Network Penetration Testing
(Pen Testing)

Network penetration testing (aka pen testing) and timely identification of network vulnerabilities is something every organization needs done before hackers or disgruntled insiders exploit the weaknesses.

The process of identifying vulnerabilities, evaluating the risk, remediation, and reporting is called vulnerability management. By running penetration tests, organizations are able to more efficiently find and fix security vulnerabilities within their network.

Automated pen testing techniques can only go so far in detecting potential attack paths, and changes in technology and business process are reducing vulnerability assessment effectiveness even further. Deeper penetration testing is needed to augment existing vulnerability management processes, especially in light of the rising level of targeted attacks.

Standard penetration testing is a method of probing and identifying security vulnerabilities in your network and the extent to which they could be exploited by a hacker. These tests are typically performed using automated tools that look for specific weaknesses, technical flaws or vulnerabilities to exploit, with the results presented to the system owner with an assessment of their risk to the networked environment and a remediation plan highlighting the steps needed to eliminate the exposures.

Vulnerability management and penetration testing work hand in hand to close any potential openings available to corporate attackers. Together, vulnerability management and penetration testing enhance security and lessen the probability that the criminals could penetrate your systems.

Rapid7 can help execute security penetration testing

Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing using NeXpose combined with other methodologies combines the best of both worlds. Using NeXpose, you get:

• Accurate and thorough analysis of how vulnerabilities in one system affect another, ensuring the organization maintains up-to-date insight into how its vulnerabilities impact the entire enterprise. Risk scores are assigned to each asset based on several factors that weigh the relative risk of discovered vulnerabilities, enabling smoother prioritization of remediation tasks.
• Accurate scan results with no false positives. The highly intelligent NeXpose expert system tests all vulnerabilities to determine if they are actually there and provides definitive proof of the vulnerabilities discovered. Because NeXpose exploits vulnerabilities and leverages those exploits to access other systems, it can effectively calculate the true risk to the environment.
• A complete test of your entire IT environment, not just operating systems and network devices. NeXpose scans for vulnerabilities in software such as web applications and databases, determines the presence of adware or spyware, and tests other security products such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to ensure they are functioning appropriately.

The security consulting services at Rapid7 can assist your implementation of penetration tests to your network and will provide a report of the results. We have the resources to test your network perimeter using our external NeXpose Scanning Engines, seeing where you have left the door open to your valuable corporate data.

Learn Penetration Testing & Ethical Hacking

For those of you who want your staff to have a deeper understanding of penetration testing, Rapid7 offers a Penetration Testing Training course that goes in-depth into the techniques used by malicious hackers with a unique combination of lectures and hands on lab exercises. You will learn how to perform ethical hacking and penetration testing to help secure your organization's network.

Contact us to find out more about Rapid7 penetration tests & consulting services.