Progent's Enterprise Consulting

NodeZero from Horizon3.ai is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) platform that can deliver continuous, simultaneous, programmable assessment of your internal and perimeter network so you can identify, rank, fix, and verify security weaknesses before malicious hackers can exploit them. Pentests permit you to operate proactively to keep attackers from stealing data, disturbing operations, or causing financial or reputational damage. (For information about pentesting, refer to Progent's penetration testing services.)

NodeZero's Breach and Attack Simulation tools are able to use the latest hacking techniques by relentlessly probing through your network and linking vulnerabilities until an exploitable attack path is exposed. NodeZero then benignly exploits the security gap as evidence of the weakness, evaluates and ranks the potential damage that could be caused by an actual malicious exploit, reports the issue, and provides AI-based advice for remediation. NodeZero's reports highlight systemic issues where implementing a single fix can block multiple attack vectors. Once you have closed the discovered security gaps, you can execute NodeZero's 1-click verification feature to confirm your fixes worked. NodeZero can automatically generate compliance reports mandated for SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other important compliance requirements.

Progent can provide the talents of a NodeZero Certified Operator to assist you to plan and perform comprehensive penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal network so you can realistically determine your present cybersecurity profile. Progent can assist you to configure and run NodeZero pentests tailored for your network environment, understand NodeZero results, and fix vulnerabilities according to their potential for damaging your network. Progent can also help you to develop a cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem that streamlines management and delivers optimum protection for on-prem, multi-cloud, and perimeter IT resources.

Internal and External Penetration Tests
Internal pentests with NodeZero proceed as though your perimeter has been breached and run a pentest of your internal infrastructure to determine what security weaknesses may exist that subject your network to serious compromise. To assist you to prioritize your remediation work, the NodeZero dashboard makes it clear which internal vulnerabilities could result in the most damage to your information system and which ones enable the most attack chains. External penetration testing with NodeZero is cloud-hosted and deploys the most current hacker techniques to breach your perimeter defense.

Common Security Gaps that PEN Tests Can Help Detect and Remediate
hackers tirelessly probe IT environments for vulnerabilities by using an expanding arsenal of utilities and procedures. While there are many kinds of security blind spots, here are a few of the most frequently encountered issues threat actors target:

• Applications that have not had the latest updates and security patches applied
• Code injection flaws that allow malicious actors to insert code in a web app that fools the app into carrying out malicious instructions or allowing access to critical resources
• Zero-day security gaps in software that neither the intended victim nor the vendor are yet aware of and thus have not had a chance to create a fix
• Authentication issues that make it easier to get inside a system or pose as a valid user
• Setup weaknesses that cause gaps in security systems such as opening risky ports or leaving cloud storage containers exposed to anybody with the correct address
• Unpatched OS vulnerabilities
• EOL technology for which cybersecurity patches have stopped being developed
• SQL Injection (SQLI)
• Weak account credentials
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Insecure Direct Object References
• Improper device configurations
• Unpurged stale objects
• Open systems access
• Outdated methodology cybersecurity deployments rather than current best practices
• Failure to implement out-of-band two-factor authentication (2FA secured communications (e.g. Man In The Middle Attacks)

• Phishing Impact Pentest: Learn the extent of havoc that could be done by a cybercriminal using phished credentials and suggest efficient fixes.
• PCI-DSS Compliance Testing: Perform detailed penetration testing and reporting to demonstrate compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard. PCI-DSS compliance reports can be submitted to auditors.
• Trip Wires: Intelligently deploy honeypots that allow you to respond rapidly to indications of active attacks in high-risk parts of your environment.
• Kubernetes Testing: Pentest Kubernetes clusters, uncovering issues such as container escapes, RBAC misconfigurations, and hidden exposures.
• Cloud Pentesting: Expose identity and access management (IAM) vulnerabilities and faulty configurations in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure/Entra, and Kubernetes.
• Rapid Response: Quickly react to emerging threats before they have a chance to cause major damage.
• Insider Threat Attack: Anticipate the severity of harm a hostile insider could cause.
• Segmentation Testing: Show your internal threat surface like IPs, ports, services and apps before running test attacks.
• AD Password Audit: Uncover vulnerabilities in your Active Directory password policy, streamline remediation, and produce a prioritized report of risky accounts.

Advantages of Progent's Pentesting Services
Progent offers low-cost external pentesting services on a single-time or periodic basis. NodeZero's autonomous testing offers fast testing and delivers a full evaluation of your outward facing cybersecurity posture. Progent's "ethical hacking" services can provide a number of benefits.

• Meet Requirements of Cyber Insurance Companies: For many cyber insurance companies, regular pentesting is needed to qualify for or retain a policy.
• Uncover Perimeter Vulnerabilities: External penetration tests help organizations discover vulnerabilities in their external-facing systems, such as websites, servers, and network devices.
• Realistic Attack Simulation: Pentests simulate real-world attack scenarios, offering companies a better comprehension of their vulnerability to various cyber threats.
• Compliance Mandates: Many regulatory standards (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) call for regular security assessments, including external pentests. Failing to comply may result in legal and economic consequences.
• Risk Mitigation: Exposing and fixing vulnerabilities early can lower the risk of data theft, financial losses, and damage to an organization's reputation.
• Third-Party Vendor Checkups: Companies can utilize external penetration tests to assess the cybersecurity of vendors, ensuring that these partners do not add vulnerabilities into the supply chain.
• Improved Incident Response: A penetration test can help companies refine their incident response processes by exposing weaknesses in their ability to discover and respond to security incidents.
• Security Awareness: Running penetration tests can improve awareness among stakeholders about the urgency of security. It can also help educate them on best operational practices.
• Build a Security Baseline Assessment: A penetration test can establish a baseline for cybersecurity, allowing organizations to measure the efficacy of cybersecurity improvements over time.
• Competitive Advantage: Showing an emphasis on security through regular penetration testing can help you earn competitive advantage, indicating to customers and stakeholders that their information is protected.
• Security Investment Rationalization: Pentest reports offer tangible evidence of the need for increased investment in security measures and technologies.
• Internal Policy Assessment: Organizations can assess whether their internal security policies are effective in blocking external attacks.
• Shrinking Target Surface: By uncovering and remediating weaknesses discovered during a pentest, companies can reduce their attack surface area and cause it to be more difficult for hackers to compromise their networks.
• Incident Simulation: Organizations can simulate targeted attacks, allowing their cybersecurity groups to become accustomed dealing with realistic threats in a controlled environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular external penetration tests help organizations follow their cybersecurity enhancements in a fast-evolving threat landscape, helping them stay ready to handle the newest threats.
• Legal and Regulatory Protection: In the event of a security break in, being able to produce documented evidence of regular pentesting efforts can provide a degree of legal and regulatory protection by demonstrating due diligence in cybersecurity.

Contact Progent for Pentest Consulting
To find out more information about Progent's consulting services for NodeZero-powered penetration testing, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line: Call 800-462-8800
Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line is intended to assist you to complete the crucial first steps in mitigating a ransomware attack by putting out the fire. Progent's online ransomware engineer can assist businesses to locate and quarantine infected servers and endpoints and guard undamaged assets from being penetrated. If your system has been breached by any strain of ransomware, don't panic. Get immediate help by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800. For details, see Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.