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Penetration Testing

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Penetration Testing

At its core, a Penetration Test assesses perceived technical control vs actual control. This means that if you build a system, application or infrastructure, it will have inherent weaknesses. These weaknesses are mitigated through design decisions, technology choices and architectural approaches. The Penetration Test seeks to validate whether or not those decisions, choices and approaches worked.

To that end, there are many types of tests that could be suitable to your project or situation, some of which are detailed below:

Infrastructure Testing

Infrastructure is fundamental to an organisation’s daily operations, encompassing everything from the full enterprise network to specific critical systems. If a malicious actor were to breach this network, the implications could be extensive and potentially grant them complete access to crucial internal resources. In extreme cases, they might even halt operations, as seen in ransomware attacks.

Web Application Testing

Web applications are used more frequently to service needs for business operations, product marketing, and promotion. These platforms often handle payment processing and the management of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other sensitive data. If such systems are breached, the consequences could range from reputational harm and regulatory penalties to even more severe outcomes.

Cloud Security Testing

Cloud computing has emerged as an appealing solution for businesses of all sizes, from nimble startups to expansive corporations, with cost-effectiveness and enhanced security standing out as the primary incentives. Cloud security testing is vital to maintaining the integrity and security of a company’s cloud-based resources.

API Security Testing

An Application Programming Interface (API) is the nerve centre for numerous applications, facilitating efficient data access and exchange. With their ability to employ application logic and retain sensitive data like Personally Identifiable Information (PII), APIs have increasingly become a focal point for cyberattacks.

Mobile Application Security Testing

Mobile application testing is essential for performance, security and compliance. It helps to ensure a high-quality, secure, and user-friendly app.

Wireless Security Testing

Wireless networks are used throughout most organisations to allow employees access to the internet, company networks and applications. They are commonly offered to guests and visitors to a business. However, given the inherent nature of wireless networks, which can often be accessed beyond the physical confines of the business premises, particularly in shared office spaces, they can pose substantial security risks if not configured with due care and diligence.

Social Engineering

Social engineering encompasses a wide spectrum of malevolent actions achieved via human interaction. Despite having the most stringent technological safeguards, employees could inadvertently become conduits for these attacks if they are not adequately trained and tested to identify such incidents.

Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and infrastructure

Testing of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations is crucial in safeguarding these components of our growing green infrastructure. It aims to identify software vulnerabilities which, if exploited, could disrupt charging services and potentially lead to the misuse of sensitive user data such as payment details. It fortifies these systems against cyber threats and demonstrates a commitment to security, instilling trust among users.

Red Team Testing

“Red Team” or “Tiger Team” testing takes a standard Penetration Test further by including multiple areas of focus driven by specific threat assessment data about your organisation. Typically, these engagements are much larger and include phases for Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) gathering and specific client targeting. In addition, the use of physical, social engineering techniques over and above technical ones such as phishing, are used to gain access to unsecured locations within the organisation. The goal of red/tiger teaming is to simulate a real-world attack by a well-motivated and well-funded attacker.

HackMe3

The Nellcote Hackme3 assessment is a targeted attack simulation designed to establish what, if any, low hanging fruit exists within the IT infrastructure and what could be leveraged to gain a foothold in the estate or full network access.

HackMe3
Find out more about our HackMe3 system.

Cloud Testing and Optimisation ( O365 / Azure / AWS )

In the era of digital transformation, businesses are increasingly adopting cloud services to optimize performance, flexibility, and scalability. At Nellcote, we specialise in Cloud Testing and Optimisation for Office 365, Azure, and AWS, helping organizations ensure their cloud systems are both robust and efficient.

Our Services

Whether you’re planning a transition to the cloud or aiming to optimise your existing infrastructure, our team of experienced and certified professionals is equipped to support you. Our services include:

  • Performance Testing: We evaluate your cloud services under varying loads and stress conditions to ensure they can meet your business needs even at peak times.
  • Security Testing: Our team conducts thorough security audits to identify potential vulnerabilities in your cloud configuration and recommend remediation measures.
  • Functional Testing: We ensure that all your cloud applications and services function as expected, delivering a seamless experience to your users.
  • Optimisation Services: We analyse your cloud resource usage and costs, and provide recommendations to enhance performance and reduce costs.

Our Methodology

Our methodology consists of several stages to provide comprehensive testing and optimisation:

  • Assessment: We begin by understanding your current cloud infrastructure, applications, and business needs. This helps us design a customized testing and optimization strategy for your specific environment.
  • Planning: Based on the initial assessment, we develop detailed test cases and define performance metrics to measure the success of our optimization efforts.
  • Execution: Our team conducts rigorous testing in alignment with the defined plan. Using state-of-the-art tools and technologies, we simulate various conditions to evaluate performance, security, and functionality. Analysis: We analyse the results of our tests, identifying areas of strength as well as opportunities for improvement.
  • Optimization: Based on our analysis, we develop and implement a tailored optimization strategy. This may involve modifying configurations, scaling resources, and applying security enhancements.
  • Reporting and Review: We provide detailed reports on our findings and the steps taken for optimization. We also perform a post-optimization review to confirm improvements and plan for ongoing maintenance.

At Nellcote, we believe in delivering cloud services that not only meet but exceed your expectations. Trust us to ensure your O365, Azure, and AWS services are secure, efficient, and tailored to your unique business requirements. Contact us to discover how we can help optimise your cloud journey.

Cyber Crisis Simulations – Executive War Games

Responding to incidents in Realtime is difficult and fraught with issues. Our real-world cyber crisis simulations bring breaches to life and let you play them out in a safe, yet immersive way.

These are designed to be as realistic as possible with several prebuilt scenarios to choose from -Including real-time inputs, changes in the game and media injects.

The injects are designed to keep you on your toes and prepare you for the inevitable. Our simulations are ideal for board members and leadership teams and will often lead to the identification of gaps within the current process that could lead to inefficient incident management.

Please speak to one of the team if you would like to know more.

Code Review

A code review involves an in-depth analysis of the source code of an application or software system. The goal is to identify security vulnerabilities, coding flaws, and weaknesses that could potentially be exploited by attackers.

Our key steps:

  • Source Code Analysis: Once the scope is agreed, and access granted, our testers review the application’s source code and performs a thorough examination. This involves reviewing the code line by line to identify security-related issues, including vulnerabilities, poor coding practices, insecure coding patterns, and potential logic flaws.
  • Security Rules and Best Practices: The code review is guided by established security rules, coding standards, and best practices, such as the OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) Top 10. These guidelines serve as a baseline for evaluating the security posture of the code.
  • Manual and Automated Analysis: The code is scrutinised using a combination of manual and automated techniques. Manual analysis allows for deeper inspection of complex logic and custom business rules, while automated tools help identify common security flaws and patterns across a large codebase.
  • Vulnerability Identification: looking for common vulnerabilities, such as injection flaws, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), insecure authentication and authorization, and insecure data storage, among others. Documenting each vulnerability and assessing its potential impact.
  • Reporting and Recommendations: The findings from the code review are documented in a comprehensive report, which includes details about identified vulnerabilities, their severity, and recommended remediation actions. The report may also provide guidance on secure coding practices and suggestions to improve overall application security.
  • Collaboration and Communication: Throughout the process, we will maintain communication with the development team to discuss findings, clarify code functionality, and address any questions or concerns. This collaboration helps ensure a mutual understanding of identified issues and facilitates the implementation of appropriate fixes.
Please contact the team if you would like to scope a code review.