External Penetration Testing

Identify security vulnerabilities in your Internet-facing infrastructure, emerging threats and assess the risks affecting external networks through our external penetration testing service. This exercise follows a risk mitigation plan to maintain a minimal attack surface over the internet.

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What is an external penetration test?

An external penetration test simulates an internet attacker on organisational devices, applications, and data. This threat actor mimics an internet user with zero prior knowledge and relies on internet-based information about your organisation (Open Source Intelligence).

An external pen test exercise establishes an organisations’ internet footprint. It helps in vulnerability identification in the remote workforce infrastructure, devices such as firewalls, email servers, applications and web servers. Compared to internal penetration testing, it is a quick and short exercise. For instance, a medium to the large organisation may expect results within a week to two weeks maximum. As a customer, it is important for you to know where you require external network pen testing or external vulnerability scan and if you are making an informed choice. This is more than running automated scans that you can do within your team without our expertise. Penetration tests include identifying vulnerabilities, detecting new and emerging threats and justifying the investment by following a manual approach to safely exploiting the security vulnerabilities to mimic real world threats. An external penetration tester also elaborates risk impact, likelihood and technical supporting information to ensure the customer security team is aware of the risk. An external vulnerability scan is a sub-set of penetration tests that includes analysis of network vulnerabilities that may or may not affect the environment. It is a helpful exercise for assets at scale and continuous checks to know the threat surface (less deep, more wide analysis).

See what people are saying about us

Stephen Rapicano

August 14, 2023

5 out of 5

A totally professional engagement from start to finish with the highest quality advice and guidance.

John Blackburn (CaptainJJB)

August 14, 2023

5 out of 5

great experienced team, very knowledgable and helpful, willing to adjust the product to suit the customer. Would recommend.

A A

August 17, 2023

5 out of 5

The service provided by Cyphere is second to none. High quality testing services. Very reliable and professional approach.

Lee Walsh

August 21, 2023

5 out of 5

Cyphere provide a personal and assured service, focusing on both pre and post analysis in supporting us to change and embed a security cultured approach.

Luc Sidebotham

August 17, 2023

5 out of 5

Highly recommend Cyphere for pen testing. The recommendations in the report were comprehensive and communicated so that technical and non-technical members of the team could follow them.

mike Dunleavy

August 31, 2023

5 out of 5

Harman and the team at Cyphere truly are experts in their field and provide an outstanding service! Always going above and beyond to exceed customer expectations, i honestly cant recommend them enough.

Mo Basher

August 12, 2023

5 out of 5

We had penetration tests service for PCI DSS compliance program from the Cyphere! Very professional, efficient communication, great findings that improved our system security posture! Highly recommended!

Dan Cartwright

August 14, 2023

5 out of 5

Cyphere were great in both carrying out our penetration testing and taking us through the results and remediation steps. We would gladly use them for future projects.

nigel gildea

September 4, 2023

5 out of 5

I’ve worked with Cyphere on a number of penetration tests in addition to some cyber essentials support and certification! I’ve found them to be highly skilled and professional. They have consistently understood and met our project requirements and added value to the programme!

James Anderson

August 14, 2023

5 out of 5

Cyphere undertook pen testing for us recently. The process was very smooth, and the team were flexible in working around our constraints. The report was clear, actionable and perceptive. I would happily recommend their services.

Adil Jain

August 14, 2023

5 out of 5

Cypher has been outstanding partner to our agency. I've tried many in the past but they have been extremely meticulous in getting our systems secured. Top class service, we will be working with them for many moons.

Shaban Khan

August 23, 2023

5 out of 5

Cypher has been an excellent partner and helped us achieve our goals with a great level of expertise, communication and helpfulness making the whole process easy to understand and complete. Well recommended and look forward to working with them again. We highly recommend cyber security consultants to any business.

