investigates whether those weaknesses can be exploited and how they could be combined to create meaningful attack paths.
Can network penetration testing identify lateral movement risks?
Yes. Testing examines whether an attacker who compromises one system could use available access, credentials, services, or network relationships to reach additional systems.
Can remote access infrastructure be included?
Yes. VPNs, remote-access services, and other externally reachable access mechanisms can be included when they fall within the agreed testing scope.
What happens when a serious vulnerability is discovered?
Significant findings are handled according to the agreed communication process. This allows your team to become aware of important risks without necessarily waiting until the final report.
What does the final network penetration testing report include?
The assessment delivers a Risk Impact Brief for leadership, a Technical Pentest Report for security teams, and an Attestation Letter for audit and compliance needs. Each connects findings to business impact.
Should network penetration testing be repeated after remediation?
Yes. Retesting verifies whether identified vulnerabilities have been successfully addressed and whether changes introduced during remediation have created additional exposure.
Does network penetration testing support PCI DSS compliance?
Yes. PCI DSS Requirement 11.4 requires external and internal network penetration testing at least every 12 months and after significant changes. Where network segmentation is used to reduce the scope of the cardholder data environment, the applicable segmentation controls must also be tested periodically. For service providers, certain segmentation testing requirements may apply every six months. A configuration review alone does not replace penetration testing; the assessment must test whether segmentation controls can actually be bypassed.