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Offensive Cyber

How Easy Is It for Malicious Hackers to Get Into Your Network?

Penetration testing, also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, is  one of the best ways to assess the real-world effectiveness of your  technical controls, policies, and procedures. In many cases, it is also a  mandatory requirement to meet compliance regulations or industry  standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability  Act (HIPAA), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS),  Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and others.

Gray Tier offers a selection of penetration testing services to meet your specific needs and budget, including:

  • Internal Penetration Testing (Internal Assessments)
  • External Penetration Testing (External Assessments)
  • Wireless Penetration Testing (Wireless Network Assessments)

When conducting a pen test, Gray Tier information security experts  simulate the thought processes and actions of a malicious external or  internal actor to get unauthorized access to systems or to extract  sensitive information. Using a flexible methodology, rather than a fixed  set of tools, we employ every resource at our disposal to reveal issues  that could leave your organization at risk – before a malicious hacker  exploits them.

Internal Penetration Testing

Internal penetration testing (also known as internal assessments)  applies these techniques to systems, servers, and applications within  the boundaries of your internal network, typically within the  public-private boundary created by an external-facing firewall. While  most organizations initially think of defending their sensitive data and  systems from external attacks, many successful attacks against an  organization come from within the network boundary, making internal  network penetration testing all the more critical. These attacks can  take the form of viruses brought in on mobile devices or removable  media, an internal employee committing fraud by exceeding their assigned  privileges, or a full attack from a malicious visitor (such as a hacker  compromising an internal wireless network or a rogue consultant).  Internal penetration tests typically include the following systems and  services:

  • Switches
  • Routers
  • Directory Servers (Active Directory, LDAP, Novell)
  • Core infrastructure services (DNS, DHCP, WINS)
  • File and Print Sharing Services
  • User Workstations
  • Database Servers
  • Internal Client-Server Applications
  • Internal Web Applications

Is Penetration Testing Right for You?

  • You need an assessment report to meet an annual compliance requirement
  • You need to validate new or updated security controls or appliances
  • You want to know your current threat exposure to Internet-facing assets
  • You want to evaluate your wireless network security and detect unauthorized devices
  • You want to know your current threat exposure to insider threats or compromised users

External Penetration Testing

In today’s business environment, protecting information, complying  with legal and regulatory requirements, and operating in alignment with  commonly accepted security best practices are integral parts of success  and service delivery. External penetration testing (also referred to as  external assessments) is performed from outside your infrastructure, and  is designed to replicate the tools and techniques that malicious  hackers would use to compromise your organization. External pen tests  typically include the following systems and services:

  • Firewalls
  • External Routers
  • Web Servers
  • Domain Name Servers (DNS)
  • Remote Access (VPNs, SSL VPNs, etc.)
  • Secure Encrypted Connections (site-to-site or B2B VPNs)
  • Email Systems
  • File Transfer Servers

Unless otherwise specified, Gray Tier follows a risk-based approach  attempting to exploit systems that are suspected to contain high-value  information as well as any “targets of opportunity” you identify. During  testing, it may be sufficient to identify vulnerabilities and use a  limited exploit to confirm their existence. However, whether for proof  or confirmation, many times exploits will be used to gain access and  show system weaknesses. Gray Tier follows a “Do No Harm” approach to  testing and will not conduct tests or exploits that would purposely take  down a system or cause other operational harm to a system or data.

Service Features

  •  Scenario-based assessments
  • Operationally-focused reporting
  • Asset detection and inventory
  • Vulnerability detection and prioritization
  • Actionable remediation recommendations
  • Fully-licensed toolset
  • Impact assessment from insider threat
  • Evidence of intrusion and malware detection scans
  • Support for compliance reporting
  • Measure ability to mitigate data exfiltration

Wireless Penetration Testing

Gray Tier approaches wireless security from three different perspectives:

  1. Signal space – Has anyone placed unauthorized  wireless devices within the corporate environment and from where can a  malicious actor connect to your wireless?
  2. Client-side/Mobile Devices –  Are devices connecting to the wireless network secured such that they  do not provide an attacker a way to compromise the wireless network?
  3. Infrastructure – Is the wireless infrastructure appropriately secured?

We determine the level of security of your organization’s wireless  environment by having skilled penetration testers perform a rogue device  detection sweep and attempt to compromise your wireless infrastructure.  This approach provides very quantifiable results and can identify  weaknesses in any of these areas. Our wireless penetration testing  practices (also known as wireless network assessments) leverage a  combination of techniques and attacks appropriate to your wireless  configuration, as different security scenarios require different attack  methodologies. Our testing approach includes wireless node discovery,  configuration mapping, and/or cryptographic cracking. As an additional  service, Gray Tier can also take a more white-box approach to conduct  interviews and performance reviews with the IT staff managing the  wireless environment. This full-knowledge approach complements the  penetration testing to identify other potential improvements which could  further harden the wireless infrastructure (such as network  segregation, intrusion detection, and simultaneous connections).

Advantages of Our Multifaceted Approach

 

Information security follows a continuous cycle of design, deploy,  test, and improve. Policies and guidelines, implementation processes and  procedures, and testing form the basis for this process. While policies  and procedures may be formalized and well-understood, breakdowns in  processes or simple human error can lead to unknown vulnerabilities that  can only be discovered through testing.

Not all penetration tests are created equal. Many firms that claim to  offer pen testing rely on a single automated tool with little  penetration testing experience or knowledge beyond what the tool can do  for them (and just as importantly, what it does not do). Gray Tier  employs a multifaceted approach—one that integrates research along with  in-depth technical analysis and “manual” testing. Our approach looks at  publicly leaked or available information, missing controls, system  misconfigurations, and system vulnerabilities just like a malicious  hacker would.

Based on your objectives, this multifaceted approach to testing your  organization’s security posture can also leverage Gray Tier’s social  engineering and physical security testing expertise to create a  simulation of complex, real-world “blended” threats. Such tests may be  designated as “black-box,” “white-box,” or “crystal-box” depending on  how much information you care to share with us prior to the test, or how  interactive or adaptive you want the test to be during the execution.  We also offer custom solutions such as wireless network and remote  access testing, as well as email and telephone “phishing” tests.

Our penetration testing reports are very comprehensive, giving you a  clear understanding of the testing methodology; the extent of the work  performed; extensive documentation of findings; and prioritized  remediation advice.

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Gray Tier Technology

2800 Eisenhower Ave. Suite 220 Alexandria, VA 22314

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