What Is an Internal Network Penetration Test?
Internal penetration testing simulates an attack from within the organization. It includes assessing the network infrastructure for vulnerabilities, reviewing access controls, and testing the security measures of applications and databases.
How Can an Internal Network Pentest Benefit You?
Identify Insider Threats
Internal network penetration testing helps detect vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious insiders or compromised accounts. By assessing the internal network, organizations can identify weak access controls, excessive permissions, or misconfigurations that could lead to data breaches.
Assess Security Posture
This kind of testing evaluates the effectiveness of existing security measures and policies within the internal network. It helps organizations understand how well their defenses work against potential internal attacks and where improvements are needed to mitigate risks.
Assure Regulatory Compliance
Many compliance frameworks require organizations to assess their internal security controls regularly. Internal network penetration testing ensures that organizations meet these compliance requirements, demonstrating due diligence in protecting sensitive data and maintaining a robust security posture.
Understanding the structure of your internal network and the critical systems within it is important for tailoring the pentest to your needs. If you’re curious about what kind of information we’d need to know, we’ve got some FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
If you’d like a more in-depth explanation, feel free to contact us!
Case Studies
Here are two examples of companies that experienced significant security incidents partly due to a lack of proper internal network penetration testing or inadequate security measures:
Auto Manufacturer
2016
Incident Details
This company suffered a breach where attackers stole the personal information of 57 million riders and drivers. The attackers gained access through poor security measures, including the failure to encrypt sensitive data and a lack of internal network testing.
Cause
Attackers found credentials in a private GitHub repository used by the company developers, allowing them to access its internal systems. Weak security policies and insufficient internal security audits contributed to the breach.
Impact
This company paid $148 million in settlements and faced significant reputational damage, particularly since the company tried to cover up the breach for over a year.
Major Hotel Chain
2014-2018
Incident Details
A breach exposed the personal information of 500 million customers, including passport numbers, credit card details, and reservation information.
Cause
Attackers had access to the company’s internal network for four years due to inadequate security monitoring and testing. The breach began in an acquired Hotel’s systems before this chain acquired the company in 2016.
Impact
The hotel faced lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny, with fines reaching up to $123 million under GDPR rules in Europe.