Penetration Testing
Penetration testing - often also called "ethical hacking" - is a simulated cyberattack carried out on a computer system, network or web application to identify exploitable vulnerabilities before malicious actors do. It’s a proactive security practice that goes beyond automated scans: a skilled tester mimics real‑world hacking techniques, combining manual and automated methods to probe defenses, escalate privileges and demonstrate the true impact of a breach.
A typical penetration test begins with scoping: defining the goals, target systems and rules of engagement. Next comes reconnaissance, where testers gather publicly available information to map the attack surface. During the vulnerability assessment phase, they use tools to discover weaknesses - misconfigurations, outdated software or missing patches. Then, in the exploitation stage, testers attempt to leverage these flaws to gain unauthorized access, pivot within the environment or exfiltrate data, all while documenting each step.
For us, reporting is a critical deliverable: findings are ranked by severity, complete with proof‑of‑concept exploits, remediation advice and risk assessments tied to business impact. Our reports not only pinpoints technical issues but also guide stakeholders on prioritizing fixes - whether that means applying patches, tightening access controls or updating security policies.
Beyond compliance or ticking a checkbox, penetration testing builds confidence in your security posture. It provides a realistic view of how an attacker might navigate your systems, uncovers blind spots that scanners miss, and tests your team’s incident‑response capabilities. Regular pen tests - ideally conducted after major infrastructure changes or at least annually - help ensure that defensive measures keep pace with evolving threats.
In today’s threat landscape, penetration testing is an essential component of a mature cybersecurity program, turning abstract risks into actionable insights and helping organizations stay one step ahead of attackers.
Social Engineering
Social engineering in penetration testing targets the human element of security - people rather than code. It’s a controlled exercise in which testers adopt attacker‑style tactics to trick employees into revealing sensitive data, granting access or performing actions that bypass technical controls.
A typical social‑engineering engagement starts with research: gathering publicly available details about the organization, its staff, and its culture. Testers might scrape social media for job titles or team structures, identify key decision‑makers, and map communication channels. With that intelligence in hand, they craft realistic pretexts - emails, phone calls or in‑person scenarios—to establish credibility.
Common techniques include:
Throughout the exercise, testers document which techniques worked, response times and any policy gaps they exploited. They also measure how employees report suspicious contacts - did they alert security or proceed? That insight feeds directly into tailored training programs and updated procedures.
A thorough report ranks social‑engineering successes by risk, details the crafted messages or scripts used, and recommends mitigations: multi‑factor authentication, stricter verification protocols, regular awareness training and simulated phishing campaigns. By exposing human vulnerabilities under realistic conditions, social‑engineering tests help organizations strengthen their last line of defense - people.