IT Support for Mid-size Businesses

NodeZero from Horizon3.ai is a cutting-edge penetration test (pentest) platform that can deliver repeated, concurrent, automated testing of your internal and perimeter network so you can uncover, prioritize, fix, and confirm cybersecurity vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can take advantage of them. Pentests allow you to work proactively to block cybercriminals from stealing data, disturbing productivity, or inflicting monetary or reputational loss. (For information about pentesting, visit Progent's penetration testing services.)

NodeZero's Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) tools are able to use modern hacking methods by steadily pivoting through your network and linking vulnerabilities until an exploitable attack vector is uncovered. NodeZero then safely exploits the vulnerability as evidence of the weakness, evaluates and ranks the potential damage that could result from an actual malicious exploit, reports the findings, and generates AI-powered guidance for a fix. NodeZero's comprehensive reports point out systemic issues where implementing a single repair can block several different attack paths. Once you have closed the discovered security weaknesses, you can run NodeZero's 1-click verification feature to make sure remediation actions were successful. NodeZero can automatically produce compliance reports required for SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR, and other common compliance requirements.

Progent offers the guidance of a NodeZero Certified Operator (NCO) to assist you to design and implement thorough penetration tests of your perimeter and your internal IT infrastructure in order to realistically assess your current security posture. Progent can help you to set up and launch NodeZero pentests customized for your network environment, understand NodeZero reports, and fix issues based on their potential impact on your network. Progent can also assist you to develop a cohesive cybersecurity ecosystem that streamlines management and delivers maximum cyber defense for on-prem, multi-cloud, and perimeter network assets.

Internal and External Penetration Tests
Internal penetration tests with NodeZero proceed as though your network perimeter has been compromised and carry out a pentest of your internal infrastructure to determine what security weaknesses may exist that subject your network to attack. To assist you to organize your remediation work, the NodeZero dashboard makes it clear which internal vulnerabilities could cause the most damage to your organization and which ones enable the most attack chains. External pentesting with NodeZero is cloud-based and uses the most current hacker techniques to breach your firewalls.

Common Security Gaps that Penetration Tests Can Help Expose and Fix
Malicious actors tirelessly probe IT networks for weaknesses by deploying an ever-evolving set of utilities and techniques. While there are many kinds of security blind spots, below are some of the most frequently encountered issues hackers try to exploit:

• Applications missing current updates and security patches installed
• Code injection flaws that permit malicious actors to input code in a web app that fools the app into running malicious commands or permitting access to 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 a chance to create a solution
• Authentication vulnerabilities that make it easier to break into a network or masquerade as a valid user
• Configuration vulnerabilities that cause gaps in cybersecurity systems like opening unsafe ports or leaving cloud storage buckets available to anybody with the correct address
• Known but unpatched OS vulnerabilities
• End-of-Life technology for which cybersecurity patches are no longer created
• SQL Injection (SQLI)
• Weak passwords
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Insecure Direct Object References
• Improper device configurations
• Unpurged stale objects
• Open systems access
• Outdated methodology security deployments vs today's leading practices
• Failure to deploy out-of-band two-factor authentication (2FA protected communications (e.g. Man In The Middle Attacks)

• Phishing Impact Pentest: Learn the amount of havoc that could be done by an attacker with phished credentials and suggest efficient remediation.
• PCI-DSS Compliance Testing: Perform detailed testing and reporting to demonstrate compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard (DSS). Compliance reports can be submitted to auditors.
• Trip Wires: Intelligently deploy honeypots so you can react 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) weaknesses and misconfigurations in Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure/Entra, and Kubernetes.
• Rapid Response: Rapidly respond to emerging threats before they have a chance to cause major damage.
• Insider Threat Attack: Anticipate the extent of harm a malicious insider could cause.
• Segmentation Testing: Show your internal attack surface like IPs, ports, services and applications before launching simulated attacks.
• Active Directory Password Audit: Expose vulnerabilities in your Active Directory password policy, optimize remediation, and produce a prioritized report of high risk accounts.

Benefits of Progent's Pentesting Services
Progent can provide low-cost external penetration testing services on a one-time or periodic basis. NodeZero's autonomous testing delivers rapid results and provides a full assessment of your outward facing cybersecurity posture. Progent's "ethical hacking" services can provide a multitude of benefits.

• Compliance with Cyber Insurance Companies: For a growing number of cyber insurance providers, periodic pentest is needed to obtain or keep a policy.
• Identify Perimeter Security Gaps: External pentests help organizations discover vulnerabilities in their external-facing systems, such as websites, servers, and network devices.
• Realistic Threat Scenarios: Penetration tests play out realistic attack simulations, giving companies a greater understanding of their vulnerability to a multitude of security threats.
• Compliance Mandates: Many regulatory frameworks (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, GDPR) mandate periodic security assessments, including external penetration tests. Failing to comply may have legal and economic consequences.
• Risk Mitigation: Exposing and fixing vulnerabilities early can lower the chances of data breaches, economic losses, and damage to an organization's reputation.
• Third-Party Vendor Risk Assessment: Organizations can utilize external penetration tests to evaluate the security of vendors, verifying that these partners do not introduce weaknesses into the supply chain.
• Better Incident Response: A pentest can help organizations refine their incident response procedures by identifying weaknesses in their ability to discover and respond to security events.
• Security Consciousness: Running pentests can raise understanding among stakeholders about the urgency of cybersecurity. This can also help teach them on safe online practices.
• Establish a Security Baseline Assessment: A pentest can build a baseline for cybersecurity, allowing organizations to compare the efficacy of security enhancements over time.
• Competitive Advantage: Demonstrating an emphasis on cybersecurity through periodic penetration testing can help you gain competitive advantage, indicating to clients and stakeholders that their data is secure.
• Security Budget Rationalization: Pentest reports can provide substantive proof of the necessity of expanded spending in security measures and technologies.
• Internal Policy Assessment: Organizations can validate whether their internal security policies are effective in blocking external threats.
• Shrinking Attack Surface: By uncovering and remediating weaknesses discovered during a penetration test, companies can minimize their target surface area and cause it to be more difficult for attackers to compromise their networks.
• Attack Simulation: Organizations can launch sophisticated but benign attacks, permitting their cybersecurity groups to practice responding to realistic threats in a safe environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular external penetration tests help organizations track their cybersecurity enhancements over time, ensuring that they remain ready to handle the latest threats.
• Legal and Regulatory Cover: In case of a cybersecurity break in, having documented evidence of periodic penetration testing efforts can offer a degree of legal and regulatory cover by demonstrating reasonable care in security.

Contact Progent for Pentest 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 designed to assist organizations to take the urgent first steps in mitigating a ransomware attack by containing the malware. Progent's remote ransomware expert can assist you to locate and quarantine infected devices and guard clean assets from being penetrated. If your network has been penetrated by any version of ransomware, don't panic. Get help quickly by calling Progent's Ransomware Hot Line at 800-462-8800. For details, see Progent's Ransomware 24x7 Hot Line.