Amaltitek

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is controlled, ethical hacking performed by security experts to uncover weaknesses in your IT infrastructure. It goes beyond vulnerability scanning by actively exploiting security gaps—just like a real attacker would.

✅ Find security flaws before attackers do
✅ Test how well your security measures actually hold up
✅ Meet compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, ISO 27001)
✅ Reduce risk and improve incident response strategies

External vs. Internal Penetration Testing: What’s the Difference?

🌍 External Penetration Testing (Simulating Outside Attacks)

External pen testing focuses on threats originating from outside your network. This simulates how an attacker, with no prior access, would attempt to breach your systems.

Key Focus Areas:

Public-facing websites and web applications
VPN and remote access points
Firewalls, IDS/IPS, and perimeter defenses
Cloud services and exposed APIs
Phishing attack simulations against employees

Why It’s Important: 🔹 Identifies weaknesses in external defenses before hackers do.
🔹 Exposes misconfigurations in web apps, firewalls, and cloud systems.
🔹 Tests resilience against real-world cyberattack techniques.

🏢 Internal Penetration Testing (Simulating Insider Threats & Breached Networks)

Internal pen testing assumes an attacker has already bypassed external defenses—whether through phishing, stolen credentials, or a rogue insider. It evaluates how much damage they could do once inside your network.

Key Focus Areas:

Privilege escalation (gaining admin-level access)
Lateral movement (how easily an attacker can spread)
Weak passwords and misconfigured permissions
Database and sensitive data exposure
Security awareness testing for employees

Why It’s Important: 🔹 Simulates real-world breach scenarios (like ransomware spreading internally).
🔹 Exposes weak internal access controls and misconfigurations.
🔹 Identifies how fast IT teams detect and respond to threats.

Which One Do You Need? (Hint: Probably Both.)

🔸 External Pen Testing – Essential for businesses with customer-facing websites, cloud applications, or remote access points.
🔸 Internal Pen Testing – Critical for companies that handle sensitive customer data, financial records, or rely on internal IT security controls.

For a comprehensive security approach, businesses should run both tests regularly to ensure they’re secure inside and out.

How We Can Help

Our penetration testing services provide:

✔ Real-World Attack Simulations – Ethical hackers using the same tactics as cybercriminals.
✔ Detailed Vulnerability Reports – Actionable insights on risks and how to fix them.
✔ Compliance-Ready Testing – PCI-DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 penetration tests.
✔ Expert Remediation Guidance – Not just finding vulnerabilities, but helping you fix them.
✔ Continuous Security Improvement – Ongoing testing to keep up with evolving threats.

Final Thoughts: Would Your Network Survive an Attack?

Cybercriminals don’t wait for you to be ready—they exploit weaknesses as soon as they find them. The best way to defend your business? Find those weaknesses first.

A properly conducted external and internal penetration test can be the difference between stopping an attack before it happens and becoming the next cybersecurity headline.

Want to test your security before hackers do? Contact us today to schedule a penetration test!