IT Expertise for Mid-size Businesses

NodeZero from Horizon3.ai is a leading-edge penetration test (pentest) platform that supports continuous, concurrent, automated testing of your network so you can find, prioritize, remediate, and verify security vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can exploit them. Pentests permit you to operate preemptively to block cybercriminals from stealing data, disturbing operations, or causing monetary or reputational damage. (For information about penetration testing, see Progent's penetration testing expertise.)

NodeZero is able to use modern hacking methods by relentlessly pivoting throughout your IT network and linking vulnerabilities until a clear attack path is exposed. NodeZero then safely exploits the vulnerability as evidence of the gap, evaluates and prioritizes the potential damage that could result from a true malicious exploit, documents the issue, and offers AI-based advice for a fix. NodeZero's comprehensive reports point out systemic weaknesses where making a single fix can block multiple attack chains. After you have closed the reported security weaknesses, you can run NodeZero's 1-click verification feature to make sure your fixes worked. NodeZero can automatically produce compliance reports required for SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other common compliance standards.

Progent offers the expertise of a NodeZero Certified Operator to assist you to plan and implement thorough pentests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to accurately determine your present security profile. Progent can assist you to configure and launch NodeZero pentests tailored for your network environment, understand NodeZero reports, and fix issues based on their potential for damaging your network. Progent can also assist you to create a cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem that simplifies management and delivers optimum protection for on-prem, cloud-based, and perimeter IT assets.

Internal and External Penetration Tests
Internal pentests with NodeZero assume your perimeter has been breached and carry out a pentest of your internal infrastructure to determine what security weaknesses may exist that expose your network to serious compromise. To help you to organize your remediation work, the NodeZero dashboard makes it clear which internal vulnerabilities could result in the most damage to your organization and which ones allow the most attack paths. External penetration testing with NodeZero is cloud-based and deploys the latest hacker techniques to break through your perimeter defense.

Common Security Gaps that PEN Tests Can Help Identify
Malicious actors continually probe IT environments for weaknesses by deploying an expanding set of utilities and techniques. While there are many types of security flaws, here are some of the most frequently encountered issues threat actors target:

• Apps that have not had the latest revisions and security patches installed
• Code injection problems that permit malicious actors to insert code in a web application that fools the application into running malicious instructions or providing control of important resources
• Zero-day security gaps in software that neither the intended victim nor the software vendor are yet aware of and so have not had time to work on a solution
• Authentication issues that make it simpler to get inside a network or pose as a legitimate user
• Setup weaknesses that create gaps in security systems such as opening risky ports or leaving cloud storage buckets available to anyone with the correct address
• Unpatched OS
• EOL products for which security patches have stopped being developed
• SQL Injection (SQLI)
• Weak passwords
• Cross-Site Scripting
• Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)
• Improper device configurations
• Stale objects
• Open systems access
• Outdated methodology deployments vs today's best practices
• Failure to implement out-of-band two-factor authentication (2FA secured communications (example: Man In The Middle Attacks)

Advantages of Progent's Pentesting Services
Progent can provide low-cost external penetration testing services on a one-time or ongoing basis. NodeZero's autonomous testing technology offers fast results 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 Providers: For many cyber insurance providers, regular pentest is needed to qualify for or keep coverage.
• Uncover Perimeter Vulnerabilities: External penetration tests help organizations discover vulnerabilities in their external-facing systems, such as websites, servers, and network devices.
• Realistic Attack Scenarios: Penetration tests play out realistic attack scenarios, offering organizations a better comprehension of their vulnerability to various cyber threats.
• Compliance Requirements: Many regulatory frameworks (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) call for periodic security evaluations, including external pentests. Failing to comply can result in legal and economic consequences.
• Risk Reduction: Identifying and remediating security gaps proactively can reduce the chances of data theft, financial losses, and damage to an organization's reputation.
• Vendor Risk Assessment: Companies can utilize external penetration tests to evaluate the cybersecurity of third-party vendors, verifying that these partners do not add weaknesses into your organization's supply chain.
• Better Incident Response: A penetration test can assist companies fine-tune their incident response practices by exposing shortcomings in their ability to detect and react to cybersecurity incidents.
• Security Consciousness: Running pentests can improve understanding among stakeholders about the importance of security. This can also help educate them on safe operational practices.
• Build a Cybersecurity Baseline Assessment: A penetration test can create a baseline for security, permitting companies to measure the effectiveness of cybersecurity improvements over time.
• Competitive Advantage: Showing a commitment to cybersecurity through periodic penetration testing can help you gain competitive advantage, assuring clients and partners that their information is safe.
• Security Investment Justification: Pentest results can provide tangible proof of the necessity of increased investment in security measures and products.
• Internal Policy Assessment: Companies can determine whether their internal cybersecurity policies are successful in preventing external threats.
• Reducing Target Surface: By uncovering and fixing vulnerabilities exposed during a pentest, organizations can reduce their attack surface size and cause it to be more difficult for hackers to compromise their networks.
• Incident Simulation: Companies can launch sophisticated but benign attacks, permitting their security teams to become accustomed dealing with realistic threats in a controlled environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular external pentests help organizations follow their cybersecurity enhancements in a fast-evolving threat landscape, helping them stay ready to handle the latest threats.
• Legal and Regulatory Protection: In the event of a cybersecurity break in, possessing documented proof of regular penetration testing activity can provide a level of legal and regulatory cover by evidencing due diligence in cybersecurity.

Contact Progent for Penetration Testing Consulting
For additional information about Progent's consulting services for NodeZero-based 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 help organizations to carry out the urgent first step in mitigating a ransomware attack by containing the malware. Progent's remote ransomware engineer can help you to identify and quarantine breached devices and protect 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 more information, see Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.