Network Penetration Testing

Overview

See your network the way an attacker does.

Network penetration testing assesses the perimeter and internal estate that everything else depends on. We probe exposed services, weak configurations, missing patches and over-permissive access to determine exactly how far an intruder could get — and how fast.

Run externally to model an internet-based attacker, or internally to simulate a malicious insider or a compromised endpoint, the engagement validates your segmentation, hardening and detection while staying safe for production.

What we test

Focus areas of the assessment.

The core areas we examine in a network penetration testing engagement.

External perimeter testing

Internet-facing hosts, services and exposures that form your first line of attack.

Internal network & lateral movement

How far an attacker spreads once inside, across hosts, shares and trust relationships.

Network services & protocols

Misconfigured, outdated or insecure services and the protocols that expose them.

Segmentation & firewall validation

Whether your network zones and rule-bases actually contain traffic as intended.

Credential & privilege attacks

Weak credentials, reuse and escalation paths to domain or infrastructure control.

Who needs this

Could this be what you need?

Common situations where this engagement makes sense.

Banks & NBFCsRBI cyber-resilience mandates require periodic network testing.

Enterprises with internal networksLarge estates needing lateral-movement assurance.

Data centres & hosting providersPerimeter and segmentation validation.

ISO 27001 / SOC 2 candidatesTechnical evidence for certification.

Merchants in PCI scopeInfrastructure and segmentation testing.

Organisations after an incidentVerifying containment and residual exposure.

Regulatory drivers

Why this is required

Independent network penetration testing is explicitly required, or strongly expected, under most frameworks that apply to Indian and global organisations — and it is the only reliable way to prove how your defences hold against a real attacker.

PCI DSS v4.0 (Req 11.4)

Mandates internal and external penetration testing at least annually and after any significant infrastructure or application change, with segmentation testing where the cardholder data environment is isolated.

RBI Cyber Resilience / ITGRCA

Regulated entities must conduct periodic vulnerability assessment and penetration testing of critical systems, and remediate findings within defined, severity-based timelines.

SEBI CSCRF & sector regulators

Require regular VAPT of critical systems, with prioritised closure and reporting to the board or regulator.

ISO/IEC 27001:2022

Supports the technical verification of network, access and operations controls expected across Annex A.

How we work

A disciplined testing methodology.

A repeatable, standards-based process that balances depth with operational safety.

Scoping & rules of engagement

Targets, IP ranges, depth and timing windows agreed under signed authorisation.

Host discovery & enumeration

Live-host discovery, port scanning and service enumeration across the network.

Service & vulnerability identification

Fingerprinting services and identifying exploitable weaknesses and misconfigurations.

Exploitation & privilege escalation

Safely exploiting findings and escalating privilege to prove impact.

Lateral movement & post-exploitation

Pivoting through the network to demonstrate the reach of a real attacker.

Reporting & retest

Risk-rated findings, remediation guidance and a retest to confirm closure.

What you receive

Deliverables built for every audience.

Executive summaryBoard-ready overview of network risk and key themes.
Network findings reportEach issue with CVSS score, affected hosts and evidence.
Proof-of-concept evidenceReproducible exploit steps for every confirmed finding.
Prioritised remediation roadmapFixes sequenced by risk and effort.
Retest report & attestationVerification that fixes hold, with an attestation letter.

Standards & frameworks

This assessment is aligned to recognised industry methodologies.

PTESNIST SP 800-115OWASPMITRE ATT&CKOSSTMM

Checklist

Are you ready? A quick checklist

What to have in place before we begin.

Defined IP ranges and in-scope hosts

External vs internal scope agreed

Test window and freeze periods set

Signed authorisation / rules of engagement

Emergency contacts and escalation path

Backups verified before testing

Production vs staging decision made

Remediation owner identified

FAQ

Common questions

Should we run an external or internal test?

External testing models an internet-based attacker hitting your perimeter; internal testing simulates an insider or a compromised device. Many organisations do both for full coverage, and we can advise based on your risk.

Will the test affect live systems?

We design engagements to be non-disruptive, agree safe testing windows, and validate higher-risk findings carefully in coordination with your team.

How many IPs or hosts can you test?

Scope flexes to your environment, from a handful of perimeter hosts to large internal ranges. We confirm exact counts and timelines during scoping.

How often should we run a network pentest?

At least annually, and after any significant change to your infrastructure, network architecture or internet-facing services. Regulated and PCI DSS environments often expect testing more frequently — many organisations move to a six-monthly cadence as their estate changes. We help you set a schedule that meets your obligations without creating testing fatigue.

Do you test from inside our network?

Yes. Internal testing runs from a provided foothold — a network drop, VPN connection or standard endpoint — to simulate an insider or an attacker who has already breached the perimeter. It surfaces the lateral-movement, privilege-escalation and segmentation weaknesses an external test cannot reach. The starting position and access are agreed with you during scoping.

What's the difference from a vulnerability scan?

A vulnerability scan is automated: it lists potential issues from signatures and version checks, which is fast but prone to false positives and blind to real impact. A penetration test is human-led — we manually validate each finding, rule out false positives, and chain weaknesses together to show what an attacker could actually achieve. In short, a scan tells you what might be wrong; a pentest proves what is.