External exposure
Internet-facing hosts and services included in the approved asset list.
Utilities Studio / Cybersecurity
Network penetration testing
See what an attacker could reach inside your network.
Assess internal and external networks for exploitable services, access weaknesses, and routes to sensitive systems. Get evidence and remediation priorities.
You need evidence of risk without losing control of production.
If you run infrastructure, testing windows and sensitive services matter as much as the IP list. If you lead security, you need to explain what an attacker could reach after gaining access. We agree the starting position, exclusions, and stop conditions before testing the paths to systems that matter to your business.
The assessment
Network penetration testing
Network penetration testing investigates weaknesses in network services and the access they provide. External testing examines the agreed internet-facing assets. Internal testing starts from an agreed position inside the network and evaluates what an attacker could reach from there. The assessment documents tested paths and their impact.
Inside the scope
Internal services
Accessible services, authentication weaknesses, and permissions from the agreed internal starting point.
Privilege and movement
Routes to additional access or sensitive systems where exploitation is explicitly authorized.
Segmentation boundaries
Whether the network restrictions in scope prevent the access they are intended to block.
What your team receives
- An executive summary explaining the business impact and what the assessment covered
- Technical findings that identify the affected component and give your engineers evidence and reproduction steps
- Remediation guidance for the affected components and a findings review with your team
- Retest results for the agreed findings, with rounds, time window, and pricing specified before booking
Working with your team
From scope to remediation.
Scope the work and agree delivery
Confirm the assets, permissions, and production limits. Name the contacts and record the dates, reporting format, support arrangements, and retest terms.
Test and share the evidence
Investigate the agreed attack paths and validate findings. Keep your team updated and escalate critical issues immediately through the agreed channel.
Review findings and verify fixes
Walk your engineers through the report and remediation priorities. Carry out the agreed retesting and document which fixes worked and what remains unresolved.
What are you paying for?
Asset count, network segments, access requirements, and the permitted depth of exploitation determine the effort. Internal and external assessments have different setup requirements.
Planning around your deadline
We agree the testing window with your operations team, including any restricted services and stop conditions. Internal testing also requires a suitable access method.
Pentest delivery
Know what to expect before the test starts.
When will we see findings?
We share validated findings during the test through the agreed secure channel. Critical issues go to your nominated contact immediately. Progress updates cover completed work, blockers, and what comes next.
What will the report contain?
Your engineers get affected assets, reproduction steps, evidence, and remediation guidance. We explain severity using the demonstrated impact. An executive summary sets out the business risk and the limits of the assessment.
Who helps us work through the fixes?
A technical findings review lets your engineers discuss the evidence and recommended fixes with us. We name the technical contact and agree the support period and response arrangements before testing.
What does retesting cover?
Retesting checks fixes to the original findings and records the result. Before booking, we specify the findings covered, retest rounds, time window, and any charges. New features or changed environments need a scope review.
Can findings go into our issue tracker?
We agree the findings format and handover method with your team. If you use Jira, Linear, or GitHub, we scope the export or ticket handover, required access, and treatment of sensitive evidence before testing.
When can we start and get the report?
Your proposal sets the start date, testing window, and report delivery date after we review scope and access. Bring your audit or release deadline so remediation and retesting can be planned around it.
Delivery references: NIST SP 800-115 and CREST's penetration testing programme guide.
The practitioner behind the work
Led by Sheeraz Ali.
Sheeraz Ali is our Head of Cybersecurity. His work spans application, cloud, network, and AI assessments. His personal track record includes leading pentests at Cobalt and building the internal pentest programme at SolarWinds.
Read Sheeraz's security backgroundSheeraz's personal track record
- Pentest engagements at Cobalt
- 245
- Vulnerabilities identified at Cobalt
- 1,592
- CVEs discovered
- 28+
- Machines and labs authored at Hack The Box
- 300+
His website lists OSCP, CRTP, CRTE, CREST CRT and CPSA, CBBH, and CKA.
At SolarWinds, he delivered 120+ internal pentests. As CTO at Pwned Labs, he built a platform serving 40,000+ practitioners. He co-developed Mobexler, selected for Black Hat Arsenal, and presented research at Nullcon and c0c0n.
Explore his career timelineFAQ
Questions before you book.
What is the difference between internal and external network testing?
External testing starts outside the organization and examines the approved public assets. Internal testing evaluates access from an agreed position inside the network. They cover different attack paths and can be combined in one engagement.
Could testing interrupt our systems?
Some techniques carry operational risk. We agree permitted actions, exclusions, timing, and stop conditions with your team before testing. Sensitive or fragile systems require particular care when defining the scope.
Is network penetration testing the same as red teaming?
No. A network penetration test examines weaknesses in a defined technical scope. A red team exercise usually follows broader objectives and may evaluate detection and response across a longer attack scenario.
We had a pentest last year. What should we test now?
Bring the previous report and a list of changes to your code, permissions, or infrastructure. We can use those to scope the next assessment. Check which earlier findings were fixed and which fixes were verified; the date on the old report does not answer those questions.
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What do you need to get moving?
Tell us what your team needs to resolve, which systems are involved, and any deadline. We will work through the scope and reporting needs with you.