External Network Penetration Testing Methodology

External Network Penetration Testing Methodology

Overview
External Network Penetration Testing simulates real-world cyberattacks against your public-facing systems to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them.
At Fortify Solutions, we follow an industry-standard approach based on the Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM), enhanced with our proven in-house practices.

Our goal: Expose security gaps, validate your defenses, and provide clear remediation guidance—all while ensuring zero disruption to your business operations.

Our Testing Process

1. Reconnaissance (Information Gathering)

   • Identify what’s publicly visible about your organization: domains, subdomains, IP addresses, exposed services, email configurations, employee details, and leaked credentials.

   • Sources include corporate websites, public databases, WHOIS records, search engines, and dark web repositories.

   • Tools: Nmap, Shodan, Censys, DirBuster.

2. Service Discovery

   • Detect open ports, running services, and exposed applications on your internet-facing systems.

   • Map service versions, operating systems, and potential misconfigurations.

   • Tools: Nmap, Aquatone, EyeWitness, testssl.sh.

3. Vulnerability Scanning

   • Identify security flaws in exposed services—unpatched software, weak encryption, default credentials, and misconfigurations.

   • Evaluate risks such as data leakage, service disruption, website defacement, and domain blacklisting.

   • Tools: Nessus, Burp Suite, Nikto, Metasploit.

4. Manual Assessment

   • Validate and safely exploit vulnerabilities to measure real-world impact.

   • Examine high-value targets such as:

     • Web & email servers

     • DNS, firewalls, and routers

     • Office 365 instances

     • VPN endpoints and remote access services

   • Special focus: Outdated software, insecure legacy protocols, and weak authentication.

   • Tools: Burp Suite, sqlmap, Postman, Metasploit.

5. Additional Testing (as per scope)

   • Custom exploitation scripts

   • Public exploit frameworks

   • Manual configuration reviews

6. Reporting & Retesting

   • Deliver a detailed, risk-prioritized report with:

     • Step-by-step remediation guidance

     • Security posture improvement recommendations

   • Retest remediated issues to ensure vulnerabilities are fully closed.

Why This Matters

A single overlooked vulnerability in your external network can lead to:

• Data breaches and leaks of sensitive corporate information

• Financial and reputational loss

• Service downtime affecting customers and operations

• Exploitation of your infrastructure for further attacks

Our testing ensures you see your network the way attackers do—so you can secure it before they try.