Solutions / Internal Penetration Testing
Internal Penetration Testing
Simulate insider threats and post-breach scenarios with nGuard’s internal penetration testing services. Our team uses advanced reconnaissance, targeted exploitation, and lateral movement techniques to determine how far an attacker could progress after gaining internal access. The results expose real-world risk to sensitive systems and support compliance efforts with frameworks such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, NIST, and CMMC.
Deep-Dive Testing from Inside the Network
Expert-Led Reconnaissance and Targeting
Our assessments begin with deep internal reconnaissance, including host discovery, service mapping, and TCP/IP fingerprinting. This enables our team to uncover unauthorized systems, shadow IT assets, or exposed internal services. We leverage years of experience and industry certifications such as OSCP, OSCE, and GXPN, to manually identify high-risk targets and craft custom attack paths that automated tools routinely miss.
This activity supports key requirements in PCI DSS 11.3, NIST SP 800-53 CA-8, CMMC CA.L2-3.12.1, and HIPAA §164.308(a)(8) by validating asset visibility and assessing internal threat exposure.
Exploitation and Lateral Movement
Using a combination of proprietary techniques and commercial-grade toolsets, nGuard attempts targeted exploitation of systems, services, and protocols. We test for vulnerabilities like missing patches, misconfigurations, weak authentication, and insecure protocols. Once footholds are established, our team simulates lateral movement and privilege escalation to determine how far an attacker could reach from a single compromised system.
This aligns with NIST RA-5, CMMC RM.L2-3.11.2, and HIPAA Technical Safeguards §164.312(b), helping organizations assess and reduce internal system vulnerabilities
Credential Abuse, Protocol Risk, and Persistence Testing
We test internal authentication systems for credential harvesting and abuse scenarios, including the use of password spraying, hash relaying, and Pass-the-Hash attacks. We also evaluate the use of insecure protocols like SMBv1, LLMNR, NetBIOS, and RDP for potential misuse. Persistence mechanisms are tested to assess how an attacker might maintain long-term access without detection.
All findings are backed by actionable recommendations to improve detection, harden authentication, and prevent attacker movement, bridging the gap between red teaming and traditional vulnerability assessments.
This testing supports CMMC IA.L2-3.5.2, NIST AC-7, and HIPAA §164.308(a)(5)(ii)(D) by validating the effectiveness of authentication controls and secure protocol use.
Beyond Automated Testing: Adversary-Level Assessment
nGuard’s internal penetration tests go far beyond automated scanners or out-of-the-box exploit kits. While many assessments rely heavily on scripts or tools, nGuard’s certified engineers perform hands-on, adversary-simulated testing that mimics the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of real-world threat actors. Our methodology incorporates the MITRE ATT&CK framework, targeting privilege escalation paths, misconfigured access controls, credential exposure, and opportunities for lateral movement, just as an advanced persistent threat (APT) would.
These efforts help meet requirements under PCI DSS 11.5, NIST IR-5, HIPAA §164.308(a)(6), and CMMC SI.L2-3.14.1, demonstrating due diligence in detecting and containing internal threats.
Advanced Internal Penetration Testing
Harden Internal Networks Against Threats and Vulnerabilities
Manual, Adversary-Simulated Testing
Unlike automated scans, nGuard’s certified experts perform targeted, real-world exploitation based on MITRE ATT&CK and modern threat actor behaviors.
Deep Network Visibility and Recon
We go beyond basic scanning to manually uncover assets, unauthorized systems, and exposed services across your internal network. This deep visibility ensures no blind spots remain and helps identify risks that automated tools and scanners often miss.
Credential and Protocol Testing
We evaluate how easily credentials can be stolen or misused across the internal network through weak services or insecure configurations.
Risk-Based Lateral Movement Analysis
We demonstrate how attackers move through your network post-compromise, revealing true business impact and security gaps across departments and domains.
TRUSTED BY THESE BRANDS
Security Resources from nGuard
“nGuard has been a proven cybersecurity partner with us for over five years that understands our industry.”
— Joe Warling, Randolph Electric Membership Corporation
“nGuard not only does a thorough pen test, their remediation recommendations and tracking tool was a big help in addressing issues.”
— Allan Patek, Executive Director, Wisconsin Insurance Security Fund
“nGuard’s expertise in cybersecurity, their professionalism and flexibility is the reason why we hire them year after year.”
— Frank M. Furnari, Business Systems Developer, NJCRIB (New Jersey Compensation Rating & Inspection Bureau)
“The staff at nGuard are top-notch cybersecurity professionals. I find their knowledge, guidance, and expertise very helpful during our annual pen tests.”
— David Schultheis, IT Manager, Nine Network of Public Media
“nGuard’s cybersecurity and PCI expertise has been instrumental in helping us improve our cybersecurity posture.”
— Mark Krawczyk, Director of Information Privacy, Purpose Financial
“We have trusted nGuard as our primary cybersecurity consultants for 20 years. Our continued choice of and reliance on nGuard year after year is a testament to the professionalism, expertise, and exemplary service that we continue to experience.”
— Jeremy Noble, VP, Information Services, Atlantic Telephone Membership Corporation
“I have used several other large assessors in the past and I recommend nGuard above all others.”
— Scotty Westbrook, IT Director, Sampson Bladen Oil Company
“Through our long-term partnership with nGuard, we gain valuable insight from their advanced cyber-security tests.”
— Lynn Sturkie, Director of Technology Services, Lexington County
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