Rajeev Kundalia

September 16, 2023

5 out of 5

I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with Harman for a comprehensive PEN Test through his company, Cyphere. From our first interaction, it was clear that Harman embodies the very definition of an expert in the field of cybersecurity. His vast reservoir of knowledge and exceptional skill set became apparent as he navigated through complex security landscapes with ease and precision. Harman's remarkable ability to convey intricate details in a comprehensible manner made the process seamless and extremely enlightening. His dedication to providing top-notch service was evident in every step, ensuring not only the success of the project but also fostering a sense of security and trust in our collaboration. Working with Harman was nothing short of a fantastic experience. His bright intellect and professional approach to his work were genuinely awe-inspiring. What stood out the most was his genuine passion for his field, reflected in his meticulous approach and the innovative strategies implemented throughout the project. Not only is Harman a maestro in his field, but he's also an incredible person to work with - a true professional who takes the time to understand his client's needs and exceeds expectations at every turn. His vibrant personality and enthusiasm make working with him an absolute joy, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas flow seamlessly. If you are looking for someone who embodies expertise, professionalism, and a personable approach, then Harman and his company, Cyphere, should be your go-to. I couldn't recommend their services more highly. A true beacon of excellence in the cybersecurity landscape!

Tobi Jacob

July 10, 2023

5 out of 5

I had an amazing experience working with Cyphere! Their communication was top-notch, making the entire process smooth and efficient. From the initial contact to the final result, they were always prompt in getting back to me. I found their team to be incredibly responsive and attentive to my needs. The ease and effectiveness of our communication truly set them apart. I highly recommend Cyphere for their exceptional service and commitment to client satisfaction.

External pen test methodology

Vulnerabilities discovered by our External Penetration Testing service

Frequently Asked Questions about External Security Testing

Why choose Cyphere as your external penetration testing company?

Excellent people to work with.

Very good knowledge of requirement and give us correct findings with excellent remedy to improve our security for our B2B portal site.

Harman was great, really knowledgeable

Harman was great, really knowledgeable, helpful and on hand to answer any questions. The final report was very clear providing the technical information in an easy to read format which could be understood by the leaders of the business.

My experience of the team was 5 star.

They were so helpful, and their technical delivery and client communication were excellent.

Extremely satisfied

Extremely satisfied with approach, speed and end results. Thanks.

Why do you need External Penetration Test?

An external security test is an important part of your cyber security program. It helps you identify vulnerabilities in your organisation that could be exploited by Internet-based attackers. External pentests allow you to assess the risk that identified vulnerabilities pose to your business. You can protect your company from cyber-attacks by identifying and mitigating these risks.

Based on the Ponemon Institute’s report, average cost of a data breach around the world has been calculated at $4.35m. However, these numbers are changing every year given the risk of data breaches due to increased attach surfaces.

What can you gain from External Penetration Testing?

External Penetration Testing can help you with a better understanding of your organisation’s security posture. By identifying security issues during security assessment, the customer is aware of their attack surface on the Internet.

External infrastructure penetration testing can help you make informed decisions about how to improve your security (e.g., hardening, information leakage, patching, etc). Network pen tests can also help you prioritize the mitigation of risks, which can help protect your business from cyber-attacks.

Benefits of External Penetration Testing

Our Pentest Engagement Approach

The very first step remains our quest to gain insight into drivers, business, pain points and relevant nuances for a penetration test. As part of this process, we understand the assets that are part of the penetration tests carried out against client infrastructure.

It is important to gain grips with the reality, therefore, we always stress on walkthroughs or technical documentation of the assets. After asset walkthroughs, a tailored proposal is designed to meet your business’ specific requirements for a penetration test.

Cyphere, a network penetration testing company, approach to all work involves excellent communication before and during the execution phase. Our security experts (or ethical hackers) ensure that customer communication medium and frequency are mutually agreed upon, and relevant parties are kept updated throughout the engagement duration.

The execution phase is followed by the data analysis and reporting phase. Cyphere, network security services company, performs analysis on the testing network security output, evaluates the risk impact and likelihood of exploitation in realistic scenarios before providing action plans to remediate the identified risks. All our reports address business as well as the technical audience with supporting raw data, including mitigation measures at strategic and tactical levels.

As part of our engagement process, customers schedule a free of charge debrief with management and technical teams after network penetration test report is delivered. This session involves remediation plan, vulnerability assessment QA to ensure that customer contacts are up to date in the language they understand.