External Penetration Testing
A security professional manually examines the systems you expose to the internet — websites, mail and VPN gateways, remote access portals and other services in the agreed scope — to find weaknesses an attacker could realistically use.
How this assessment works
Automated scanners are good at spotting known issues. They are poor at judging whether a weakness can actually be exploited, or whether several minor issues combine into a serious one. External penetration testing adds that human judgement.
Every engagement starts with a written scope that lists exactly which hosts, IP ranges and applications may be tested, and when. Nothing outside that scope is touched.
Testing Methodology
Performed by a tester working through the agreed scope, supported by tooling. Findings are manually verified before they are reported.
Deliverables
- Executive summary written for non-technical decision-makers
- Technical findings with evidence, severity and affected assets
- Prioritised remediation guidance for each finding
- Retest of fixed findings where included in your engagement
Every deliverable is written in plain English, with proof-of-concept evidence and prioritized remediation steps.
Coverage
What we examine during testing
Our structured approach ensures comprehensive coverage across the agreed scope.
Asset and service discovery
Confirming which in-scope hosts are reachable and which services they expose.
Vulnerability verification
Checking whether identified weaknesses are genuinely exploitable in your setup.
Authentication and access
Testing login portals, remote access and administrative interfaces in scope.
Encryption configuration
Reviewing TLS versions, cipher suites and certificate configuration.
Misconfiguration review
Default credentials, verbose errors, exposed directories and unsafe defaults.
Attack path analysis
Assessing how individual findings could be chained together.
Who this service is best for
- Organisations that have never had their perimeter tested
- Businesses preparing for a security questionnaire or insurance review
- Teams that want depth beyond automated scanning
Scope boundaries & limitations
External testing covers what is reachable from the internet within the agreed scope. It does not assess internal networks, physical security or staff behaviour unless separately agreed.
Need internal network or custom web application testing? Contact us to discuss tailored scoping.
Penetration Testing vs Vulnerability Scanning: What Is the Difference?
Both are important, but they serve different purposes. Understanding the distinction helps you invest in the right approach for your organisation.